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  • The Distributors’ Body Approaches CCI against Quick Commerce Players Due to Unfair Pricing

    According to reports, the Competition Commission of India (CCI) has received a petition from the All India Consumer Products Distributors Federation (AICPDF) accusing Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart of monopolising the market and charging unjust prices. According to a media report, AICPDF President Dhairyashil Patil made the petition. According to the petition, hyperlocal delivery and speedy trade have grown in popularity in recent years. Fast and effective delivery services are defined by the term “quick commerce.” Products are typically delivered in a matter of minutes. The group also charged that these rapid commerce companies were influencing market competition by offering steep discounts and engaging in exclusive supply and distribution contracts. According to the petition, these activities have a detrimental effect on almost 10 million offline mom-and-pop shops nationwide.

    Not a New Issue

    The authority asked Piyush Goyal, the union minister of commerce, in a letter last year to closely examine the fast commerce giants’ explosive expansion. In order to safeguard small business owners, it also asked the government to control the rapid commerce area. The AICPDF complaint was later forwarded to the CCI by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT). The authorities’ persistent efforts to suppress quick commerce companies coincide with Blinkit, Instamart, and Zepto’s rapid growth and the loss of traditional retail establishments’ clientele. The three main businesses are competing for market share in the nation’s fast-food delivery, grocery, and home basics sectors, as well as 10-minute ambulance services. E-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart are working to increase their product offerings in this market as a result of this influence.

    Voices Rising Against 10 Minutes Delivery Game

    Concerns about the 10-minute delivery trend are still growing. According to a report last month, the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) was thinking of bringing a CCI action against Zomato and Swiggy in order to prevent their 10-minute meal delivery standalone apps, Bistro and Snacc, from being launched. Furthermore, according to a broking study by ICICI Securities, although these businesses continue to use discounts to draw clients, the item-level discounting strategy has lost some of its allure between November 2024 and January 2025. It is important to remember that Zepto, Instamart, and Blinkit together generated over $1 billion in revenue in FY24.

    Rapid Commerce Conflict

    The rapid commerce industry has evolved into a high-cash-burn sector, with companies allocating billions towards expansion and client acquisition. Industry estimates indicate that the aggregate monthly cash burn of rapid commerce entities, including new entrants, ranges between INR 1,300 and 1,500 crore—more than double in recent months.

    Despite nearing operational breakeven in Q2 FY25, Blinkit’s losses escalated in Q3 FY25, with operating losses rising to INR 103 crore from INR 8 crore in the preceding quarter. Swiggy reported a net loss of INR 799 crore, while Instamart had an adjusted EBITDA loss of INR 578 crore in Q3, compared to INR 358 crore in Q2. Zomato’s ability to continue investing in Blinkit stems from its financial stability. In November 2024, Zomato secured INR 8,500 crore in a qualified institutional placement (QIP) to enhance its balance sheet and finance its rapid commerce operations. As of December 31, 2024, Zomato possessed cash reserves amounting to INR 19,235 crore, providing adequate liquidity to support Blinkit’s expansion.

  • List of Companies Acquired by Reliance | Reliance Acquisitions

    Reliance Industries Ltd. (RIL) made several acquisitions in the past three years to boost the product offerings of its subsidiaries—Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. and Reliance Retail Ltd., among others. RIL has put in $566 million+ in media and education, $194 million+ in retail, $1.2 billion+ in telecom and internet firms, $100 million+ in digital firms, and $391 million+ in the chemicals and energy space.

    The acquisitions by Reliance Industries project RIL’s aspiration to be counted among the top 20 companies in the world. Along with refining and petrochemicals, Reliance Jio and Reliance Retail could play a part in achieving the feat. RIL’s telecom venture Jio, has helped improve its perception in terms of consumer services. A survey indicates that the perception of RIL’s consumer services has improved after the launch of Jio with 66% of users considering RIL as a more consumer-friendly brand.

    Within 2 years, Reliance acquired companies such as Balaji Telefilms (TV content), EdCast (learning enabler), Embibe (ed-tech content), Saavn (music content), Radsys (5G architecture), Eros (TV content), Hathway (broadband), DEN (cable), Haptik (customer engagement), Reverie (language processing), Fynd (online shopping), Purple Panda Fashions, Clovia (intimate wear), Tesseract (AR/VR), and Grab (logistics).

    Reliance Retail operates around 14,412+ stores as of December 2021. The company recently posted a profit of $720.05 million (INR 5481 crore) in FY21 on revenue that was recorded at $20.62 billion (INR 1.57 lakh crore).

    The companies acquired by Reliance are working on various technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT), blockchain, online multiplayer gaming, multi-party videoconferencing, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR). These acquisitions are an extension of RIL’s ambitions.

    The following companies were fully acquired by Reliance Industries Limited, with data sourced from Tracxn:

    Here’s the updated table with serial number columns:

    S. No. Acquisition Date Name Sector Total Equity Founded Year Acquirer Location
    1 Dec 28, 2024 Karkinos Healthcare HealthTech $58.2M 2020 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    2 Dec 13, 2024 Navimumbaiiia Real Estate and Construction Reliance Industries
    3 Sep 10, 2022 Shubhalakshmi Polyesters Chemicals and Materials $39.7M 2005 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    4 Sep 06, 2022 SenseHawk High Tech $7.45M 2016 Reliance Industries California
    5 Aug 31, 2022 Campa Cola Food and Agriculture 1977 Reliance Industries Hisar
    6 Aug 31, 2022 Campa-Cola Food and Agriculture Reliance Industries
    7 Aug 04, 2022 Sanmina Semiconductors 1980 Reliance Industries Mexico
    8 Mar 14, 2022 Lithium Werks Energy Tech 1989 Reliance Industries Texas
    9 Jan 11, 2022 Sintex Industries Chemicals and Materials 1931 Reliance Industries Gandhinagar
    10 Dec 31, 2021 Faradion Energy Tech $10.1M 2010 Reliance Industries United Kingdom
    11 Sep 03, 2021 Strand Life Sciences HealthTech $34.9M 2000 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    12 Aug 23, 2021 Milkbasket Food and Agriculture Tech $35.1M 2015 Reliance Industries Gurugram
    13 Jul 06, 2021 Creative Portico Consumer Goods $3.18M 2004 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    14 Apr 22, 2021 Stoke Park Travel and Hospitality 1908 Reliance Industries United Kingdom
    15 Feb 28, 2021 skyTran Auto Tech $79.5M 2009 Reliance Industries California
    16 Dec 28, 2020 IMG Reliance Business Services 2010 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    17 Dec 13, 2019 Asteria Aerospace High Tech $813K 2011 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    18 Dec 12, 2019 NowFloats Retail $30.5M 2012 Reliance Industries Hyderabad
    19 Aug 02, 2019 Fynd Retail $16M 2012 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    20 May 08, 2019 Tesseract High Tech 2015 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    21 Mar 26, 2019 John Players Consumer 1983 Reliance Industries Pennsylvania
    22 Mar 26, 2019 Quasarstaging.net Consumer 2021 Reliance Industries
    23 Mar 02, 2019 Grab Food and Agriculture Tech $8.53M 2012 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    24 Mar 02, 2019 csquare.in Enterprise Applications $42K 2002 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    25 Feb 23, 2019 EasyGov $668K 2015 Reliance Industries Gurugram
    26 Feb 23, 2019 Sankhya Sutra Labs Enterprise Applications 2015 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    27 Feb 23, 2019 Reverie Language Tech Enterprise Applications $4.14M 2009 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    28 Dec 31, 2018 Kanoda Energy $68.6K 2004 Reliance Industries Ahmedabad
    29 Nov 28, 2018 NEWJ Media & Entertainment 2018 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    30 Oct 17, 2018 DEN Networks Media & Entertainment 2007 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    31 Oct 17, 2018 Hathway Cable & Datacom Telecom 1959 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    32 Jun 29, 2018 Radisys Telecom 1987 Reliance Industries Oregon
    33 2018 Genesis Luxury Consumer Goods $30.5M 2008 Reliance Industries Gurugram
    34 Apr 09, 2018 Embibe EdTech $11.7M 2012 Reliance Industries Bengaluru
    35 May 29, 2014 Network18 1996 Reliance Industries Mumbai
    36 Jun 12, 2010 Infotel Broadband Telecom Reliance Industries
    Startups Acquired by Reliance
    Reliance Acquisitions

    Reliance Industries Acquisitions | Reliance Industries Company List

    1. Embibe
    2. Fynd
    3. Grab
    4. Haptik
    5. Reverie
    6. Saavn
    7. Purple Panda Fashions (Clovia)
    8. Tesseract
    9. Den Networks and Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd.
    10. Hamleys
    11. Netmeds
    12. Asteria Aerospace
    13. NowFloats Technologies
    14. Radisys
    15. Balaji Telefilms and Eros International
    16. Urban Ladder
    17. JustDial
    18. Milkbasket
    19. Zivame
    20. Dunzo
    21. Shri Kannan Departmental Store
    22. Jaisuryas
    23. Kalanikethan
    24. Abraham & Thakore
    25. Ritu Kumar
    26. Manish Malhotra
    27. AK-OK
    28. Genesis Colors
    29. Future101 Design
    30. Addverb Technologies
    31. Portico
    32. Amante
    33. Rahul Mishra
    34. Lithium Werks
    35. C-Square Info-Solutions
    36. Mesindus Ventures Private Limited – Qalara
    37. Plastic Legno SPA
    38. Gap

    Embibe

    Startup Name Embibe
    Founded in 2012
    Founders Aditi Avasthi
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 73%

    In April 2018, Reliance Industries invested $180 million in the ed-tech startup Embibe over a period of three years. The investment helped acquire a stake of 72.69 % from Embibe’s existing investors. In April 2020, Bengaluru-based startup Embibe received a funding of INR 500 crores from Reliance Industries.

    Embibe, one of the Reliance acquired companies, is an education platform that utilizes data analytics to deliver personalized learning outcomes for students. It targets various segments such as K-12, higher education, professional skilling, vernacular languages, and all curriculum categories in India and abroad. Embibe uses AI stacks that focus on content intelligence and automation, behavioral recommendations, and student intelligence.

    Aditi Avasthi, the founder and CEO of Embibe, continues to lead the company post-acquisition and may operate it as an independent entity as well. With Embibe’s technology, Reliance aims to connect with over 1.9 million schools and 58,000 universities across India. It believes that Embibe’s highly experienced management team will help Reliance realize its vision for the education sector.

    Fynd

    Startup Name Fynd
    Founded in 2012
    Founders Farooq Adam, Harsh Shah and Sreeraman MG
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 87.6%

    Fynd, one of the companies under Reliance Industries is a fashion e-commerce platform and was founded in 2012 by Farooq Adam, Harsh Shah, and Sreeraman MG. Fynd functions via an offline-to-online (O2O) model and directly sources products belonging to categories such as clothing, footwear, jewelry, and accessories from prominent brands to sell them in India. Fynd sources products from the outlets nearest to the customer to optimize delivery time. It has about 8,000 outlets on board for about 500 clients.

    Reliance’s latest acquisition, Fynd, has an in-house product called the ‘Fynd Store’; store managers place orders on behalf of the walk-ins in case the desired product is not stocked or not available in the right size in the store. RIL acquired a majority stake (87.6%) in Shopsense Retail Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (which manages Fynd) for INR 295.25 crores ($41.9 million).

    RIL also has an option to invest INR 100 crores further in Shopsense Retail Technologies by December 2021. The total investment will translate into an 87.6% stake in Fynd. The investment would strengthen the group’s ‘digital and new commerce initiatives’. Reliance has been bolstering investments and acquisitions in the tech and internet space as it prepares to launch e-commerce services by leveraging Reliance Jio Infocomm’s reach.

    Grab

    Startup Name Grab
    Founded in 2012
    Founders Anthony Tan and Tan Hooi Ling
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 83%

    In February 2019, RIL’s wholly-owned subsidiary Reliance Industrial Investments and Holdings Limited (RIIHL) acquired equity shares of Grab A Grub Services Private Limited (Grab) in a cash deal worth $14.9 million. At a later stage, the company will also invest up to $5.63 million (INR 40 crores) to complete the acquisition deal by March 2021.

    With this investment, RIL will control 83% of Grab’s equity on a fully diluted basis. The investment will support Reliance Group’s digital commerce initiatives and strengthen its logistics services, catering to both B2B (business-to-business) and B2C (business-to-consumer) segments. The deal would help the company boost its e-commerce model to take on Amazon India and Flipkart.

    Grab was founded in 2013 by Jignesh Patel, Nishant Vora, and Pratish Sanghvi. Grab provides services like on-demand, reverse, first, and last-mile logistics. Some of its clients include McDonalds, BigBasket, Myntra, Amazon Now, and Swiggy. Grab was backed by investors such as SIDBI Venture Capital Arm, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) Aramex, Zomato, and Sixth Sense Ventures.

    Haptik

    Startup Name Haptik
    Founded in 2013
    Founders Aakrit Vaish and Swapan Rajdev
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 87%

    On April 3, 2019, RIL announced that Reliance Jio Digital Services Limited acquired artificial intelligence (AI) firm Haptik for INR 700 crores (with INR 230 crores as the consideration for the initial business transfer) to compete against Google Assistant and Amazon’s Alexa. Thus, Reliance will hold about 87% of the business, with the rest being held by Haptik founders and employees through stock option grants.

    Founded in 2013, Haptik is one of the world’s largest conversational AI platforms that lets customers coordinate with voice assistants to complete tasks related to online shopping, travel bookings, food delivery, and more. The company has worked with over 50 brands which include Samsung, Coca-Cola, Future Retail, KFC, Tata Group, Oyo Rooms, and the Mahindra Group. Haptik established its presence in the US in 2018 and in the UK in 2019.

    With this startup acquisition, Reliance Jio is looking to leverage Haptik’s capabilities across various devices and touch-points in the consumer’s journey. Reliance said that the investment is an aid in the enhancement and expansion of Haptik’s platform with an addressable market opportunity of over 1 billion users in India.

    Reverie

    Startup Name Reverie
    Founded in 2009
    Founders Arvind Pani, Sachindra K Mohanty, Vivekananda Pani
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 83.3%

    In April 2019, RIL acquired a majority stake in Reverie for INR 190 crores ($27.3 million). It will invest another INR 77 crores (almost $10 million) by March 2021. As part of the acquisition, Reliance will hold 83.3 % equity capital in Reverie on a fully diluted basis, with a total investment of INR 267 crores likely to be completed by March 2021.

    Reverie provides a voice suite (called Gopal) in 12 Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Bengali, Marathi, Gujarati, Indian English, etc., which can be integrated with both chatbots and interactive voice response (IVR) solutions. Companies can then use the resulting solution to engage with non-English speaking customers.

    Reverie will work towards the integration of its Indic language localization services with RIL’s digital consumer platforms. It will continue to operate independently and serve its existing clients.


    Reliance Jio gets its historic 11th investor in just 8 weeks
    Reliance Jio is not just a telecom network, it is an entire ecosystem that
    allows Indians to live the digital life to the fullest. It was founded by Mr. Mukesh Ambani [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVkg3QcVozk] who has been working
    on the JIO Infocomm Ltd since 2010. The idea is said to have come…

    Saavn

    Startup Name Saavn
    Founded in 2007
    Founders Rishi Malhotra, Vinodh Bhat and Paramdeep Singh
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 75%-80%

    On March 23, 2018, RIL announced a strategic merger of its digital music service, JioMusic, with ‘music over-the-top platform’ Saavn. RIL acquired a 75-80 % stake in the merged entity. The company said that the combined entity is valued at over $1 billion, with JioMusic’s implied valuation at $670 million and Saavn at $330 million.

    RIL stated that the integrated business would be developed into a media platform of the future with global reach, cross-border original content, an independent artist marketplace, consolidated data, and one of the largest mobile advertising mediums in India.

    “The investment and combination of our music assets with Saavn underline our commitment to further boost the digital ecosystem and provide unlimited digital entertainment services to consumers over a strong, uninterrupted network,” Ambani said while announcing the strategic transaction.

    JioSaavn has over 200 employees and operates out of offices in California, New York, Bangalore, Gurgaon, and Mumbai. It offers about 40 million soundtracks in 15 languages and has over 900 label partnerships. Some of the partners are Universal, Sony, T-Series, Tips, YRF, Saregama, Eros, and Warner Music.

    Reliance Takeover Company List
    RIL made Acquisitions worth more than $3 Billion

    Purple Panda Fashions (Clovia)

    Startup Name Purple Panda Fashions (Clovia)
    Founded in 2013
    Founders Pankaj Vermani, Neha Kant and Suman Choudhary
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 89%

    Started by Pankaj Vermani, Neha Kant, and Suman Choudhary in 2013, Purple Panda Fashions, an independent company not owned by Reliance, is the manufacturer and online retailer of lingerie with its flagship brand, Clovia. Clovia, under Purple Panda Fashions, offers a wide range of quality innerwear and loungewear for women, with its categories spanning over 3500+ product styles. Please note that Purple Panda Fashions and Clovia are not affiliated with or owned by Reliance or any companies owned by Reliance.

    The largest retailer in India, Reliance Retail Ventures, as updated on March 21, 2022, has acquired 89% of the stakes in Clovia, for which it has reportedly spent INR 950 crore. The deal will be a combination of primary investment and secondary stake purchase, the remaining stakes of which will be owned by the founding team and management of Clovia. This partnership with Clovia is expected to further strengthen the innerwear arm of Reliance.

    Tesseract

    Startup Name Tesseract
    Founded in 2015
    Founders Kshitij Marwah
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 92.7%

    In August 2019, Reliance acquired a 92.7% stake in Tesseract. Post the deal, the stake would be valued between INR 150 crores and INR 500 crores, a source added. Reliance also announced its mixed reality (MR) platform, Holoboard, which combines augmented reality and virtual reality. Holoboard would be the first made-in-India AR headset and will be compatible with smartphones. Interestingly, the device is developed by Tesseract.

    Tesseract is a Mumbai-based VR startup founded in 2015 by Kshitij Marwah. Tesseract has launched three hardware and two software products in the MR, AR, and VR spaces. The founder claims to have seven patents: one US-registered, three international, and three India-registered patents.

    Post-acquisition, Tesseract developed the Jio HoloBoard as a native mixed-reality headset for JioFiber users. While specifics about the Jio HoloBoard are yet to be revealed, Reliance Jio plans to make the headset available for purchase in the market at an extremely affordable price.

    Den Networks and Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd.

    Startup Name Den Networks and Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd.
    Founded in 2007 and 1959 respectively
    Founders Sameer Manchanda (Den Networks), Pheroza Billimoria & Roopesh Rao (Hathway Cable and Datacom)
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 66% and 51.3% respectively

    Reliance Jio bought a majority stake in Den Networks, Hathway Cable, and Datacom in October 2018. Jio acquired a 66% stake in Den Networks with a primary investment of INR 2,045 crores and a 51.3% stake in Hathway Cable & Datacom Ltd. with an initial investment of INR 2,940 crores.

    DEN claims to have the ability to reach 9.7 lakh homes and has more than 106,000 broadband subscribers. Hathway Cable is owned by the Raheja Group, while Sameer Manchanda owns DEN Networks. They both are amongst the biggest players in the cable broadband market.

    The investments were meant to boost the rollout of Jio GigaFiber, which is in the testing phase at the moment. It is a competitor to Bharti Airtel, BSNL, and other broadband providers in India. Reliance Jio also has RCom’s wireless infrastructure assets to consolidate its telecom presence.

    Hamleys

    Startup Name Hamleys
    Founded in 1760
    Founders William Hamley
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 100%

    Reliance Industries completed the acquisition of British toy retailer Hamleys for about INR 620 crores (GBP 67.96 million) in an all-cash deal in July 2019 when Reliance Brands signed an agreement to acquire a 100% stake in Hamleys Global Holdings from Hong Kong-based C.banner International.

    RIL stated that Reliance Brands completed the acquisition of a 100 % stake in Hamleys Global Holdings (HGHL) through a special-purpose vehicle company set up in the United Kingdom. This acquisition will help Reliance Brands become a dominant player in the global toy retail industry.

    Hamleys was founded by William Hamley in London in 1760. It is one of the world’s oldest retailers of toys and has changed hands several times. Hamleys has 167 stores across 18 countries. In India, Reliance Retail had the master franchise for the brand and operated 88 stores across 29 cities.

    Netmeds

    Startup Name Netmeds
    Founded in 2015
    Founders Pradeep Dadha
    Stakes Owned by Reliance

    On August 19, 2020, Reliance Industries Ltd. acquired a majority stake in online pharmacy Netmeds for about $83 million (INR. 620 crores) in cash, days after e-commerce giant Amazon.com Inc launched an online drug sales service in India.

    The investment represents a 60% holding in the equity share capital of Vitalic Health and 100% direct equity ownership of its subsidiaries: Tresara Health Private Limited, Netmeds Market Place Limited, and Dadha Pharma Distribution Pvt. Limited.

    According to Reliance, Netmeds would enhance Reliance Retail’s ability to provide affordable and extensive healthcare products and services.

    “This investment is aligned with our commitment to provide digital access for everyone in India,” said Isha Ambani, Director, RRVL

    Netmeds is one of the top online pharmacies in India that deals with a wide range of healthcare products like high-quality prescription medicines, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals, general healthcare products, Ayurvedic medicines, and homeopathic medicines. It has delivery facilities across India. It is a subsidiary of Dadha & Company, one of India’s most trusted pharmacy brands with over 100 years of experience in dispensing quality medicines. Pradeep Dadha founded the company in 2010, and it is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.


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    Asteria Aerospace

    Startup Name Asteria Aerospace
    Founded in 2011
    Founders Neel Mehta and Nihar Vartak
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 51.78%

    In December of 2019, RIL-owned subsidiary Reliance Strategic Business Ventures Ltd (RSBVL) acquired a 51.78% stake in robotics and artificial intelligence company Asteria Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. for INR 23.12 crores. Asteria develops drone-based solutions to provide intelligence from aerial data for military use and industrial applications.

    NowFloats Technologies

    Startup Name NowFloats Technologies
    Founded in 2012
    Founders Jasminder Singh Gulati
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 85%

    In December 2019, RSBVL also acquired an 85% stake in NowFloats Technologies Pvt. Ltd. for INR 141.63 crores with a proposal to make further investments of up to INR 75 crores. Nowfloats offers SaaS solutions to small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to build a digital presence. The investment will further enable Reliance Group’s digital and new commerce initiatives.

    Radisys

    Startup Name Radisys
    Founded in 1987
    Founders Glenford Myers
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 100%

    RIL also acquired open telecom solution provider Radisys in June 2020 for $74 million (INR 511 crores). The deal majorly focused on enhancing Reliance Jio’s presence in the areas of 5G, Internet of Things (IoT), and open-source architecture adoption.

    In addition to these acquisitions, RIL specifically made deals to amplify the occupancy of Reliance Jio by acquiring software companies, namely Surajya Services (EasyGov) and SankhyaSutra. Surajya Services (EasyGov) is a data solution company that is known for its EasyGov online portal, which details government schemes and services to citizens. SankhyaSutra Labs offers high-performance computing software simulation services.


    How Mukesh Ambani’s JioMart is set to revolutionize e-commerce sector with JioMart
    When it comes to the Indian business environment, one simply can’t ignore Mr.
    Mukesh Ambani, the biggest player, the owner of Reliance Industries, and the
    wealthiest businessman of India. He has footprints in some of the most important
    sectors of the Indian economy like refining, oil & gas, petroche…


    Balaji Telefilms and Eros International

    Startup Name Balaji Telefilms and Eros International
    Founded in 1994 and 2017
    Founders Ekta Kapoor, Jeetendra (AltBalaji) ; Kishore Lulla (Eros International)
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 24.9% (Balaji Telefilms) ; 5% (Eros)

    RIL also invested in the entertainment industry. It acquired a 24.9% stake in film and television production house Balaji Telefilms Ltd., the parent company of ALTBalaji, in a deal worth INR 413.28 crores. The stake purchase will give Reliance Jio Infocomm Ltd. access to the content generated by Balaji Telefilms. RIL also acquired a 5% stake in the film entertainment company Eros International for $48.75 million. Given the massive demand for online video content, a stake in Eros International and ALTBalaji would allow Jio to entice customers who are in dire need of high-speed internet on smartphones.

    Urban Ladder

    Startup Name Urban Ladder
    Founded in 2012
    Founders Ashish Goel, Rajiv Srivatsa
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 96%

    Reliance Retail bought a 96% stake in Urban Ladder for over INR 182 crore in November 2020. The omnichannel furniture and decor retailer is based out of Bengaluru, has more than 3 stores in Bangalore, and boasts of distributing its products across 75+ cities.

    JustDial

    Startup Name JustDial
    Founded in 1996
    Founders V.S.S. Mani
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 40.95%

    JustDial, one of the Reliance invested companies is a local search services platform, one of the oldest and iconic players in the Indian local search services space. Just Dial boasts of having more than 30 million enterprise listings across web, app and voice platforms.

    The RIL arm, Reliance Retail Ventures, acquired 40.95% stakes in Just Dial on June 17, 2021, in an all-cash deal worth INR 5,710 crore. According to the reports of the deal, Reliance subscribed to the preferential shares and bought some shares from its main promoter, VSS Mani, and his family for INR 3,497 crore. The acquisition of Just Dial not only dwarfed Reliance’s other acquisitions, such as its Netmeds and that of Hamleys, but it is still standing as one of the largest acquisitions that the country has seen so far.

    Milkbasket

    Startup Name Milkbasket
    Founded in 2015
    Founders Anant Goel, Ashish Goel, Anurag Jain, and Yatish Talvadia
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 96.49%

    India’s first subscription-based micro-delivery service, Milkbasket, was founded in 2015 by Anant Goel, Ashish Goel, Anurag Jain, and Yatish Talvadia. The delivery service platform was founded with the aim to deliver daily groceries, milk, and other everyday essentials.

    Reliance Retail Ventures acquired Milkbasket by acquiring 96.49% stakes in the company, announced Milkbasket while announcing its Q2 FY22 financial results. The deal is pegged at $40 Mn, as per the reports dated October 23, 2021.

    Zivame

    Startup Name Zivame
    Founded in 2011
    Founders Richa Kar
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 15%

    The subsidiary of Reliance Industries, Reliance Brands, one of the numerous Reliance Industries subsidiaries, has bought 15% of the stakes in Zivame, the most trusted store for women’s undergarments. Reliance had acquired a minority stake in the leading online lingerie brand in July 2020 and had also mentioned that it would buy out Zivame sometime soon and could also pay close to INR 1,200 to materialize the deal.

    Dunzo

    Startup Name Dunzo
    Founded in 2014
    Founders Kabeer Biswas, Ankur Agarwal, Dalvir Suri, Mukund Jha
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 25%

    Dunzo is a popular delivery service platform from Bangalore. Founded in July 2014 by Kabeer Biswas, Ankur Agarwal, Dalvir Suri, and Mukund Jha, Dunzo is a 24×7 operating app that operates in 8+ Indian cities.

    Reliance Retail acquired 25.8% stakes in Dunzo on January 6, 2022, in a deal where Dunzo raised $240 mn worth of funds from the mammoth conglomerate.


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    Shri Kannan Departmental Store

    Startup Name
    Founded in 1985
    Founders T Thanushgaran
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 100%

    Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd. has acquired Shri Kannan Departmental Store, a 20+ years old retail brand, for INR 152.5 crore. The company operates 29+ stores in and around Coimbatore, specializing in fruits, vegetables, dairy, and essentials. This acquisition is part of Reliance’s expansion strategy in the retail sector, adding Shri Kannan to its list of acquired companies.

    Jaisuryas

    Startup Name Jaisuryas
    Founded in 1989
    Founders Shivaji Siddharth
    Stakes Owned by Reliance

    Jaisuryas is a leading regional grocery chain that operates in the Southern part of India. Reliance Industries acquired Jaisuryas in an undisclosed deal.

    Kalanikethan

    Startup Name Kalanikethan
    Founded in 1976
    Founders Shri V. Venkateswara Rao and Mitul Parekh
    Stakes Owned by Reliance

    Kalanikethan is a leading retailer of sarees and ethnic wear that operates in many cities in South India. Kalanikethan is another startup that currently stands acquired by Reliance to fill up the gaps in some of the smaller markets in the south of the country.

    Abraham & Thakore

    Startup Name Abraham & Thakore
    Founded in 1992
    Founders David Abraham, Rakesh Thakore and Kevin Nigli
    Stakes Owned by Reliance

    David Abraham and Rakesh Thakore launched Abraham & Thakore in 1992, which was soon joined by Kevin Nigli. Abraham & Thakore is rooted in the fashion industry, which believes in making weaving and design unconventional and appealing to the masses!

    Reliance Retail Ventures acquired a majority stake in Abraham & Thakore on March 2, 2022.

    Ritu Kumar

    Startup Name Ritu Kumar
    Founded in 2002
    Founders Ritu Kumar
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 52%

    Reliance Industries had already acquired Manish Malhotra, after which it acquired Ritu Kumar, which is another major acquisition in the fashion industry. The MNC conglomerate giant owned a whopping 52% stake in Ritika Pvt Ltd., the parent of Ritu Kumar, Label Ritu Kumar, RI Ritu Kumar, aarké, and Ritu Kumar Home and Living, which is India’s oldest fashion house on October 15, 2021.

    Manish Malhotra

    Startup Name Manish Malhotra
    Founded in 2005
    Founders Manish Malhotra
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 40%

    Manish Malhotra, the eponymous brand of the celebrated Indian fashion designer, couturier, costume stylist, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and revivalist based in Mumbai, India, is a rage in the Indian fashion market as well. The Manish Malhotra brand, which has been led by none other than Manish Malhotra, has been acquired by Reliance Brands, which is a subsidiary of Reliance Industries, where the Mukesh Ambani-led brand picked up 40% of stakes, as per reports dated October 16, 2021.

    AK-OK

    Startup Name AK-OK
    Founded in
    Founders Anamika Khanna
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 60%

    Anamika Khanna is a famous Indian couturier who has successfully blended traditional Indian textiles and techniques with Western silhouettes and tailoring. The celebrity Indian fashion designer runs her eponymous brand AK-OK, a majority stake (60%) of which has been acquired by Reliance Brands in December 2021, which is believed to be a 60:40 joint venture.

    Genesis Colors

    Startup Name Genesis Colors
    Founded in 1998
    Founders Sanjay Kapoor, Jyoti Narula and Puneet Nanda
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 29.07%

    Reliance acquired 16.31% worth of stakes in Genesis Colors. Reliance Retail Ventures Ltd (RRVL), a subsidiary of Reliance, has materialised the deal for INR 34.80 crore on September 10, 2018. The Mukesh-Ambani-led company further acquired 9.44% stakes in the same company on February 8, 2019. Reliance has stood as an owner of 29.07% stakes of Genesis Colors, the holding company of reputed Indian fashion brands – Satya Paul and Bwitch.

    Future101 Design

    Startup Name Future101 Design
    Founded in 2013
    Founders Satinder Singh Kataria
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 15%

    Around the same time when Reliance extended its stakes in Genesis Colors, the company also acquired an additional 2.5% stake in Future101, thereby becoming an owner of 15% of the company’s stakes on February 8, 2019. The Gurgaon-based fashion brand designs and manufactures apparel, including hand-crafted breeches, suits, jackets, skirts, pants, sarees, and more.

    Addverb Technologies

    Startup Name Addverb Technologies
    Founded in 2016
    Founders Sangeet Kumar, Prateek Jain, Bir Singh, Satish Kumar Shukla and Amit Kumar
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 55%

    Addverb Technologies is a robotics firm founded in June 2016 by Sangeet Kumar, Prateek Jain, Bir Singh, Satish Kumar Shukla, and Amit Kumar, which offers product 4 verticals — robotics, automated storage, and retrieval systems, picking, and software. Reliance acquired majority stakes (55%) in Addverb Technologies in January 2022 for $132 mn.

    How Big is Reliance?

    Portico

    Startup Name Portico
    Founded in 2005
    Founders Arun Bhawsingka
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 37.7%

    Owned by Creative Group, Portico is a home fashion brand that is fast emerging. Reliance acquired a minority stake in Portico and has approached the same for a majority stake in the same, as per the reports dated July 2021.

    Reliance has picked up a minority stake in Portico and has already announced buying a majority stake (37.7% stake) in the home fashion brand, as of the reports dated July 6, 2021.

    Amante

    Startup Name Amante
    Founded in 2007
    Founders Ajay Amalean
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 100%

    Reliance has announced acquiring 100% stakes in the Amante brand from MAS, as per the joint statement issued by the two companies. Founded in October 2007, Amante is a part of MAS Brands, a subsidiary of MAS Holdings.

    Rahul Mishra

    Startup Name Rahul Mishra
    Founded in 2005
    Founders Rahul Mishra
    Stakes Owned by Reliance 60%

    Rahul Mishra, the acclaimed Indian designer recognized as the first to showcase at Paris Haute Couture Week, entered into a strategic partnership with Reliance, a conglomerate with various reliance-owned companies, on January 31, 2022. The collaboration takes the form of a 60:40 joint venture with Reliance Brands Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance that oversees several reliance owned companies, currently holding a majority stake of 60% in Rahul Mishra’s firm. This alliance signifies a significant move in the fashion industry, combining the innovative design prowess of Rahul Mishra with the strategic support of Reliance.

    Lithium Werks

    Startup Name Lithium Werks
    Founded in 2017
    Founders T. Joseph Fisher III, Christian F. P. Ringvold
    Stakes Owned By Reliance 100%

    All of Lithium Werks’ assets were acquired by Reliance New Energy, a wholly-owned subsidiary of RIL, in a deal that is valued at $61 million, as per the reports dated March 16, 2022.

    Lithium Werks is a cobalt-free lithium technology and manufacturing company. The Texas headquartered company is a well-known producer of cobalt-free and high-performance lithium iron phosphate batteries. The assets that Reliance has acquired include an annual production capacity of around 200 MWh, including coating, cell and custom module manufacturing capability, 219 patents that also have the exclusive rights of superior LFP nano-technology, cell design, proprietary carbo-thermal reduction manufacturing method, and many other cutting-edge electroactive materials. This acquisition further inches Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani close to his dream of building the largest renewable energy ecosystem in India. Ambani has reportedly committed to investing close to $10 billion in sustainable energy initiatives throughout a period of 3 years.

    C-Square Info-Solutions

    Startup Name C-Square Info-Solutions
    Founded in 2002
    Founders Sajith Thatalath and Sripal Bachawat
    Stakes Owned By Reliance 82%

    In 2019, Reliance Industries purchased an 82% stake in C-Square Info-Solutions – a software company located in Bangalore that specializes in enterprise resource planning and analytics for the pharmaceutical industry. The acquisition was a strategic investment with the goal of enhancing Reliance’s digital commerce initiatives and logistics services by utilizing C-Square’s domain expertise within the pharma sector.

    Mesindus Ventures Private Limited – Qalara

    Startup Name Mesindus Ventures Private Limited – Qalara
    Founded in 2019
    Founders Aditi Pany
    Stakes Owned By Reliance

    In 2020, Reliance Industries acquired a majority stake in Mesindus Ventures Private Limited, which is the parent company of SaaS start-up Qalara. Mesindus Ventures was founded in 2019 and provides an AI-powered customer data and analytics platform for brands. Reliance’s investment has enabled Qalara to expedite product development and expand its customer base. Qalara has been operating independently while benefiting from Reliance’s resources and partnerships since becoming a subsidiary. The acquisition is in line with Reliance’s strategy of investing in digital, AI, and SaaS start-ups to strengthen its technology services offering.

    Plastic Legno SPA

    Startup Name Plastic Legno SPA
    Founded in 2009 (India)
    Founders Sunino Group
    Stakes Owned By Reliance 40%

    In June 2022, Reliance Brands Limited (RBL) announced a joint venture with Plastic Legno SPA to acquire a 40% stake in the Indian toy manufacturing business of the Italian toy maker. Plastic Legno SPA is owned by the Sunino group, which has over 25 years of experience in toy production in Europe. The group began its India operations in 2009 to establish a robust production hub to cater to global markets and the rapidly growing Indian market.

    Reliance Brands has a strong presence in the Indian toy industry with Hamleys, the British toy retailer, and a homegrown brand.

    Gap

    Startup Name Gap
    Founded in 1969
    Founders Don and Doris Fisher
    Stakes Owned By Reliance

    Gap Inc. has partnered with Reliance Retail Limited, India’s largest retailer, to bring Gap to India. Reliance Retail will be the official retailer for Gap across all channels in India. The latest fashion offerings from Gap will be available through a mix of stores and digital platforms. The partnership will leverage Gap’s position as a leading casual lifestyle brand and Reliance Retail’s expertise in operating retail networks and driving sourcing efficiencies. Gap was founded in San Francisco in 1969 and is known for its denim heritage.

    Conclusion

    Reliance Jio and other Reliance Industries subsidiaries are likely to continue the acquisition trend to retain leadership in the market. However, the results of the acquisitions are yet to be realized from an end user’s perspective.

    FAQs

    Which are Reliance clothing brands in India?

    Reliance Retail is India’s largest retailer, offering a diverse range of products including grocery, consumer electronics, fashion, and lifestyle. They operate several clothing brands, such as Reliance Trends, AJIO, and more, and distribute international brands through Reliance Brands.

    Which are the companies acquired by Reliance?

    Reliance has acquired companies across sectors like telecom, retail, media & entertainment including Network18, Infotel Broadband, C-Square Info-Solutions and Marki Consulting & Solutions. Through these acquisitions, Reliance has expanded into new business areas and consolidated its position.

    Which are the Reliance Industries subsidiaries?

    Reliance has numerous subsidiaries across sectors like petrochemicals, oil and gas, telecom, retail and media. Key subsidiaries are Reliance Jio, Reliance Retail, Network18, Reliance Life Sciences, Reliance Clothing brands and Jio Platforms. These subsidiaries operate independently while leveraging synergies with Reliance.

    Which are the companies owned by Reliance Industries?

    Reliance owns subsidiaries across sectors including Jio Platforms, Reliance Retail, Network18, Den Networks, and Hathway Cable in media and telecom. It also wholly owns petrochemicals subsidiaries like Reliance Industries, Reliance Petroleum and Jamnagar refineries. Reliance continues to build its portfolio through acquisitions.

    Reliance bought which company recently?

    Reliance acquired Karkinos Healthcare on December 28, 2024.

  • Trump Issues Executive Order Creating “Strategic Bitcoin Reserve”

    Redefining the U.S. government’s position on digital assets, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to establish a Strategic Bitcoin Reserve. White House Crypto and AI Commissioner David Sacks confirmed the announcement in a post on X. The reserve won’t be dependent on public funds. Rather, it will only be financed with bitcoin that has been seized in civil and criminal forfeiture proceedings. According to Sacks, the federal government’s Bitcoin that was seized as part of criminal or civil asset forfeiture actions will be used to capitalise the reserve.

    The Government Owns Sizeable Bitcoin Reserves

    Estimates indicate that the U.S. government possesses about 200,000 bitcoin, despite the fact that a complete audit has never been conducted. According to Trump’s executive order, a thorough examination of federal digital asset holdings is required. Presenting bitcoin as a long-term store of value, the directive also forbids the government from selling it from the reserve. This decision was made in response to previous bitcoin liquidations that resulted in significant cash opportunities being lost. Sacks has pointed out that by selling confiscated bitcoin too soon, the United States lost out on roughly $17 billion in possible profits.

    The executive order creates a U.S. Digital Asset Stockpile to store additional seized cryptocurrencies in addition to bitcoin. The Treasury Department will oversee this stockpile, guaranteeing a methodical approach to dealing with digital assets that have been seized.

    How US is Envisaging  its Digital Currency Future?

    Additional policy formulation will be supervised by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. They will concentrate on managing and maybe growing the reserve using cost-neutral methods. Trump recently said on social media that the government will hoard Bitcoin, Ethereum, and three other tokens. This action comes after his remarks. Some in the cryptocurrency industry reacted negatively to the tweet. But according to Sacks, the new policy is a significant step in turning the United States into the “crypto capital of the world.” The U.S. government is sending a clear message about the future of digital assets with this executive order. Although opinions are still divided, the ruling clearly shows that bitcoin is no longer seen as a disposable holding but rather as a strategic asset.

    Where Does India Stand in Digital Assets Game?

    In the most populous country in the world, where jobs and wage rises have not kept pace with global economic growth, many young Indians are experimenting with cryptocurrency trading as a way to augment their regular income. According to a government report, over two-thirds of its 1.4 billion inhabitants are under 35. They are shifting their focus from equities and derivatives to cryptocurrency assets, whose values have skyrocketed since U.S. President Donald Trump’s election victory in November, when he pledged to relax regulations on the market.

    According to reports, Edul Patel, co-founder of the Indian cryptocurrency exchange Mudrex, stated that there is a lot of interest at the grassroots level, particularly in light of Trump’s election as president of the United States and the global shift in the cryptocurrency landscape. According to a consultancy firm, Grant Thornton Bharat, the Indian cryptocurrency industry is predicted to increase from $2.5 billion last year to over $15 billion in 2035 at a compound annual growth rate of 18.5%.

  • Rajneet Singh Kohli, the CEO of Britannia, Steps Down

    Britannia Industries, a prominent biscuit manufacturer, announced on 6 March that Rajneet Singh Kohli, its executive director and chief executive officer, left on March 5 in order to explore an outside opportunity. The stock exchange statement states that March 14 is Kohli’s last day with the company. In September 2022, he joined the company after Varun Berry was promoted to vice chairman.

    Kohli’s Resignation Letter

    Kohli stated in his letter of resignation that it has been an honour to work with Berry and be a part of Britannia leadership for more than two and a half years. He went on to say that he is humbled and thankful for the chance to manage the biggest and most adored famous Britannia brand, collaborate with a bright group of people, and help the business succeed. The brand has advanced significantly with the team’s help, and he is happy with what the group has accomplished.

    Britannia Not Going for a Capex Break

    Berry informed investors that the company was thinking of taking a capital expenditure break following the results of the October–December quarter. The business has installed plants and plans to keep them as low as feasible for the upcoming fiscal year. Additionally, he stated that until there was an increase in demand, the company would not invest more than INR 150 crore to INR 200 crore in capacity growth. Since the brand now had three new plants with new lines, capacity, head space, and other features, Berry had informed investors that he didn’t think it needed capital expenditures. In terms of capital expenditures, the business is doing well. The fast-moving consumer goods business has struggled with urban demand, but Britannia is now facing high commodity prices. Berry informed investors that it was raising pricing in order to lessen the impact of the high cost of raw materials. The big biscuit company raised the prices of all of its products by 2% in the third quarter, and it anticipates finishing the fiscal year with a 4–4.5% price hike.

    Kohli Before Joining Britannia

    Prior to joining Britannia, Kohli held key leadership positions at Jubilant Foodworks, where he was instrumental in the expansion of well-known fast-food restaurants like Dunkin’, Popeyes, and Domino’s. His long history in the retail and consumer products industries also includes positions at Asian Paints and Coca-Cola Co., where he made major contributions to market expansion and brand strategy. Although Britannia has not yet named Kohli’s replacement, more announcements about leadership changes are anticipated in the upcoming weeks. The company is still navigating a dynamic and changing market situation, so Kohli’s departure represents a substantial move.

  • Why was Hippo Chips Discontinued? | Hippo Chips Failure

    A well-known phrase in the advertising industry states, “When all else fails, use emotion. And when that seems a trifle out-of-sync proposition in the product category, rush to good ol’ mother’s love“.

    In India, “maa ka pyaar” (a mother’s love) is a surefire winner. This is exactly what the snack brand “Hippo” did with its munchies variant. Initially, Parle Agro tried to tackle the global hunger issue with their product but then shifted their focus to selling it based on the promise of love and care.

    However, none of the strategies could stop Parle Agro from discontinuing Hippo chips. In this article, we’ll examine the issues and failures that contributed to Hippo Chips’ demise and explore the causes of its failure.

    Let’s discuss what happened to Hippo chips and why Hippo Chips failed.

    Launched in 2009, Hippo Chips were a common snack found in lunchboxes and pantries all over the nation. Hippo Chips soared to fame and were well-known for their distinctive form and delightful crunch. But as time went on, the brand gradually disappeared, leaving people to wonder what went wrong.

    About Hippo Chips
    Campaigns by Hippo Chips
    Hippo Snacks: Various Hypothesis for Failure
    Marketing Mix of Hippo Chips
    Lesson Learnt From the Failure of Hippo Chips

    About Hippo Chips

    Hippo Chips Packaging
    Hippo Chips Packaging

    Hippo’s packaging was larger than the average snack packet, with a giant hippo logo on the front, bright colours intended to stand out from the crowd, and distinct flavours. The word HIPPO was spelled out in big, bold letters to match the personality of the creature on the front of the packet, a hefty fat hippo.

    Hippo Snacks were launched in the following flavors:

    • Chinese Manchurian
    • Indian Chatpatta
    • Hot-n-Sweet Tomato
    • Italian Pizza
    • Yoghurt Mint Chutney
    • Thai Chilli Cream
    • Afghani Tikka Masala
    • Greek Yogurt

    The brand sought to be a guilt-free snack during hunger moments; hence, the tagline “Hippo Fights Hunger” was chosen. Hippo was promoted with ‘Hunger is the root of all evil. So, don’t go hungry.’

    Hippo chips had several unique features that set them apart from other snacks:

    • They were made from wheat
    • Instead of being fried, they were baked
    • Their marketing approach was excellent
    • They quickly became popular in the market shortly after their introduction.

    Campaigns by Hippo Chips

    Parle ran some innovative marketing campaigns that leveraged social media very effectively.

    1. The Plan-T Campaign

    Following its demand and supply issues, Hippo Snacks India recognized the problem it was encountering and did not want the consumers to take the empty retail shelves as a manifestation of the brand’s failure in a short period.

    They did not want to spend huge amounts of money outsourcing the distribution and supply tasks to withstand the demand-supply problem, so they directly communicated with their customers. This led to the beginning of the Plan-T campaign. To solve their difficulty, they urged their Twitter followers to submit a tweet with the hashtag @HelloMeHippoabout.

    The goal of this campaign was to include customers in every step of Hippo’s supply chain across multiple locations, and it was successful since it drew a large number of enthusiastic participants.

    Using Twitter, Hippo recruited 400 new workers to help with sales and distribution at no expense. Its sales increased by 76% in the preliminary phase of its takeoff. Before the campaign launch, Hippo Snacks India had 800 followers on Twitter, which soon increased by 300% to 4000 followers, which was equal to 50% of its sales and distribution network.

    Hippo gathered data from Twitter, analyzed it, and forwarded it to regional distributors in the affected locations, who then refilled the shop shelves, ensuring that customers were satisfied within hours.

    Hippo was qualified to evaluate markets and observe potential markets for its business development with the help of this campaign. The good thing about Hippo was that it recognized its shortcomings and modified them into strengths by leveraging social media. Hippo used social media to connect with consumers and procure real-time outcomes to availability problems. The Twitter handle of Hippo was very active indeed! Before getting deactivated, it had more than 4000 tweets posted daily on everyday titbits.

    2. Indian Food League

    In 2012, Hippo inaugurated an online campaign named IFL (Indian Food League) to attract cricket fans during the IPL (Indian Premier League) session.

    Indian Food League was modeled to fascinate all cricket fans and apprehend the emotional rivalry amongst Indian cities during the IPL. The IFL rode on the already existing rivalry among T20 teams by pitting these regions’ popular flavors and dishes against each other and getting people to comment in support of their favorite flavor on the IFL microsite.

    The dishes chosen were the specialty of that particular city, like Papdi Chat from Delhi, Kanda Poha from Pune, Dum Biryani from Hyderabad, Paratha from Punjab, Idli Sambhar from Chennai, Pav Bhaji from Mumbai, Dal Bati from Rajasthan, Masala Dosa from Banglore and Rosgolla from Kolkata.

    The front of the pack would inform Hippo munchers to join the IFL. The back of the pack bore a QR Code that would direct Hippo munchers directly to the IFL microsite. They had to be as funny as possible to win that contest. Winners were declared daily and awarded with Hippo bean bags. IFL earned a stupendous acknowledgment, with Hippos sales going up during the IPL season.

    Now the question arises: if they were so great, then why were they discontinued? What happened to Hippo Chips?

    Hippo Snacks: Various Hypothesis for Failure

    Market Share of Potato Chips Brands in India
    Market Share of Potato Chips Brands in India

    As per the statistics from Statista for FY23, Lay’s holds thirty percent of the market, followed by Bingo and Balaji with ten percent each. Haldiram has seven percent, while Yellow Diamond accounts for four percent. The remaining thirty-nine percent is shared by other brands.

    Even though Hippo Chips is no longer sold, it still has a very loyal fanbase. Many fans call it a “Successful Failure.”

    Several hypotheses floating around the internet claim that Hippo toasties could not survive the competition, and thus, the product died down. However, it is hard to believe so. Also, Parle kept quiet on the issue and never disclosed why they had to discontinue their product.

    On the other hand, many Hippo loyalists believe that it stopped manufacturing because the company couldn’t handle its production due to the massive demand, and the success destroyed Hippo.

    1. Advertising and Branding Problems

    Hippo Chips or Hippo Wafers didn’t include any MSG (Monosodium Glutamate), had no GMO (Genetically Modified Organism), zero cholesterol, and zero trans-fat; Parle claimed the product was healthier than many others available at the time. The manufacturers claimed that they were baked rather than fried.

    On the other hand, Parle never advertised it for its purported health benefits, so people never had a practical reason to switch to Hippo. The snack was not marketed as a healthier option because no one knows whether a specialty positioning such as health food as a snack option would be successful.

    Hippo also had its branding problems, like putting a huge fat hippo on the front of the packet while promoting it as a healthier alternative to other snacks.

    2. Demand Problem

    Within a few months of its takeoff, demand was becoming more and more, and it was becoming problematic to meet the heightening demand.

    After its launch, Hippo, a Parle Agro product earned a tremendous response from customers all over India. The retail racks at several stores were becoming empty quicker than anticipated, leading to a demand-supply situation for the company, leaving the racks across 200,000 stores empty.

    3. Competition

    Hippo brand had to deal with a lot of competition, which was one of their main challenges. Other well-known businesses, including Lays, Monaco, and Bingo, followed suit after its inception. It had to stand out in a crowded snack industry and build strong brand importance in consumers’ thoughts.

    It needed to come up with something unique that would set it apart from the competition. But other than its flavors and packaging, it failed to come up with something else that would help it conquer all the other brands.


    Failed Startups In India | Why Indian Startups Are Not Successful
    Why do many Indian startups fail to soar high in the sky? The reasons are evident from this case study comprising 15 ill-fated Indian startups.


    Marketing Mix of Hippo Chips

    1. Product: Parle introduced an excellent product named Hippo Chips. These chips were free from MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) and GMOs (Genetically Modified Organisms). They contained zero cholesterol and zero trans fat. According to Parle, these chips were healthier than many other competitors in the market at that time. The manufacturer claimed that the chips were baked and not fried. Therefore, we can conclude that the product was made with healthy components.
    2. Price: The snacks were priced at Rs. 10 and Rs. 20, making them competitive.
    3. Place: The products were readily available at all grocery stores, and in case of a shortage, volunteers ensured quick restocking.
    4. Promotion: It could be argued that the company failed to position its product effectively. Despite receiving positive feedback for their marketing campaigns, Parle neglected to emphasize all the unique advantages that their product had to offer. Some of these advantages included being free of MSG, GMOs, trans fats, and cholesterol, as well as being baked instead of fried. Promoting the chips as a healthy snack could have been a major selling point for the brand. Meanwhile, Hippo faced branding issues, such as using a large, overweight hippo on its packaging while marketing the product as a healthy snack option.

    21 Biggest Marketing Failures of All Time
    Marketing if done right can take your brand to next level but if went wrong can destroy your brand. So, Here’s a look at the marketing failures.


    Lesson Learnt From the Failure of Hippo Chips

    1. Staying Relevant: Brands must continuously evolve and adapt to changing trends and consumer preferences. Hippo Chips failed to keep up with these changes, which ultimately led to its downfall.
    2. Innovation: To succeed in the competitive snack industry, brands must continuously innovate and offer new and unique products. Hippo Chips failed to do so, leading to a lack of excitement and interest among consumers.
    3. Market Research: Conducting market research and understanding your target audience is crucial for success. Hippo Chips may have failed to recognize shifting consumer preferences, leading to a decline in popularity.
    4. Brand Image: A strong and consistent brand image is important for building recognition and loyalty among consumers. Hippo Chips may have failed to maintain a consistent image and message, which hurt its ability to connect with its target audience.
    5. Competition: In any industry, it’s important to be aware of your competition and the strategies they are using. Hippo Chips may have failed to keep up with the innovations and strategies of its competitors, leading to a loss of market share.

    Huge Factory Making of Potato Chips

    Conclusion

    Everything appeared to be in order, but the product still died. In the late 2000s, the brand managed to overwhelm other brands for a period. Perhaps because the production costs were too high, consumers were too fixated on traditional chips, and because the Parle Hippo Chips were not advertised or branded properly, the excitement fizzled out. It was discontinued, much to their loyalists’ displeasure. Their Twitter account was disabled in 2014. Only old tweets and an online petition demanding the brand’s relaunch exist today.

    FAQs

    Why Hippo chips discontinued?

    Hippo Chips was not marketed correctly and faced a lot of competition, leading to its failure.

    Which is Hippo Chips company?

    Parle Agro was the manufacturer of Hippo Chips.

    What were Hippo Chips flavours?

    Hippo Chips flavours include:

    • Chinese Manchurian
    • Indian Chatpatta
    • Hot-n-Sweet Tomato
    • Italian Pizza
    • Yoghurt Mint Chutney
    • Thai Chilli Cream
    • Afghani Tikka Masala
    • Greek Yogurt

    Which company made Hippo Chips?

    Parle Agro manufactured and launched Hippo Chips India in 2009.

    What are the key takeaways from the failure of Hippo chips for entrepreneurs and start-up founders?

    The key takeaways for entrepreneurs and start-up founders are the importance of thorough market research, securing adequate resources, and staying up-to-date on industry standards and requirements.

    Are hippo chips still available?

    Hippo Chips were discontinued in 2014 by Parle Agro, the manufacturer.

    Are Hippo Chips banned in India?

    Hippo Chips are not banned but are discontinued by the manufacturer Parle Agro due to certain reasons.

    Where can I buy Hippo Chips?

    Hippo Chips cannot be bought as they have been discontinued since 2014.

  • Leading Venture Studio T9L Qube Incubated India’s First Pod Hotel Startup NapTapGo Raised $500K Pre-Seed Funding

    New Delhi, 06th March 2025: Originating from Japan, pod-style hotels have recently gained popularity in India’s hospitality sector due to their efficiency, affordability, and space-saving accommodations—especially among budget travellers. One innovative Indian capsule hotel startup, NapTapGo, has raised $500K in pre-seed funding, with support from T9L Qube, one of India’s leading venture studios. The Indian budget hotel market is growing at a CAGR of 13-15%. NapTapGo is democratizing budget travel by providing hygienic, tech-driven stays at a fraction of the price. T9L believes that investing in such innovations can strengthen the rapidly growing hospitality industry in the country.

    An Indian startup specializing in pod hotels, NapTapGo is targeting the $20 billion budget hotel market in India. With an ambition to make travel ad luxurious stays accessible and affordable for everyone, they have introduced this unique concept of spacious pods in the country that prioritize cleanliness and quality, providing exceptional customer experience. These compact, capsule-like pod hotels are designed for short-stay travellers with all basic amenities. Recently veteran Industrialist Anand Mahindra praised NapTapGo and described the Japanese style pod hotel as “pretty cool”. He triggered a discussion about budget travel in India and took the internet by storm.

    Fahad Moti Khan and Gaurav Gaggar, co-founders of T9L Qube, expressed their confidence in this innovative concept, stating that pod hotels represent a groundbreaking and unique development in the hospitality sector. These accommodations are ideal for guests looking to rest for a few hours, offering an affordable and luxurious option, even for solo travellers. The growing demand for accommodations near religious sites is significant, and we believe that these pods will be a game changer in meeting the needs of religious travellers by providing clean, hygienic, and comfortable stays at an affordable price.

    T9L majorly focuses on incubating, accelerating, and essentially onboarding startups that have high growth potential after strategizing and consulting with onboarded partners and/or advisors, conducting proper due diligence, and private negotiations. This approach provides early-stage startups access to essential networks and top talent in crucial areas like product development, narrative, branding, growth, policy, fundraising, and technology- resources that many startups need in their infancy. T9L Qube reduces the risk associated with the startup journey by supporting early ventures in the aforementioned vital areas. This approach has helped previous studios achieve a success rate of over 50% in an industry where the average is close to 10%. 

    Nitin Malhotra and Himanshu Shukla, co-founders of NapTapGo said, “Our vision is to be the most preferred option in the affordable hotel segment by offering flexible stays and a superior customer experience. Our accommodations are ideal for solo travelers, working professionals, and frequent flyers aged 25 to 60 who seek convenient, affordable, and high-quality stays near IT hubs and religious locations. Our partnership with India’s leading venture studio, T9L Qube, will provide incubation support and mentorship, driving innovation in the hospitality sector.”

    Capturing the niche pod hotels segment in the Indian market, NapTapGo projects the inclusion of over 80 new pods in the next 5 years with a projected revenue of 100 crore. They are implementing growth and expansion plans by adopting a company-operated franchise model across major cities in India. The company is looking for franchisees with commercial spaces ranging from 3,000 to 5,000 square feet, ideally located in city centers with high foot traffic.

    About T9L QUBE

    T9L QUBE offers a suite of value-added services designed to accelerate startup growth, including:

    • Early-Stage Cash Infusion: Providing necessary capital for the first 12-18 months of a startup’s journey.
    • Professional Incubation: Offering strategic direction, product supervision, and comprehensive support across HR, legal, investment banking, product execution, and marketing.
    • Avoiding Startup Failure: Addressing common pitfalls such as execution issues, inadequate funding, and team misalignment.
    • Personalised Attention: Offering tailored support and mentorship to meet each startup’s specific needs.

    T9L QUBE has also partnered with IndiaTech to redefine startup incubation in India. By combining financial support with expert mentorship and operational guidance, T9L QUBE aims to foster innovation and drive startups toward becoming market leaders. This initiative underscores T9L’s pivotal role in transforming high-risk ventures into predictable success stories.


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  • Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Tools for AI life assistance draw their definition from natural language processing (NLP) applications to serve as intuitively interacting interfaces. The interaction may often include voice activation features designed for hands-free usage. The application of AI life assistants extends to the management of daily tasks such as setting reminders for upcoming deadlines, organizing schedules, and creating to-do lists. Many contact other apps and smart devices; thus, the workflow is streamlined.

    Taking it further, many modern assistants now have generative AI, which enables content creation or smart home management, heavily personalized according to the preferences of each user. When considering AI assistant tools, consider compatibility across devices, and how user-friendly and safe they are in terms of data protection. Making things simpler in daily life will help these tools boost productivity by automating tasks. Their efficiencies and conveniences exactly suit contemporary lifestyles today. With an increasing number of features becoming available all the time, that will continue to be the activity.

    Amazon Alexa
    Siri
    ChatGPT
    Microsoft Cortana
    Samsung Bixby
    BeforeSunset AI
    Perplexity Assistant
    Rewind AI 

    Amazon Alexa

    WEBSITE ALEXA.AMAZON.COM
    Rating 4.6
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For smart home control, music, hands-free assistance, shopping, calling, productivity, security, and entertainment
    Amazon Alexa - Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Amazon Alexa – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    It is a value versatile AI life assistant essentially invented by Amazon. Users can now control their devices through voice without actually touching them using the Amazon Alexa voice software application, which lies at the back of the Echo series. The application functions by interpreting the person’s natural language and acting similarly to intelligent personal assistants. Its primary function would be controlling smart homes, which now include managing lights, thermostats, and security systems.

    Further, it runs media from different streaming services, including Amazon Music, Spotify, and Apple Music, so that commands will control the playbacks through those platforms. Users can also download third-party skills on it, which would permit command applications such as food deliveries or playing games. It enables Alexa also to deliver live updates of the weather and news to users. 

    Pros

    • Usage intuitively by voice commands.
    • Works with a huge assortment of smart devices and third-party applications.
    • Constant feature updates

    Cons

    • Privacy issues for some users
    • Interpretations can go wrong at times

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Echo Dot(5th Gen) $49.99
    Echo(4th Gen) $99.99
    Echo Show 5 with screen(3rd Gen) $89.99

    Siri

    WEBSITE WWW.APPLE.COM
    Rating 4
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For hands-free assistance, Apple ecosystem integration, smart home control, messaging, navigation, and quick information retrieval
    Siri -  Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Siri – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Siri started as an artificial intelligence expert virtual assistant from Apple. It helps users do some work on their devices: iPhones, iPads, Mac computers, and Apple Watch. Siri interprets commands and answers them using voice recognition and artificial intelligence. Additional updates have added contextual understanding to Siri further personalizing its users’ experience with what is new under the “Apple Intelligence.”

    The major features are “Hey Siri” voice activation, natural language processing for casual commands, managing tasks such as setting reminders or making phone calls, and tight integration with apps developed by Apple. It also takes third-party app tasks from enabled skills and provides a user interface for typing in queries while also ensuring that the user’s far-flung privacy requests are not handled in the cloud but processed on-device.

    Pros

    • User-friendly interface
    • Seamless integration with Apple integration
    • Strong emphasis on privacy

    Cons

    • Only available on ios/mac devices
    • Issues with accents and dialects

    Pricing

    Available with all Apple devices


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    ChatGPT

    WEBSITE OPENAI.COM
    Rating 4.6
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For writing, brainstorming, learning, coding, marketing, planning, and casual conversations
    ChatGPT - Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    ChatGPT – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    ChatGPT is an advanced AI language model created by OpenAI that plays the versatile role of a digital assistant. Engaged with its language prowess, they can have humanistic conversations like no others in this world with names. It can rely on information that the user will later want to repeat and hence provide pertinent and concurrent actions. In everything—entertaining questions, beautiful writing, genius problem-solving, ChatAGPT excels well. These languages are also going to be voice-operated, which means that the interaction between the system and the user is going to be for the emergency. In addition, ChatGPT has image recognition capabilities that allow it to go further than text and start analyzing images as well. 

    Pros

    • 24/7 availability
    • Regular updation
    • Personalized response

    Cons

    • Scope of inaccuracies
    • Privacy issues

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Plus $20/month
    Pro $200/month

    Microsoft Cortana

    WEBSITE WWW.MICROSOFT.COM
    Rating 4.2
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For setting reminders and answering questions for users
    Microsoft Cortana - Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Microsoft Cortana – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Microsoft Cortana is an AI-powered virtual assistant designed to help users be more productive in the Microsoft ecosystem. Through speech recognition, natural language processing, and dialogue interaction, Cortana allows users to give and receive commands and questions. It tailors responses based on user behavior and preferences and gives personalized suggestions and reminders. Incorporating Microsoft’s services, such as Windows or Microsoft 365, Cortana streamlines task organization from reminders to scheduling.

    Aside from enabling the management of compatible smart home devices and offering real-time information about the weather, updates, and news, Cortana is the solution for all of these purposes. As a result of consolidating digital exchanges into a single efficient platform for all digital interaction hence, all productive activities are elevating productivity and simplifying several everyday tasks.

    Pros

    • Tailormade suggestion based on user’s preference
    • Integrates seamlessly with Xbox for gamers

    Cons

    • Restricted only to Windows devices
    • Microsoft has reduced the use case of Microsoft Cortana to professional scenarios

    Pricing

    Already built with Microsoft 365


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    Samsung Bixby

    WEBSITE WWW.SAMSUNG.COM
    Rating 3.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For quickly see information about the weather, reminders of your upcoming events, news articles and more, all displayed in easy to read cards
    Samsung Bixby - Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Samsung Bixby – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Samsung Bixby is an AI-augmented virtual assistant that is well-developed and dedicated to enhancing usability across all Samsung devices. Additionally, it has hands-free voice control capability and Bixby Vision, which is an augmented reality tool that enables him or her to identify objects, translate text, and recognize landmarks site-specific by action.

    Very well integrated with the entire Samsung ecosystem for the seamless control of Samsung products, Bixby has Bixby Routines, which automate all routine tasks based on user behavior at the same time as natural language processing allows conversational interaction with contextual understanding. The smart home devices of the brand are also being controlled by Bixby, thus adding to the easier way of living. Lately, with the addition of unpacked Galaxy AI, Bixby has developed smart and advanced AI systems to make it modern and handy for users. 

    Pros

    • Provides seamless support on Samsung devices
    • Supports different languages
    • Supports customization

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve
    • Full functionality is limited to Samsung devices

    Pricing

    Available with all Samsung devices


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    BeforeSunset AI

    WEBSITE WWW.BEFORESUNSET.AI
    Rating 4.2
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For anyone overwhelmed by endless lists and struggling to manage their day
    BeforeSunset AI -  Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    BeforeSunset AI – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    BeforeSunset AI is what you can refer to as an intelligent tool, an innovation in the field of productivity. When it comes to productivity, this application is a brilliant tool that manages the organization of all your tasks, and it arranges them as to-do lists and converts them into organized calendar blocks which would be more applicable during your daily planning. It runs by OpenAI’s GPT-3.5-Turbo to tell it to interpret your unique insights to maximize your efficiency. In addition, this application has two-way synchronization to automatically connect with Google Calendar and Outlook, as well as other tools.

    For example, its Focus Mode blocks any notifications, while the performance analysis tracks daily and weekly productivity. Repetition task creation is possible for regular activities, bookmarking is possible for tasks to be done later, and it features project sharing, performance analytics, and game mechanics to encourage teamwork within a business – making it an overall productivity solution for time management and workflow effectiveness improvements.

    Pros

    • User-friendly interface
    • Helps users streamline routine and repetitive tasks
    • Real-time analytics

    Cons

    • Steep learning curve
    • Occasional slow performance and bugs

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Pro $18/month
    Team Pro $20/member/month

    Perplexity Assistant

    WEBSITE WWW.PERPLEXITY.AI
    Rating 4.7
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For research, content creation, and other tasks
    Perplexity Assistant -  Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Perplexity Assistant – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Perplexity is a free virtual assistant that is powered by Artificial Intelligence and is set to bring a revolution in productivity with conversational skills. It incorporates Natural Language Processing which answers even complex queries given time and gives a solution. Not just this, it aids the streaming of real-time search information through the use of the internet as a built-in search engine, thereby giving the newest updates.

    This assistant uses a complete task management system; for example, it can send alerts schedule calendars, and perhaps, make a to-do list. It has further capabilities, such as checking images shot with the camera of a device for images and insights related to objects and content. It has context awareness to offer seamless follow-up interactions while cross-platform support makes it usable from Android to wearables and desktops. It also integrates well with apps like Uber and Spotify to ease functions such as booking rides or playing music.

    Pros

    • Real-time information access
    • User-friendly access
    • Ability for multitasking

    Cons

    • Limited integration
    • Manual activation

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    Rewind AI 

    WEBSITE WWW.REVIND.AI
    Rating 3.8
    Free Trial Yes
    Best For individuals who want to significantly boost their productivity
    Rewind AI - Best AI Life Assistant Tools
    Rewind AI – Best AI Life Assistant Tools

    Rewind AI serves as an intelligent productivity assistant by remembering and modularly organizing everything visible, audible, or spoken by the user on his or her Mac. It takes two-second screenshots, records microphone, and speaker sound inputs, and helps fetch up how one has been living. With a simple AI-supervised search, specific details can be found, while automatic meeting summaries give human-level perspectives into discussions.

    With Rewind AI, any recording results in a completely safe local store; above everything else, it does concern itself with data privacy. It fetches a personal touch through the use of GPT-4, and on top of that, it integrates into the daily working stream without disturbing it. Rewind AI records everything and, while working seamlessly in the background, generates a powerful recall asset customized for users.

    Pros

    • Enhanced memory call 
    • User-friendly interface
    • Privacy centric approach

    Cons

    • Limited to Mac users
    • High storage space

    Pricing

    Plan Pricing
    Rewind pro $29/user/month

    Conclusion

    AI life assistant tools, make them important concerning productivity, task management, or even simplification of daily activities, giving each tool all its different features. Different purposes, that’s what general-purpose assistants and specialized applications are. Write and schedule, and then they handle so many of these things, while these things are going to be tightly coupled.

    The routines, along with personalized suggestions, enhance efficiency through personalization, along with the convenience offered by on-the-go access. Compatibility, features, and privacy, while others matter concerning pricing when a user needs to decide on which assistant works best. They will make themselves much better with time, giving better solutions for tailoring in organizing, retrieving information, and smart home management to ease everyday life.

    FAQs

    What are AI Life Assistant Tools?

    These are software applications or platforms powered by artificial intelligence that help users manage daily tasks, improve productivity, and enhance various aspects of their personal and professional lives.

    What kind of tasks can AI Life Assistant Tools help with?

    They can assist with scheduling, task management, communication, information retrieval, content creation, personal finance, health tracking, and more.

    Are AI Life Assistant Tools easy to use?

    Many are designed with user-friendly interfaces and natural language processing, making them relatively easy to learn and use, even for those with limited technical skills.

  • Around 1100 Employees Would be Let Off by JioStar Following the Viacom18-Disney Deal

    Over 1,100 employees will be let go by JioStar as the newly established joint venture between Viacom18 of Reliance Industries Ltd. and the India division of The Walt Disney Co. eliminates overlapping responsibilities as a result of the merger. According to media reports, the departures began a month ago and are not going to stop anytime soon. “The layoffs are scheduled to last until June. Corporate positions in the distribution, finance, commercial, and legal departments are the main targets of the job layoffs. Entry-level workers, senior managers, senior directors, and even assistant vice presidents are among those being laid off. Due to the Champions Trophy, Women’s Premier League (WPL), and Indian Premier League (IPL) being held back-to-back, sports have not changed as of yet. There have been notable layoffs at a number of regional entertainment channels, such as Colours Bangla and Colours Kannada.

    Reason for Layoffs

    The largest media firm in India was formed by the merging of Viacom18 and Disney’s Star India. JioStar is combining companies to increase efficiency and concentrate on high-growth verticals, including digital streaming and sports. Redundancies are unavoidable whenever two sizable enterprises with comparable operations combine, according to experts and industry observers. In order to make sure the JV functions as a leaner and more effective organisation, this restructure aims to maximise resources and minimise duplication. according to a media report, the CEO of a competing company reported that he was getting resumes from JioStar workers who were prepared to relocate and had yearly compensation packages exceeding INR 1 crore.

    Providing a Helping Hand to Employees

    According to a media report, JioStar is providing the impacted staff with a “generous severance” compensation. Depending on the number of years served, the payment structure guarantees six to twelve months of wages. In addition to the notice period, which varies from one to three months, the impacted employees receive one month’s full wage for each year they have worked for the company. In contrast, people with longer tenure may earn up to 15 months of compensation, while those with less than six years of service will still receive at least seven months of full salary and benefits, including the notice period. A pro rata payout will be given to employees who have not yet reached the required five-year tenure for gratuity eligibility. Some impacted workers might be offered positions in Jio or the larger Reliance ecosystem, especially those in the IT and digital services sectors.

    With a post-money valuation of INR 70,352 crore, JioStar wants to compete with streaming behemoths like Netflix and Amazon Prime Video while bolstering its traditional television lineup. Disney owns 36.84% of the business, while Reliance Industries controls the balance through Viacom18 and direct ownership. The new organisation’s chairperson is Nita M. Ambani, while its vice-chairperson is Uday Shankar.

  • Final DPDP Guidelines to be Released in 8 Weeks

    According to government sources, public consultations on the draft Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) laws are now complete, and the final version could be released in the next eight weeks or so. The draft will not significantly alter anything. There won’t be another extension for receiving the remarks, according to reports. According to a media report, the administration has conducted numerous in-person meetings and received a significant amount of feedback, but no requests for extensions have been made. Officials don’t anticipate significant changes from the previous government publications.

    According to the official, several industry concerns around consent management—such as who would be the manager and other issues—as well as concerns with parental control, verifiable parents, and data localisation were received but have since been resolved. The report went on to say that the government will consider all of the concerns and suggestions and conduct a thorough analysis before releasing the final version. Before the final edition, everything needed to be put together, and input from other ministries, departments, and states was sought for any clarifications.

    Why MeitY is Conducting Back and Forth Communication?

    The official added that MeitY conducted a meeting with Nasscom, a trade association for the software industry, and that their input on “expected lines” would be taken into consideration. The sector requested that MeitY extend the time for comments on the proposed DPDP guidelines from January 3 to February 18. As a result, the deadline was moved to March 5. In August 2023, Parliament passed the DPDP Act, and the regulations were eagerly anticipated. It is also anticipated that the final regulations would provide clarity on the establishment of the Data Protection Board as well as the appointment and terms of service of the Chairperson and other Board members.

    Concerns Over Data Transfer

    Speaking about data transfer, one of the main issues facing the software industry, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Electronics and IT, stated that any restrictions on data movement under the DPDP rules will be implemented following stakeholder and committee consultation, as well as external sectoral experts, before a final decision is made. According to his statement, the government will operate in accordance with sectoral requirements because, in some cases, there may be no need for restrictions (on data transfer), while in other cases, such as the financial sector, there may be strict requirements; therefore, before making any decisions, stakeholders will be consulted.

    The rules, Vaishnaw previously told a media outlet, were a practical approach to regulation that aimed to strike a balance between innovation, regulation, and citizen rights. According to him, the main goal was to keep the regulations from becoming overly restrictive while still allowing for creativity.

  • Lenovo and Krutrim Collaborate to Create India’s Fastest Supercomputer

    In addition to developing India’s largest supercomputer, Ola‘s artificial intelligence (AI) initiative, Krutrim, announced on 6 March that it is collaborating with Lenovo to develop Krutrim 3, a 700-billion-parameter large language model (LLM). At the Lenovo Tech World India 2025 in Mumbai, Ola’s chief information officer, Navendu Agarwal, stated that the company is extremely proud to be working on a larger model, Krutrim 3, which will be a 700-billion-parameter model and be the company’s response from India to demonstrate that the country can build the best. The company is thrilled to be working with Lenovo on this project. The news comes after Bhavish Aggarwal, the creator of Ola, pledged to invest INR 2,000 crore in Krutrim, with ambitions to raise that amount to INR 10,000 crore by the following year.

    How it can Benefit the Nation?

    Ola has 700 employees committed to developing its full-stack AI solutions, according to Agarwal. In late 2023, the business released its first model, Krutrim 1, which had seven billion parameters. It was followed by Krutrim 2, which had twelve billion parameters, and both were open-sourced. He underlined that one of Krutrim’s main areas of interest is to fill India’s gap in hyperscale infrastructure and sovereign cloud. “We are quite pleased to announce that, in collaboration with Lenovo, we are constructing India’s largest supercomputer, which will be powered by this cloud.” He added, “We are creating our own chip and the foundation models.”

    The development coincides with a growing race among countries to develop effective and affordable sovereign AI models, especially in the wake of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI business. On March 6, Bhavish Aggarwal asked people on the Twitter site X for ideas for a name for the supercomputer and wrote that Lenovo and Kirtrim were building India’s biggest supercomputer. “To introduce the AI revolution to India on a large basis, much more is required! I’m all in to see this through to completion,” he wrote.

    Krutrim Developments Till Now

    Aggarwal declared in February that Krutrim would make Krutrim 2 open-source, along with a number of other models, such as Dhwani 1, a voice-language model that can do tasks like speech translation, and Chitrarth 1, a vision-language model based on Krutrim 1. Additionally, he had declared that Krutrim is working with the American chip giant Nvidia to deploy GB200 superchips. In order to improve data privacy and lower the cost of AI training, Krutrim had previously installed sophisticated AI models from DeepSeek on its domestic servers. India is also seeing an increase in the drive for autonomous AI capabilities. Tata Sons chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran emphasised the significance of building up local AI infrastructure last week at an event in Mumbai, cautioning that without it, India’s activities, languages, and cultures run the risk of being processed by AI systems that do not completely comprehend the nation.