Tag: Aatmanirbhar Bharat

  • Koo: The Rise and Shutdown of India’s Homegrown Microblogging Platform

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.

    The recent ban in India of 59 Chinese apps has paved the way for many Indian startups and entrepreneurs to create “Made in India” products. The majority of these startups are developing products that can be accessed in local languages, with a focus on Tier-II, and III cities, and other rural pockets of India.

    Koo, which debuted in early 2020, and won the government’s Atmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge, caught the public’s attention. Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka, two entrepreneurs, co-founded this microblogging platform. Its user base recently increased as a result of a spat between the government and Twitter. Often referred to as the “Indian Twitter”, Koo currently serves a user base of 15 million users, including a clutch of key Indian personalities.

    StartupTalky brings all about Koo startup, its Startup Story, Koo app Founders, and Team, Koo app revenue, Name, Tagline and Logo, Funding and Investors, Business Model and Revenue Model, Challenges, Competitors, Awards and Achievements, and Koo’s Shutdown in the article ahead!

    Koo – Company Highlights

    Company Name Koo
    Parent Company Bombinate Technologies Pvt Ltd.
    Headquarters Bangalore, Karnataka, India
    Industry Microblogging, Social networking service, and News
    Founded March 1, 2020
    Founder Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka
    Valuation $274 million
    Areas Served Worldwide
    Website www.kooapp.com

    About Koo and How it Works?
    Koo – Vision and Mission
    Koo – Name, Logo and Tagline
    Koo – Founders and Team
    Koo – Startup Story | History of Koo
    Koo – Atmanirbhar App Innovation
    Koo – Growth and Revenue
    Koo – Funding and Investors
    Koo – Business and Revenue Model
    Koo – Features
    Koo – Partnership and Tie-up
    Koo – Competitors
    Koo – Challenges Faced
    Koo – Awards and Achievements
    Koo – Shutdown

    About Koo and How it Works?

    Koo is an Indian microblogging and social networking service based in Bangalore, Karnataka, India.

    Koo is an Indian-language microblogging site for connecting, commenting, and engaging. The company’s platform is available in multiple Indian languages and includes features such as English to regional language keyboards, local language news feeds, and hyper-local hashtags, allowing users to express themselves on a variety of topics using text, audio, and video.

    Koo has stated on its website, “Just 10% of India speaks English. Almost 1 billion people in India don’t know English. Instead, they speak one of India’s 100s of languages. They are now getting access to smartphones and would love an internet in their language.”

    “ Koo is an attempt to make the voice of these Indians heard. They can now participate on the internet in their mother tongue by listening to the views of some of the sharpest Indian minds and also speak their mind by sharing their thoughts.”

    The Koo social media is available for free on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores. If you don’t have access to any of these sites, go to Kooapp.com, log in with your credentials, and use the app directly from your browser.

    Koo – Vision and Mission

    Koo’s vision statement says, “Koo has built a platform to enable a billion Indians to voice their thoughts and opinions freely in their mother tongue.”

    The mission of Koo, as mentioned by Co-founder Bidawatka, is to connect India and help a billion Indians to voice themselves freely in their own mother tongue. Koo is constantly trying to simplify expressions for everybody who wants to connect with their audiences. Bidawatka claims that the Koo social media network is the world’s first platform in the world that claims to do that.

    Koo – Name, Logo and Tagline

    A yellow bird, or “Sone Ki Chidiya” in Hindi, appears in Koo’s logo, which is also what India was known for, many years ago. Koo unveiled its latest logo on May 14, 2021. The new logo is based on the yellow bird, but it has a more modern appearance. Ku Koo Ku was the app’s previous name.

    “It’s fresh new look and an indication of of our little yellow bird growing up from being a toddler to an adolescent. This little bird is ready to an adolescent… This little bird is ready to fly. We are grateful to Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for inaugurating Koo’s new logo on the auspicious day of his 65th birthday,” Radhakrishnan said.

    Aprameya Radhakrishna, a co-founder of Koo, said the new logo represents the company’s growth since its inception.

    Koo's Company Logo
    Koo’s Company Logo

    “Our new bird is a sign of that positivity that the platform brings to their lives. Millions of users use Koo to connect and find comfort in each other’s company. The little yellow bird is now ready to be the messenger to a billion Indians,” said Mayank.

    According to Radhakrishna, when they first considered giving everyone in India a voice, regardless of language, the first image that came to mind was of a bird, an emotional creature that embodies the concept of transmitting a message. They wanted it to be a happy bird, so they gave it a yellow color, and they wanted it to spread positive messages across India. The bird makes a sweet sound that is referred to as Koo.

    Koo tagline states “Let’s Koo together!”

    Koo – Founders and Team

    Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka co-founded the microblogging platform Koo. The duo are also the founders of Vokal, an audio-video knowledge-sharing platform similar to Quora.

    Aprameya Radhakrishna

    Aprameya Radhakrishna was the founder and Director of TaxiForSure, an online taxi-booking service that was later acquired by Ola Cabs. Before that, he had experience working as a Software Engineer at Infosys and as Head of Business Development, at PDS India at Jones Lang LaSalle Meghraj. He then founded Koo, where he still works as a CEO along with working as an Angel Investor. Radhakrishna has a BE, Electronics, and Communication from NIT Karnataka and then opted for an MBA in General Management from IIM Ahmedabad.

    Founders of Koo - Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidwatka
    Founders of Koo – Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka

    Mayank Bidawatka

    Mayank Bidawatka is another co-founder of Koo. Bidawatka has an MBA from the Asian School of Management. After a brief role of a year in Client Servicing at Lowe Lintas, Bidawatka joined ICICI Bank, where he served as the Product Manager. Mayank was in the Core Team/Foundation Team of Redbus after which he co-founded The Media Ant. He left that role and joined TaxiforSure.com. He then co-founded Goodbox. Mayank left Goodbox to serve as an investor and has eventually invested in a series of companies. Mayank finally decided to co-found Vokal India with Aprameya.

    The Koo team is currently operating with nearly 270 employees, the team of which was 200 strong when reported last in September 2021. The India-based social media startup aims to raise its employee strength to 500 by the end of the next year.

    Koo – Startup Story | History of Koo

    The reality about India is that it is the only country with such a wide range of languages. After looking at what’s going on on Twitter, the Koo founders discovered that there’s very little content in our native Indian languages. The founders of Koo also looked at what was going on in Indian languages on the established global microblogs. All of these led to the formation of the Indian microblogging venture, ‘Koo’.

    Koo – Atmanirbhar App Innovation

    Although the app was first released in early 2020, it rose to prominence after winning the government’s Atmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge. The app, along with other Indian apps such as Zoho and Chingari, the local version of TikTok, won the challenge, which was launched by the Centre shortly after it banned a slew of Chinese apps citing national security concerns. Prime Minister Narendra Modi listed the app in his Mann Ki Baat address after the results of the Atmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge.

    Politicians, ministers, and celebrities who have signed up for the app include Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal, Law, and IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, Members of Parliament Tejasvi Surya and Shobha Karandlaje, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, Isha Foundation’s Jaggi Vasudev, and former cricketers Javagal Srinath and Anil Kumble. In addition, the Union Information Technology Ministry, India Post, and the Niti Aayog are among the government agencies that have signed up for the app.

    Many ministers and politicians are supporting the made-in-India microblogging site, particularly at a time when the world’s largest platform in this segment has not responded favorably to the Indian government’s demands, demonstrating the government’s willingness to push an alternative to the social networking platform.


    PM Launches ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’
    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the new ‘Aatmanirbhar
    Bharat App Innovation Challenge’. The challenge which was launched through the
    PM’s tweet challenges Indian Startups and companies to develop ‘Made in India’
    applications that will facilitate not only the people of India…


    Koo – Growth and Revenue

    When Koo had only been around for a year, after being launched in May 2020, it boasted a user count of 30+ million. The average monthly active users of Koo was ranging 9 million, as of June 6, 2022. Koo is the second most widely used microblog in the world, as reported by various news resources in 2022, and offers 20 global languages on the platform.

    Koo announced that it has crossed 1 crore downloads on August 25, 2021. The company boasts of reaching the 1 crore mark within just 16 months of its launch. The Koo app downloads now stand at over Rs 3 cr (30 mn).

    Here are some more growth highlights of the brand:

    • Koo boasts of having more than 1,000 celebrities on its platform.
    • It has announced having 1,00,000+ creators in total.
    • After its launch in March 2020, Koo has already crossed the 10 million downloads mark in August 2021.
    • Koo currently boasted of having more than 3 crores or 30 million users, when last reported in December 2021.

    The Koo founder and CEO, Aprameya Radhakrishna is presently focusing on growth and is striving to capture the market, and believes that monetization will eventually follow.

    Financials

    Koo’s cash from operations significantly decreased from Rs -32.4 crore in FY21 to Rs -244 crore in FY22, marking a dramatic financial change. This was accompanied by a higher loss that increased from Rs -35.2 crore in FY21 to Rs -197 crore in FY22.

    Koo Financials FY20 - FY22
    Koo Financials FY20 – FY22

    Expense Breakdown

    In FY22, Koo’s expenses soared in key areas: advertising hit Rs 124 crore, employee benefits reached Rs 36.2 crore, and technology costs hit Rs 23.5 crore. Legal and professional fees rose to Rs 11.4 crore, communication expenses to Rs 2.27 crore, and other expenses to Rs 4.63 crore. These figures reflect significant spending and growth.

    Expenses FY21 – FY22 FY21 FY22
    Advertising and promotional expenses Rs 6.61 crore Rs 124 crore
    Employee Benefit Expenses Rs 9.3 crore Rs 36.2 crore
    Technology Costs Rs 4.1 crore Rs 23.5 crore
    Legal and professional Fees Rs 2.33 crore Rs 11.4 crore
    Communication Expenses Rs 0.72 crore Rs 2.27 crore
    Other Expenses Rs 1.74 crore Rs 4.63 crore

    EBITDA

    Koo FY21 – FY2 FY21 FY22
    EBITDA Margin -3002.56 -4.002.54
    Expense/Rs of Operation Revenue Rs 310 Rs 1442.8
    ROCE -76.19 -140.75

    Koo experienced financial difficulties in FY22. Although in FY21 it was -3002.56% and in FY22 it was -4.002.54%, the EBITDA margin remained negative. From Rs 310 in FY22 to Rs 1,442.86 in FY22, expenses as a percentage of revenue climbed dramatically, and ROCE also decreased from -76.19% in FY21 to -140.75% in FY22. These stats demonstrate Koo’s continued financial challenges.

    Koo – Funding and Investors

    Koo has successfully raised more than $50.8 million in funding over the seven funding rounds that the company has witnessed. The company’s last funding was $6 million from Accel and Tiger Global Management on November 22, 2022.

    Date Round Amount Lead Investors
    Nov 24, 2022 Venture Round $6 million Accel, Tiger Global Management
    February 23, 2022 $6.75 million
    January 2022 $3.7 million Ashneer Grover, FBC Venture Partners, Yulubike’s Hemant Gupta, Adventz Finance Private Limited and more
    May 26, 2021 Series B $30 million Tiger Global, IIFL Venture Capital Fund, Mirae Asset Management and others
    Apr 2, 2021 Venture Round Balaji Srinivasan, Naval Ravikant
    Feb 4, 2021 Series A $4.1 million 3one4 Capital
    Mar 1, 2020 Seed Round

    Koo – Business and Revenue Model

    The Koo business model is a platform-based model. The Koo revenue model is being explored at the moment. According to the founder, the app is looking for monetization at scale, and currently, it is exploring the advertising model. However, they want to follow a more targeted approach, focusing more on the demography and interests of their users.

    Some of the revenue models Koo follows are:

    Koo makes revenue when a user shares content on the Koo App, it’s shown to their followers and can be discovered by others through tags and searches.

    Brands get income on the platform by increasing the number of followers they have in addition to promoting content.

    Premium Subscription

    Koo App charges content creators for its Koo Premium service, which allows them to provide users with special benefits or written, audio, or visual content.

    Koo – Features

    Koo has launched various features till now. Below are the details of the prominent features:

    • “Talk to Type” was launched in May 2021 by Koo. This feature helps users leverage voice assistants to share their thoughts without having to type.
    • In August 2022, Koo introduced topics in ten different languages in its app feature. Users will be assisted by this feature in limiting their content viewing to more pertinent categories.
    • Four unique features were launched by Koo in September 2022. The four features are, enabled users to upload up to 10 profiles, save a Koo, schedule a Koo, and save drafts.
    • Koo launched a feature enabling writers to draft and compose posts using ChatGPT in March 2023. Creators will be able to draft their Koos with the aid of AI (Artificial Intelligence).
    • Koo launched the Safety feature in the App in March 2023. According to Koo, the new feature created in-house can identify and block any type of material that encourages child sex abuse in less than five seconds.
    • Koo introduced a monthly premium feature in June 2023. With this launch, creators can provide their users with exclusive material in exchange for a weekly or monthly subscription fee with Koo Premium.

    Koo – Partnership and Tie-up

    Koo has partnered with two companies till date:

    • Koo tie-up with India Post Payments Bank (IPPB) in September 2022. This tie-up aims to help the bank contact its clients in any part of the country, including rural areas and far-flung cities, where Koo will help them communicate with customers in different languages.
    • Koo partnered with IIT Delhi on August 6, 2022. The aim of this partnership was to raise awareness regarding air pollution.

    Koo – Competitors

    Many people believe Koo is yet another attempt to build something similar to Tooter, which claimed to be a “Swadeshi social network”.

    Koo is capitalizing on a burgeoning market in India for regional language social networking – but it’s not alone. Some of the Koo competitors are:

    • Tooter
    • Namaste Bharat
    • Elyments

    In August 2020, Koo won a popular competition sponsored by the Indian government as part of the Made-In-India program. As a result, Indian politicians are ecstatic about the newly launched Indian version of a microblogging platform and are encouraging others to join. What’s also intriguing about Koo is that it’s gaining a lot of traction in India, despite controversies over Twitter’s ideological stance.

    Although there’s a lot of difference in the number of downloads of both apps, Koo’s biggest competitor is Twitter.

    Koo – Challenges Faced

    The Koo app is leaking user information, according to French cybersecurity researcher Robert Baptiste, who also goes by the Twitter handle Elliot Alderson. Baptiste has previously identified security flaws in the Aadhaar scheme, as well as glitches and weaknesses in other tech services.


    Meanwhile, there has been some speculation about a possible Chinese link to this app. Shunwei has also invested in Koo. Shunwei is related to Xiaomi and is a venture capital fund that invests in start-ups. Shunwei, on the other hand, is leaving the business and selling its shares, making Koo a completely Indian company. The co-founder of Koo has verified this.

    Koo is seeing a reduction in monthly users in July 2022, it was 9.4 million, but it reduced to 4.1 million in January 2023.

    Koo – Awards and Achievements

    • Koo was declared the winner of the Best Apps of 2020 in the Everyday Essentials category from India and awarded by Google Playstore at Google Awards 2020.
    • Koo won the government’s app innovation challenge in the social category in 2020.
    • Koo App wins Atma Nirbhar App Challenge in 2020.
    • Koo was declared the winner of Nasscom’s prestigious ‘League of 10 – Emerge 50’ Award for 2021.

    Koo – LayOffs

    Koo laid off 30% of its employees, as reported by various news resources in April 2023. The reason for the layoff is due to the current market environment and the external realities of a global slowdown.

    Koo – Shutdown

    Mayank Bidawatka's LinkedIn Post on Koo Shutting Down
    Mayank Bidawatka’s LinkedIn Post on Koo Shutting Down

    Koo is shutting down after unsuccessful attempts to secure deals with several major internet companies, conglomerates, and media houses.

    In a post on 3rd July 2024 on LinkedIn, Koo’s co-founder Mayank Bidawatka said that they were exploring partnerships with “multiple larger internet companies, conglomerates and media houses, but these talks didn’t yield the outcome” and that “a couple of them changed priority almost close to signing.”

    This update follows a report by The Morning Context, which indicated that the deal between Koo and DailyHunt did not materialize. Although Koo successfully expanded its presence in Brazil, achieving over 1 million downloads within 48 hours of launch, it faced challenges gaining traction in the Indian market.

    FAQs

    Is Koo app Indian?

    Yes, Koo is a made-in-India application.

    Which company owns Koo?

    Bombinate Technologies Pvt Ltd owns Koo.

    Who founded and started Koo?

    Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka co-founded and started the Koo social media app and microblogging platform.

    What is the Koo app founder’s country?

    Koo is an app that is founded in India. Both the Koo app founders, Aprameya Radhakrishna and Mayank Bidawatka are based in India.

    How many people use Koo app?

    There are currently 60 million plus users of the Koo app.

    Which companies do Koo compete with?

    Tooter, Namaste Bharat, Elyments, and Twitter are the companies that Koo competes with.

    Is Koo app listed in the stock market?

    The Indian microblogging site Koo is not listed in the stock market.

  • Why Tesla Hasn’t Entered the Indian Market Yet?

    Hailed as one of the world’s most valuable companies, Tesla Inc., is currently the world’s most valuable automaker as well. An American multinational headquartered in Austin, Texas it functions in the automotive, artificial intelligence, and clean energy space. Tesla’s product repertoire boasts of designing and manufacturing electric vehicles (cars & trucks), battery energy storage (home to grid-scale), solar panels and solar roof tiles, and related products and services. In the year 2021, Tesla Inc. recorded the most worldwide sales capturing 21% of the battery-electric market and 14% of the plug-in market. Tesla Energy, a subsidiary of Tesla Inc., develops and installs photovoltaic systems in the US. The company is also one of the largest global suppliers of battery energy storage systems.

    How Tesla Became the Most Valuable Automotive Company?
    Tesla rules the EV market globally. It has established itself in many countries across the globe. Follow here to know more about Tesla Company.

    Founding
    Tesla’s Products and Expansion
    Tesla’s Global Expansion
    Tesla and India
    Conclusion

    Founding

    The company was incorporated as Tesla Motors, Inc., on July 1, 2003, by Martin Eberhard and Marc Tarpenning, who also served as CEO and CFO respectively. It was Eberhard’s vision to build a car manufacturer that was also a technology company with its core technologies as the battery, computer software, and proprietary motor. Their third employee, Ian Wright, joined the team a few months later. It was in February 2004 when the company raised USD 7.5 million in Series A funding that included USD 6.5 million from the enigmatic Elon Musk. With the highest amount contributed, Musk assumed the position of Chairman of the Board of Directors as he became the largest shareholder of Tesla. A couple of months later, by May 2004, J.B. Straubel joined the company as the Chief Technical Officer.

    It was in September 2009 that a lawsuit agreement by Eberhard and Tesla allowed all five – Martin Eberhard, Marc Tarpenning, Ian Wright, Elon Musk, and J.B. Straubel, to call themselves the co-founders of Tesla Motors Inc.

    Tesla’s Products and Expansion

    The first car that Tesla officially revealed to the public was the Roadster in July 2006 and began its production in 2008. Two years later, the company purchased the Tesla Factory in Fremont from Toyota for USD 42 million. This was to begin the production of their new offering – Model S. In June of the same year, Tesla Inc. also went public through its IPO on NASDAQ. Tesla launched its second car, the Model S luxury sedan in June 2012 which went on to become the first electric car to top the monthly sales ranking within the country.

    By the year 2015, Tesla entered the energy storage market and unveiled Tesla Powerwall and Tesla Powerpack battery packs. By September of the same year, the company also began shipping its third vehicle – Tesla Model X, the luxury SUV.

    Tesla acquired SolarCity and entered the photovoltaics market in November 2016 and changed its name to Tesla Inc., in February 2017 to reflect on its expanding business. In 2017, the company also began selling its fourth vehicle model called the Model 3 sedan, which became the world’s best-selling plug-in electric car for 2018.

    About Tesla – Story of the World’s Most Valuable Car Brand
    How Tesla Started. About Tesla founders, business model, subsidiaries, investment, competitors, products, and more. Understanding Tesla

    Tesla’s Global Expansion

    It was in the year 2019 that Tesla opened its first Gigafactory in Shanghai, China marking its first foray into global expansion. By 2020, it also began constructing its new Gigafactory in Berlin, Germany, and one more in Texas, United States. The same year it also began delivering its fifth vehicle model – the Model Y crossover. By July 2020, Tesla Inc. became the world’s most valuable automaker by market capitalization by reaching a valuation of USD 206 billion. The company also became eligible for inclusion in the S&P 500 index after it reported consistent profits for four consecutive quarters between July 2019 and June 2020 and was added in December 2020. By October 2021, Tesla’s market capitalization reached USD 1 trillion and in March 2022 launched its new car factory in Berlin which is the largest for electric vehicles in Europe.

    Tesla and India

    In the year 2021, Tesla officially incorporated an Indian company in Bengaluru as Indian government officials stated that due consideration was being given to Tesla’s proposal of a sharp reduction in import duties for electric cars. However, even after all this time, the company is yet to move forward with service centers and supercharger stations.

    Elon musk took to Twitter and posted – “Tesla will not put a manufacturing plant in any location where we are not allowed to first sell and service cars.”

    This tweet came in response to the Indian government’s non-acceptance of Musk’s demand of reducing import duties on Tesla vehicles. Currently, India levies a 100% tax on imported cars costing upwards of USD 40,000 and 60% on cars that are valued at less than USD 40,000. These import taxes are inclusive of insurance and shipping expenses.

    Elon Musk blames ‘government challenges’ for Tesla’s India delay

    Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India clarified at the ‘Raisina Dialogue 2022’ held in April 2022 that it cannot be a good proposition for India if Musk wants to manufacture Tesla cars in China and sell in India. He went on to say – “Our request to him is to come to India and manufacture here. We have no problems. The vendors are available, and we offer all kinds of technology and because of that, Musk can reduce the cost. India is a huge market and offers good export opportunities too. Musk can export Tesla cars from India.”

    In another interview with a media channel, Gadkari said – “Elon Musk is welcome in India. However, it will not be possible if he only manufactures in China and wants a concession for marketing in India.” He went on to say that Tesla can avail of all concessions and other benefits only if it manufactures its cars in India.

    In response to this Musk tweeted – “Tesla isn’t in India yet due to challenges with the government.” He went on to clarify that he is ready to launch cars in India but the country’s import duties on EVs, according to him, are the highest in the world.

    Conclusion

    Between the years 2015 and 2020, Tesla expanded quickly, successfully acquiring many companies and increasing capabilities in battery technology. The company also increased its global presence within that time frame. However, the Indian government is maintaining a firm position regarding Tesla’s Indian foray. Union Minister Mahendra Nath Pandey, in July 2022, categorically said that Tesla can only come to India if it complies with the Atmanirbhar Bharat policy of the country. Hopefully, both parties can reach a mutually beneficial resolution soon.

    FAQs

    What are the primary reasons for Tesla’s delayed entry into the Indian market?

    The primary reasons for Tesla’s delayed entry into the Indian market are high import duties, lack of charging infrastructure, and regulatory hurdles.

    What steps can Tesla take to overcome the challenges of entering the Indian market?

    Tesla can take several steps to overcome the challenges of entering the Indian market, including:

    1. Localize production
    2. Collaborate with Indian companies
    3. Expand charging infrastructure
    4. Launch more affordable models
  • How Entrepreneurs Market to Audience in Tier 2 & Tier 3 Cities – A Case Study

    A wise man once said – ‘Good Marketing makes the company look smart, whereas Great Marketing makes the customers feel smart’.

    Yes, the customers are definitely going smarter by the day, and all of this is not just led by the technological advancements and innovations that we are seeing globally, today’s industries, entrepreneurs and marketers also play a significant hand in it.

    One of the best examples is India itself, which is the next big thing in terms of startups and entrepreneurs, who are growing each day, and that too with the aim of gearing the country ahead in the global canvas.

    Entrepreneurship in India today is no longer a myth. According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) India Report (21-22) entrepreneurship in India has noticeably expanded in the past few years. The Total Entrepreneurial Activity rate, which is the percentage of the adults who are starting up with or running a new business has increased from 5.3% in 2020 to 14.4% in 2021.

    The Growing Penetration in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets!
    Why are the Startups and Entrepreneurs choosing Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets of India?
    Advantages of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities with Growing Startups and Entrepreneurs’ Focus on Them:

    Amit Nigam – COO & Executive Director, BANKIT
    Shalabh Upadhyay – Founder & CEO, NEWJ (New Emerging World of Journalism)
    Sanjay Tiwari – Co-founder, 21CC Education
    Sudha Anand – Founder, Swaas
    Krishna Murthy – Founder of Teach My Lesson
    Shivram Choudhary – Founder, Codevidhya
    Amit Agarwal – Founder & CEO, OckyPocky
    Raj N – Founder, Zaggle
    Tanul Mishra – CEO, Afthonia Lab
    Mahadev Srivatsa – VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Practically

    The Growing Penetration in Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets!

    Though the Tier 1 cities of India have always been the regions to pilot for the entrepreneurs and startup founders from across the world, the entrepreneurs of India are not simply satisfied with the penetration in the first-class cities of the country. They are focusing largely on Tier 2, Tier 3 cities, and beyond.

    As per the recent census, India has registered a total of 4000+ towns, and only 8 cities among them are classified as Tier 1. So, it can easily be realised that a considerable section of the Indian population resides in Tier 2, Tier 3 cities and more.

    The IT industry was one of the first to realise the potential of Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in India. This happened when they found that the Tier 1 cities have reached a saturation point. The startups of India have largely caught up with the changing trends. Besides, being geared up with the new-age Government of India schemes like Digital India, Startup India initiatives, and more, the Indian government has also joined forces with the status and entrepreneurs of today to gift India a golden future that the whole of India can enjoy!

    20% of Indian startups belonged to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of India in 2017
    20% of Indian startups belonged to Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of India in 2017 

    Only 20% of the startups came from the tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India when reported in 2017. This was a growth from 16% of the startups of India, which came from the tier 2 and tier 3 cities of India. These numbers rapidly rose up to become 50%, as per April 2022 reports.  

    The penetration of the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets today is on a rise holding the hands of the unicorn startups of India and all other budding startups and promising ideators of the country.

    Research conducted in 2019 pointed out that out of over 16,000 startups registered in India then, nearly half of them have their business centres in smaller Indian cities.

    Why are the Startups and Entrepreneurs choosing Tier 2 and Tier 3 Markets of India?

    Numerous industries and startup founders are looking to penetrate the Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets of India because of more than one reason. Some prominent ones are:

    • Growing competition in the Tier 1 cities
    • Lack of employment in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
    • Gaining more audiences/customers in these cities
    • Improving the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
    • Expand their businesses
    • Affordability in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
    • Support of the Indian government to start up in these cities  

    The growth of startups and startup initiatives in these smaller towns in India are not only proving to be effective for the startup founders and entrepreneurs. The Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities are also reaping significant benefits due to the advancements taking place there.

    Advantages of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Cities with Growing Startups and Entrepreneurs’ Focus on Them:

    Some of the major benefits that the Tier 2 and Tier cities of India are enjoying with the improvement of industries and markets for startups and other companies in India are:

    • Upliftment of the standards of living in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities
    • More income to the people living there
    • Access to quality goods and services
    • Improvement of facilities
    • A reduced movement to the Tier 1 cities
    • A reduced dependency on imports

    It ultimately boils down to the marketers and entrepreneurs of the country, who would actually be there and advance the growth of the industries in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets of India.

    Here are some of the glimpses of some major companies that includes the Indian unicorns, who have actually proved that the Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 cities are marketable enough in these modern times:

    DailyHunt

    The business model of DailyHunt largely banks on the sharing of vernacular language content, a majority of which is spoken in tier 2, tier 3 cities, and beyond in India. So, though Dailyhunt is headquartered in a Tier 1 city, Bengaluru, the company focused on the other cities right from the start. Besides, its acquisition of companies like LocalPlay, a hyperlocal platform for video and news content, is also in line with its objective of boosting its hyperlocal presence in Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 geographies of India along with cementing its present position as a leading local language content discovery platform.

    Moj

    Owned by Mohall Tech and headquartered in Bengaluru, Moj is an Indian video-sharing social networking platform that supports 15+ languages. Much like Dailyhunt, Moj’s business model also revolved around video content sharing in vernacular languages, which itself targetted the cities beyond the Tier 1 cities of India. Furthermore, the banning of the viral Chinese video sharing platform TikTok on June 29, 2020, also played an angel’s hand is lifting the platform up to help India emerge as an Aatmanirbhar country.

    Did you know the downloads of the Moj app crossed 50K in Google Play Store in just 2 days?

    Paytm

    The Vijay Shekhar Sharma-founded fintech company that focuses on UPI payments and other services including banking, eCommerce services and more, is not only known to the Tier 1 cities but is famous beyond them as well.

    Speaking on its penetration in tier 2 and 3 cities of India, Paytm revealed that around 50% of its userbase is from the smaller cities of India – Panipat, Rohtak, Pondicherry, Surat, Ranchi and more. This remarkable feedback that Paytm has pulled up is largely attributable to its multilingual app and the growing demand for easy UPI transactions, which are conveniently done via our phones, irrespective of their types.

    Flipkart

    Walmart-backed Flipkart is a leading ecommerce company, which not only cares for their customers in the Tier 1 cities of India. When last reported on June 17, 2021, Flipkart revealed that over 52% of its customers come from the tier II and beyond cities. This increase in penetration in Tier II, Tier III cities, and beyond has been a combined result of the promising opportunities that these cities have and the zeal to expand the reach of the company.

    Cosmetics and Beauty Products Companies like Sugar Cosmetics, Nykaa and more

    Gone are the days when cosmetics and beauty products and services were restricted to the Tier 1 cities of India. Beauty regimes are now a significant part of the daily routine and vocabulary of millennial women, regardless of where they hail from. With the rapid penetration of smartphones in the smaller cities today, the women in tier 2, tier 3, tier 4 cities, and beyond are not behind even by a step from their Tier 1 counterparts.

    Reports revealed that over 15% of the occasional cosmetic users who belong to the secondary and tertiary cities have tried their first face primers, foundations, BB creams, and more in the past 2-3 years. The online beauty marketplaces like Sugar Cosmetics, Nykaa, and more have a large hand in it though, who have actually made shopping for cosmetics and beauty products, availing of beauty services, and more, easier by bringing them online. The Covid-19 pandemic breakout, along with bringing the great resignation, major recessions, economic breakdowns, layoffs, and more such calamities, has also helped industries and individuals grow in many ways. One of such benevolent effects of the coronavirus pandemic is that it ushered in a new period of work from home where the countries and the working professionals living in them learned about the potential of the internet and were more close to the things happening online. An inclination to purchase cosmetic products also increased this way.

    To know how businesses market to their audience in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, StartupTalky reached out to entrepreneurs from diverse fields. Here’s what we got to know about how they market to people in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities:

    Amit Nigam – COO & Executive Director, BANKIT

    Amit Nigam – COO & Executive Director, BANKIT

    BANKIT tries to reach the tier 2 and tier 3 segment of the audience through retailers who are already familiar with the customer and can reach them more effectively. This helps in overcoming the most common challenge that companies face while reaching consumers in Tier 2/3 areas: Gaining their trust.


    Difference between Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 audiences – By Entrepreneurs
    Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning – the STP approach is a model used bybusinesses to cater their customer segments in a more sophisticated way. Basedon the the nature of organisation, objectives, industry, market scenarios etc.,the STP approach differs. The overall market is catered by the…


    Shalabh Upadhyay – Founder & CEO, NEWJ (New Emerging World of Journalism)

    Shalabh Upadhyay – Founder & CEO, NEWJ

    The future of online media will be defined by those who create content, produce stories in the language which the masses understand. And that’s what we precisely do at NEWJ. Within a short period of two years since inception, we have grown our regional network base to 12 languages (including English and Hindi). Our in-house data capabilities help us build predictive models on the content consumption patterns across social media. Our state-of-the-art tech architecture collates user consumption & computer vision data to derive insights and patterns on how a content piece will perform. This enables us to connect with and market our content effectively.


    Entrepreneurs Face these Problems while operating in Tier 2 & Tier 3 Cities
    Wondering what are Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities? Based on population density, Indiancities are classified as X (tier 1), Y (tier 2) and Z (tier 3) categories. WhereTier 1 contains metropolitan cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai & so on, Tier2 has cities like Gurgaon, Vellore, Kochi etc., The remain…


    Sanjay Tiwari – Co-founder, 21CC Education

    Sanjay Tiwari – Co-founder, 21CC Education

    These cities are seeing increasing attention and fast infrastructural growth. You now have state-of-the-art warehouses coming up on what used to be farmland. When we create content for these audiences, we use our expertise to explain the process, i.e., what has to be done, along with why it has to be done-why keeping something chilled matters or why a bar code matters, why it’s important to be able to trace something. So you have to explain much more of the context.

    Then there is language to consider that requires a constant feedback loop and intelligent design to ensure that the platform’s UI is flawless and simple without being simplistic.

    Building presence in these markets requires a different approach as growth in awareness may be slow. As mentioned above we’re doing that via distribution partners which may include certain tech companies soon. CSR initiatives on behalf of certain trusted names in the logistics space have also allowed for our outreach to increase in these locations.

    Sudha Anand – Founder, Swaas

    Market to tier 1 , tier 2, tier 3 audiences
    Sudha Anand – Founder, Swaas

    Social media like Facebook and Instagram are the best modes to reach
    to tier 2 & 3 customers, said Sudha Anand, Founder of Swaas.


    13 Ways to Market Your E-Commerce Website in 2021
    Having organized an ecommerce website is a job half done. The rest of the job isproper marketing of the website to gain more customers as more and moreindividuals become aware of the website, the sales increase and therebyestablish the virtual presence of the ecommerce initiative. As the word of…


    Krishna Murthy – Founder of Teach My Lesson

    Krishna Murthy – Founder of Teach My Lesson

    Here are some of the points highlighted by the Founder of Teach My Lesson:

    • Clearly articulate the value offered in plain terms
    • Price solutions aptly. Price is often the proxy for quality, and solutions priced considerably lower than the benchmark are seen as not trust worthy
    • Leverage locally accomplished individuals to endorse the brand and build credibility. Related to this, use local micro-influencers and not mega influencers.
    • Make customer ratings and review visible and vocal; everyone relies on reviews
    • Deliver on the promise – the customer journey need an enjoyable yet straightforward. Under promising and overdelivering is better than vice versa
    • India is progressing, and customer expectations are high across tiers, ‘Chalta hai’ ab nahi ‘Chalta hai’

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    Shivram Choudhary – Founder, Codevidhya

    Shivram Choudhary – Founder, Codevidhya

    Thankfully, with the advancement of technology, Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities have proper access to the Internet today. With the campaigns that we run and the marketing we perform, it is easier to spread the word to our target audience regardless of their City-tiers.

    Amit Agarwal – Founder & CEO, OckyPocky

    Amit Agarwal – Founder & CEO, OckyPocky

    With regards to the marketing approach in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, building local partnerships helps majorly to gain trust but we also focus on digital marketing and content marketing with a vernacular approach to find paying audience.

    Raj N – Founder, Zaggle

    Raj N - Founder, Zaggle
    Raj N – Founder, Zaggle

    Brands need to innovate exclusively for rural consumers because the values and sensitivities of the rural audiences are a stark contrast to that of their urban counterparts.

    Tanul Mishra – CEO, Afthonia Lab

    Tanul Mishra – CEO, Afthonia Lab

    The pandemic has resulted in a lot of changes on the ground. One of the most prominent of these is reverse migration and increased online buying in Tier 2 and 3 cities. On one hand, several kirana stores across cities and towns pivoted online, while on the other, many young professionals and graduates moved back to their towns driving rural consumption and demand. Established players like Flipkart and Amazon, through Samarth and Flipkart Wholesale and Prione respectively, are betting heavily on the rural entrepreneurship story.

    The tier III environment is immensely different from tier I and II and therefore, communication to potential customers requires a specialized and integrated approach. Indian market is very diverse and demands regional connectivity. OTT (Over the top) players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, ZEE5, etc., are expected to spend Rs. 150 crore this year. We can see the push that is given by global companies towards local languages to enter the market of Bharat. Similarly, fintech industry is also expected to provide local language support and focus on user interface which is seamless and intuitive to expand its user base.

    Mahadev Srivatsa – VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Practically

    Mahadev Srivatsa – VP of Marketing & Brand Strategy, Practically

    Marketing is always audience-led and the strategy has to involve a mix of the best mediums through which one can reach relevant audiences. Considering the emphasis that Indians place on education, keeping respective market nuances aside, the core TG for Practically i.e parents of kids aged 11 to 17 and the kids themselves, exhibit the same need across markets, and that is ‘a need for innovative learning’. To reach out to them, in the COVID era, the most impactful mediums of marketing have been TV and Digital. In pre covid era, BTL activations in such markets have acted as a crucial support to the main campaign. Radio & Print (regional) can also be looked at to effectively drive awareness among these audiences & build credibility. The key is to understand the touch points of your product, study customer journey and effectively strategize marketing for this segment. The correct choice of medium matters the most.

    Conclusion

    From leveraging locally accomplished individuals to personalizing linguistic features, entrepreneurs are leaping well above their grounds to rightly market in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Hope their views gave you an insight into how to market in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.

    FAQs

    What are tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India?

    The Tier 1, Tier 2, Tier 3 cities and beyond are simply the classifications of the cities of the country on the basis of development. Hence, the most developed cities in India are the Tier 1 cities, then comes the Tier 2 cities, and so on.

    What are some of the business ideas in tier 2 and tier 3 cities?

    The tier 2 and tier 3 cities are growing with the increased absorption of the internet and the modern initiatives and schemes by the Government of India to improve the cities beyond the first-class cities in India. Here are some of the most promising business ideas for growth in tier 2, tier 3, and more cities of India:

    • Financial firm
    • Advertising company
    • Beauty salon
    • Grocery store
    • Consulting company
    • Real estate business
    • Food delivery company
    • Farms
    • Nurseries
    • Manufacturing units
    • Clothes business
    • Consultation company
    • Logistics company

    What are some of the Indian companies that are focusing on the Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities of India?

    Most of the companies today are focusing on the Tier 2, Tier 3 cities and beyond in India. Some of the most prominent companies that are encouraging customers from Tier 2 and tier 3 cities are Paytm, Moj, Flipkart, Dailyhunt, Nykaa, Sugar Cosmetics, and more.

    Which industries are foraying into tier 2 and tier 3 cities in India?

    There has been an increasing foray into the tier 2 and tier cities in India in the past few years. Some of the major industries that have already entered the tier 2, tier 3, and tier 4 markets in India are:

    • Gaming
    • Fintech
    • Real estate
    • UPI
    • Edtech
    • Entertainment
    • News
    • Fashion
    • Food delivery
    • Logistics
    • Crypto

    How many startups have their reach to the cities beyond the tier 1 cities of India?

    As per the recent survey results, out of all the startups thriving in the country at present, around 50% of them have their reach, their business centres, in the tier 2 cities and beyond in India.

  • Patanjali Case Study: The Journey of an Indian Herbal FMCG

    Patanjali = Baba Ramdev + Ayurveda + Organic + Healthy + Desi + People’s Trust + Quality Product. The combination of all makes Patanjali a dynamic business model in a country like India. Speaking of this, the way Patanjali manifested itself in the Indian market reflects its brilliant marketing strategy and brand positioning. Though Patanjali has a wide range of products, it gets sold easily because of the brainchild behind this, i.e. Baba Ramdev, primarily known for his popularizing Yoga and Ayurveda in India.

    Patanjali – Company Highlights

    Company Name Patanjali Ayurved
    Headquarters Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India
    Founders Baba Ramdev & Acharya Balkrishna
    Sector Consumer goods & Healthcare
    Founded 2006
    Parent Company Patanjali Ayurved Limited
    Website patanjaliayurved.org

    Patanjali Ayurved Limited was established in 2006 with the thought of rural and urban development. The company is not merely an organization but a thought of creating a healthy society through Yoga and Ayurveda.

    Patanjali – About
    Patanjali – History
    Patanjali – Founders
    Patanjali – Name, Logo & Tagline
    Patanjali – Vision and Mission
    Patanjali – How Did It Achieve Success?
    Patanjali – SWOT Analysis
    Patanjali – Products & Production
    Patanjali – Why Did It Saw Downfall?
    Patanjali – Growth & Revenue
    Patanjali – Competitors
    Patanjali – Achievements & Recognitions
    Patanjali – Future Plans

    How Patanjali Became Successful?

    Patanjali – About

    Patanjali Ayurved, (commonly known as Patanjali), is an Indian fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company based in Haridwar, India. It was founded by Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna in 2006. Its registered office is located in Delhi, with manufacturing units and headquarters in the industrial area of Haridwar. The company manufactures cosmetics, ayurvedic medicine, and food products.

    Patanjali fabricates mineral and natural items. It also has manufacturing units in Nepal under the trademark “Nepal Gramudhyog” and imports a greater part of herbs in India from the Himalayas of Nepal.


    Business Model of Patanjali | The secret behind Patanjali’s Success
    Patanjali has emerged as one of the successful FMCG companies in India with a turnover of 10 crores. Let’s deep dive into its business model to understand how it makes money.


    Patanjali – History

    Patanjali Ayurved
    Patanjali Ayurved 

    In 1995, Baba Ramdev was a little-known yoga teacher in Haridwar when his close associate, Acharya Balkrishna, and he set up Divya Pharmacy – under the aegis of Ramdev’s guru, Swami Shankar Dev’s, ashram – to make Ayurvedic and herbal medicines. The medicines proved so popular that Ramdev and Balkrishna sought to diversify. But that proved difficult since Divya Pharmacy was registered under a trust.

    Meanwhile, Baba Ramdev started gaining popularity which helped him to receive funds from the likes of NRIs Sarwan and Sunita Poddar, as well as locals such as Govind Agarwal – which in turn helped to get bank loans. This led to the incorporation of Patanjali Ayurved as a private company in 2006, with the purpose to bring the Ayurved in the form of the various product range, particularly in healthcare, hair care, dental care, toiletries, food and more – at breathtaking speed.

    The initial days were quite difficult for them. They hardly had money to pay for the registration of Divya Pharmacy. For the first three years, till 1998, they distributed the medicines free. From buying the raw materials to grinding and mixing, everything is done by themselves as they cannot employ staff because of the lack of money.

    It is noteworthy for a brand to be not the same as its rivals, and Patanjali quickly developed its own identity. Patanjali’s mantra of low costs goods and ‘swadeshi’ are broadly viewed as the principal purposes for its prosperity.

    How did Baba Ramdev do it? The man has astutely related Patanjali with Ayurveda, which pulled in a huge group of spectators. He has brought Ayurveda into the market by matching it with the need of the consumers, particularly, by developing a wide range of products, thus enhancing the brand recall value.

    He has picked up the trust of clients not just by demonstrating the products to them but also by using them himself. However, all of the organization’s procedures to verify the quality and amount of the items are strictly followed.

    Patanjali Ayurved bids broadly by anticipating a picture of regular and unadulterated items. Baba Ramdev, its image diplomat, is additionally an open figure and well-being advertiser whose mass intrigue has ascended in recent years.

    Patanjali – Founders

    Baba Ramdev | Founder | Patanjali
    Baba Ramdev | Founder | Patanjali

    In 1995, Balkrishna and Baba Ramdev founded Divya Yoga Mandir Trust in Haridwar, and in 2006, they founded Patanjali Ayurved a fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) company involved in the manufacturing and trading of FMCG, herbal, cosmetics and ayurvedic products.

    Swami Ramdev (born Ram Kisan Yadav in 1965), also known as Baba Ramdev, is an Indian yoga teacher and businessman, primarily known for his popularising Yoga and Ayurveda in India.

    While Ramdev does not hold a stake in Patanjali Ayurved, he is the face of the firm and endorses its products to his followers across his yoga camps and television programs. Balkrishna owns 94% of the company and serves as its managing director. He is a close aide of Baba Ramdev.

    Archarya Balkrishna | Founder | Patanjali
    Archarya Balkrishna | Founder | Patanjali 

    Balkrishna claims 98.6% of Patanjali Ayurved, and as of March 2018, it has total assets of ₹43,932 crores ($6.1 billion). Acharya Balkrishna is India’s Third youngest Billionaire with US$2.3 billion wealth as per the Forbes list of India’s 100 Richest People (May 2021).

    Patanjali – Name, Logo & Tagline

    Patanjali Ayurved Logo
    Patanjali Ayurved Logo

    The word “Patanjali” is a compound name from”patta” (meaning falling, flying) and “añj” (honour, celebrate, beautiful) or “añjali” (reverence, joining palms of the hand). The meaning of Patanjali is ‘Famous Yoga Philosopher‘ or ‘The author of Yoga sutras‘.

    The tagline of Patanjali is “Prakriti ka Aashirwad” which signifies that it uses Ayurveda (something that is perceived as a healthcare approach) and organic and natural ingredients to create a wide range of products, thus beautifully depicting an illusion in the mind of the customer that the product they’re using is really a nature’s blessing.

    Patanjali – Vision and Mission

    VISION

    Keeping Nationalism, Ayurved and yoga as their pillars, Patanjali is committed to creating a healthier society and country by bringing the blessings of nature into the lives of people in the form of Ayurveda, a healthcare approach that is religious and spiritual. Having said that, Patanjali is all set to create a history in the Indian FMCG sector.

    MISSION

    Ayurveda has its foundation laid in ancient times as a healthcare approach but people have been neglecting it. So, there when Patanjali came into the picture to make India an ideal place for the growth and development of Ayurveda and a prototype for the rest of the world by upbringing awareness among people.

    Patanjali – How Did It Achieve Success?

    How Patanjali Achieved Success
    How Patanjali Achieved Success

    Patanjali is the biggest Swadeshi FMCG brand. There is a great deal of information one can gain from Patanjali’s plan of action.

    Baba Ramdev made an unpredictable plan of action for selling ayurvedic items. He never introduced his products as ayurvedic medications in the market, he propelled them as FMCG products.

    Patanjali Ayurved is not entirely different from other FMCG organizations but it has a strategy similar to them as the products are offered to clients at an edge to procure a benefit.

    Here are the factors which helped Patanjali to achieve success.

    Pricing of Products

    Moderate estimating of Patanjali items is one reason for its solid infiltration into the Indian market. As Baba Ramdev stated, the motivation behind Patanjali is Upkar and not Vyapar. Patanjali aims to give great quality items at low costs. How is it able to sell items at lower prices when compared to its rivals?

    • The organization sources items legitimately from ranchers and removes middlemen from the picture. This allows Patanjali to reduce crude material acquirement costs.
    • Patanjali appreciates a duty excluded status which is smack on the essence of other FMCG organizations.
    • Patanjali acquired terrains at a much-limited rate.
    • Patanjali doesn’t contract MBAs for selling their item, it employs a lesser number of experts. The organization has faith in assembling the items which the customers may purchase without the need for additional push to sell the item. There is nobody in that organization who is paid crores in salary.
    • The edge of merchants and retailers is less in Patanjali items when contrasted with other FMCG items.

    Swadeshi Factor

    The advancement system of Patanjali is entrancing with the “Make In India” campaign to gain more attention from the customers. Baba Ramdev’s main motive is to replace MNCs. They promote their products by saying that it doesn’t contain unsafe synthetic compounds and only natural pith. “Also by purchasing our items, you are guaranteeing the cash you spend remains in India.” The Swadeshi factor has proved to be a profitable strategy.

    Baba Ramdev Buzzing Personality

    Patanjali doesn’t rely on entertainers or sportsmen to promote its catalogue. Baba Ramdev is a steadying force. He has amassed an enormous group of devotees over 20 years through diligent work around yoga and Ayurveda. This saves the Indian FMCG giant a lot of investment when it comes to promotion and publicity.

    A large number of individuals, from India as well as abroad, follow this other-worldly master. Baba accepted this as an open door and propelled a different scope of items under the brand name ‘Patanjali’.

    Branded House Strategy

    In this technique, different items are propelled and advanced under one brand. For instance – Apple has different items like Mac, iPad, iPhone, and more. Even though each one of them is unique and performs various capacities, collectively they are seen as Apple items.

    Similarly, Patanjali advances all of its items under one brand. This additionally encourages lower costs in showcasing and publicizing as it doesn’t need to advance every item. Patanjali pushes for the image name “Patanjali.”

    Distribution & Supply Strategy

    Distribution And Supply Chain Of Patanjali
    Distribution And Supply Chain Of Patanjali

    Patanjali Ayurved Ltd. built its one-of-a-kind retail organization. It began selling products through its own channels of super distributors, distributors, Chikitsalayas (franchise dispensaries), and Arogya Kendras.  

    • Chikitsalaya – Pharmacies where specialists analyzed patients for nothing and suggested purchasing drugs from stores nearby. This is a unique system no other organization thought of.
    • Patanjali Arogya Kendras, a well-being and health focus centre.
    • Non-drug outlets are called Swadeshi Kendras. Additionally, the organization has numerous restrictive outlets across India. Patanjali items can also be purchased online.

    Promotion Strategy

    Marketing Model Of Patanjali Ayurved
    Marketing Mix Model Of Patanjali Ayurved

    Patanjali uses a marketing mix model strategy to promote its brand or product in the market. The 4Ps make up a typical marketing mix – Price, Product, Promotion and Place.

    Marketing And Brand Building Patanjali Ayurved
    Marketing And Brand Building of Patanjali Ayurved

    STP Analysis of Patanjali

    STP Analysis of Patanjali
    STP Analysis of Patanjali
    • Segmentation: Patanjali divides the market on the basis of age, lifestyle, personality, class, gender, etc. depending upon the people looking for healthy FMCG products.
    • Targeting: Patanjali offers products for all aged people but it targets mainly middle and upper-middle-class families who prefer ayurvedic products.
    • Positioning: Patanjali positioned itself as a healthier and safer product in the FMCG category that treats diseases with zero side effects.

    Authentic Selling Strategy

    Strategies Of Patanjali Ayurved
    Strategies Of Patanjali Ayurved

    Patanjali uses an authentic selling strategy/authentic marketing to communicate openly, honestly and genuinely with customers. Baba Ramdev promotes the product in his yog shivir, youtube channels and other media platforms.

    Patanjali – SWOT Analysis

    The SWOT analysis of Pantajali Ayurved is mentioned below:

    SWOT Analysis | Patanjali Ayurved Limited - Patanjali Case Study
    SWOT Analysis | Patanjali Ayurved Limited

    Strengths

    • Offers 100% natural products with few side effects.
    • The brand image of the trust.
    • Extensive marketing has helped Patanjali to consider socially responsible for the health of the society, thus pulling people into accepting its products as a healthier and safer option.
    • Baba Ramdev’s buzzing personality helped in the quick sale of the products.
    • Excellent word-of-mouth marketing has helped the brand grow.
    • Established a successful distribution network in urban areas.

    Weaknesses

    • Low export levels.
    • Diversification to other products raised quality issues.
    • No distribution network in rural areas.
    • Less expenditure on marketing and promotional activities.

    Opportunities

    • Patanjali can tap the overseas and rural market as people are becoming more health-conscious.
    • Can enter more segments in personal hygiene, FMCG, etc.
    • Can diversify in different sectors like clothing, education, restaurants, etc.
    • Can bring change in the trend of becoming more health-conscious and using more organic products.

    Threats

    • Political Interferences.
    • Big players can overcome new competition from Patanjali with their existing model.
    • Removal of import restrictions.

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    Patanjali – Products & Production

    Patanjali Ayurved Products - Patanjali Case Study
    Patanjali Ayurved Products 

    Patanjali has a wide range of quality products – Natural Food Products, Natural Health Care, Natural Personal Care, Ayurvedic Medicines, Herbal Home Care & Patanjali Publication with 50000000+ consumer reach, 300000+ stores reach, 1000+ products and 5000+ Patanjali stores.

    Patanjali Food and Herbal Park at Haridwar is the primary creation office of Patanjali Ayurved. The organization has a creation limit of ₹35,000 crores ($5.1 billion) and is growing to a limit of ₹60,000 crores through its new generation units at a few spots, including Noida, Nagpur, and Indore.

    The organization intends to set up further units in India and Nepal. In 2016, the Patanjali Food and Herbal Park were given a full-time security front of 35 outfitted Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) commandos. The recreation centre will be the eighth private establishment in India to be watched by CISF paramilitary forces. Baba Ramdev is himself a “Z” class protectee of focal paramilitary forces.

    Patanjali Ayurved produces items in the class of individual consideration and food. The organization makes more than 2,500 items, including 45 sorts of corrective items and 30 kinds of sustenance items.

    As indicated by Patanjali, all the items fabricated by Patanjali are produced using Ayurveda and characteristic components. Patanjali has additionally propelled magnificence and infant products.

    Patanjali Ayurvedic producing division has more than 300 drugs for treating a wide scope of sicknesses and body conditions, from normal cold to ceaseless paralysis. Patanjali propelled Atta noodles on 15 November 2015. The organization is accounted for fabricating conventional garments like Kurta, Pyjama and jeans.

    On 5th November 2016, Patanjali declared that it will set up another assembling plant Patanjali Herbal and Mega Food Park in Balipara (Assam) by contributing ₹1,200 crores ($170 million). It would have an assembling limit of 10 lakh products every year. The new plant will be the biggest office of Patanjali in India and is operational at the moment. Patanjali as of now has around 50 assembling units in India.

    Patanjali – Why Did It Saw Downfall?

    Patanjali Ayurved, being one of the leading FMCG brands in India, had seen a downfall in its sales in 2017.  Patanjali has always been the consumer’s favourite due to its affordability, use of natural & organic ingredients and Swadeshi factor.

    Following are the reasons that have slowed down the growth of Patanjali in 2018:-

    • Lack of Innovation: Without innovation, there is not anything new and without anything new, there is no progress especially when everything around you is innovating. Since the introduction of the goods and services tax (GST) hit its operations in 2017, Patanjali has not managed to recover from the low growth cycle. As a result, its top line declined 10% in FY18. The decline was primarily because of its inability to adapt to the GST regime and develop infrastructure and supply chain.
    • Lack of Advertising:  The decrease in advertising slowed down the growth of Patanjali. Patanjali didn’t focus more on advertising as a result faced a decline in its sales because people were not aware of its natural and organic products.
    • Ignoring Competition: One of the major reasons why Patanjali faced decline is ignoring its competitors. It’s very important for a company to keep an eye on its competitors. Patanjali has created many rivalries along with success and started rolling out their own variant of natural and organic products.
    • Poor Management: After gaining huge popularity among consumers, Patanjali diversified itself among various sectors besides FMCG. It became difficult to manage the business verticals and ensure quality checks of the products. As a result, various quality issues emerged that resulted in the decline of its growth.

    Despite single-digit top-line growth in FY20, Baba Ramdev was hopeful that Patanjali will regain its lost glory.


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    Patanjali – Growth & Revenue

    Patanjali Revenue
    Patanjali Revenue

    Patanjali Ramdev reported a 9% jump in its revenue in FY21 and the net profit grew 14%. The net profit of Patanjali was Rs 485 crore while its revenue was around Rs 1000 Crores. The fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) major Patanjali Ayurved has reported a 22% growth in its net profit for 2019-20 (FY20). According to the financial data accessed by business intelligence platform Tofler, the group’s flagship entity reported Rs 423 crore net profit for the year, compared to Rs 349 crore it had posted in 2018-19 (FY19).

    Patanjali Ayurved, earned over 80% of Patanjali Group’s total revenue, such that its operating revenue grew 6% to Rs 9,023 crore in FY20.

    The firm’s top-line growth remained higher than the previous year. In FY19, the Ayurveda major had clocked Rs 8,330 crore turnover – 2.4% higher than Rs 8,136 crore it had posted in 2017-18 (FY18).

    Since its sales lost momentum in 2016-17 (FY17), Patanjali is yet to regain the momentum it used to have earlier.

    In 2014-15 and 2015-16 (FY16), its revenue had grown 86% and 100%, respectively.

    In recent years, its net profit, too, has suffered. Despite double-digit growth, Patanjali’s net profit fell well short of the Rs 1,190 crore it had reported four years ago.

    In FY20, its net profit margin stood at 4.67%, compared to 13.3% in FY17 and 16% in FY16.

    Some anticipated incomes of ₹5,000 crores ($720 million) for 2015–16. Patanjali proclaimed its yearly turnover for the year 2016-17 to be ₹10,216 crores ($1.5 billion). It was recorded thirteenth in the rundown of India’s most confided in brands (The Brand Trust Report) starting in 2018, and positions first in the FMCG classification.

    Patanjali – Competitors

    The top competitors of Patanjali are:

    Now with aggressive venturing into all FMCG products, Patanjali faces heavy competition from almost every major brand.

    Patanjali – Achievements & Recognitions

    • In 2016, Patanjali was awarded the “Bharat Jyoti Award”  by the India International Friendship Society
    • “Bloomberg Special Recognition Award” to Acharya Balkrishna in 2016
    • In 2014, Patanjali was recognized as an “Ayurveda Expert” in an Ayurveda Summit, held in Gujarat
    • “Manav Ratna” award by Antarrashtriya Manav Milan Organization in 2013
    • Honoured by “Sanskrit Prasarini Sabha”, Assam in November 2013
    • Awarded “Spirit and Entrepreneurship Award” towards humanity by ISOL Foundation in 2011
    • “UNSDG 10 Most Influential People in Healthcare Award” to Acharya Balkrishna.

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    Patanjali – Future Plans

    Patanjali Ayurved Ltd has achieved a tremendous presence around the globe and throughout India in a very small time since its inception in 2006. They have more than 47000 retail counters, 3500 distributors, multiple warehouses in 18 states and proposed factories in 6 states.

    Future Of Patanjali Ayurved - Patanjali Case Study
    Future Of Patanjali Ayurved

    Patanjali is the quickest developing organization in the Indian FMCG segment, a $50 Billion industry once commanded by worldwide behemoths – a semblance of Unilever, P&G, Nestle, Colgate – Palmolive, Johnson and Johnson.

    From cleanser and bread rolls to ghee and noodles, and now clothing and footwear – no indigenous organization has fabricated such a well-differentiated item portfolio. It has developed more than multiple times in income in the most recent five years and is an unmatched accomplishment in India’s FMCG industry.

    The organization focused on incomes of Rs.10,000 crore for FY 2016-17 and Rs. 20,000 – 25,000 crore in FY 2018. It has a broad deals channel of more than 5000 merchants, 15,000 stores, and 100 uber bazaars.

    Also, it has tied up with retail chains like Future Group, Reliance Retail, Hyper City, and Star Bazaar. The ongoing declarations of a Rs. 1,600 crore sustenance park in Noida and a Rs. 1,200 crore creation office in Assam highlight the buzz around Patanjali’s arrangements to showcase the organization’s hearty extension plan.

    With a growth rate of 130%, the Patanjali Group is planning to make a foray into major global markets. As the group is already present in markets like the US, Canada, the UK, Russia, Dubai and some European countries, it is willing to spread its wings wider and farther.

    Conclusion

    Patanjali, being a Swadeshi brand has always been in the limelight because of its Ayurvedic products. Each of their steps has been cleverly strategized to bring the best to the brand. Even after facing a few setbacks, the company is standing tall as ever, being the fastest-growing company in the Indian FMCG sector.

    Patanjali is expected to go a long way in the future, only if it manages to keep itself ahead of competitors. It has a major advantage over other competitors as Baba Ramdev, a famous Yoga teacher, is the face of the firm.

    FAQs

    Who is the founder of Patanjali products?

    Baba Ramdev & Acharya Balkrishna are the founders of Patanjali products.

    When was Patanjali established?

    Patanjali was established in 2006.

    Are Patanjali products FSSAI approved?

    Many Patanjali products lack approval by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) the federal food safety regulator of India.

    What strategy made Patanjali so successful?

    The Swadeshi factor, and claim to be chemical-free products promoted by Baba Ramdev have proved to be a profitable strategy for Patanjali.

    Who are the competitors of Patanjali?

    The top competitors of Patanjali are:

    • Dabur India
    • Procter and Gamble
    • Marico
    • ITC
    • Nestle Ltd.
    • HUL (Hindustan Unilever Limited)
    • Baidyanath
    • Emami
    • Himalaya Herbal

    What is the revenue of Patanjali?

    The revenue of Patanjali was recorded $4.2 Billion in 2021.

  • Top 9 Popular Social Media Apps Made in India

    India-based social media apps have seen a rise in the country and worldwide, after the prohibition of the usage of TikTok and some other Chinese apps in India. The Prime Minister of the country has been asking the citizens to shift their usage to “Made in India” apps to work towards what we envision as an “Atma Nirbhar Bharat”, which is the vision of the PM to make India a self-reliant nation.

    So, here’s a look at some of the best Social media apps made in India that you can use:

    Popular Social Media Apps Made in India

    1. Sharechat
    2. Koo
    3. Chingari
    4. Josh
    5. Flik
    6. Moj
    7. Mitron
    8. Leher
    9. Kutumb

    Indian Social Media Apps

    Here are the 9 best Indian social media apps people can use.

    Sharechat

    ShareChat - Indian social media app
    ShareChat – Indian social media app

    ShareChat is an Indian Social Media app. It is a social networking service that is growing to become one of the best social media apps for chatting with its headquarters in Bangalore, India. Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd is the parent company and they were the ones who developed the app. Its initial release was during the month of January 2015. ShareChat is available in GooglePlay and also for iOS users. You can use Share Chat in over 15 different languages.

    The company was started by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan, who were graduates of IIT Kanpur. This Mobile Application has 250+ Million monthly active users.

    ShareChat offers features that include private messaging. You can even tag people in videos using this platform. This platform also allows you to share social content with other unknown users such as videos, jokes, songs, and other language-based content.

    ShareChat’s parent company Mohalla tech has acquired some companies lately including Transversal, a tech-owned short video platform; Elanic, which is a Bengaluru-based online fashion marketplace; Member, which is a meme discovery and sharing platform, and Circle Internet, which is a hyperlocal information platform. All the above platforms were acquired for undisclosed amounts.

    Koo

    Koo - Indian social media app
    Koo – Indian social media app

    The app was earlier known as Ku Koo Ku. It was founded by Aprameya Radhakrishna who is the current CEO of the application, and Mayank Bidawatka. In August 2020, the app won the Government of India’s Atmanirbhar App Innovation Challenge.

    The app won the Aatmanirbhar App Challenge, which was organized by the Indian government to foster local innovation. While Koo has many of the same capabilities as Twitter, it also lets users publish in Indian languages other than Hindi.

    One of Koo’s selling advantages is that it is available in numerous Indian languages. “To connect with Indians in Indian languages,” it says on its website. Koo can be used on a computer (website) or on a mobile device (app). It’s available in the Google Play and Apple App Stores, and users may sign up with their phone number. Currently, English, Kannada, Tamil, Marathi, and Telegu are supported by Koo. Support for Bengali, Gujarati, Oriya, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Assamese is also in the pipeline, according to their website. A user can write up to 400 characters of text, which is higher than Twitter’s limit of 280 characters. All multimedia functions, including audio and video recording, are likewise supported by Koo.

    Chingari

    Chingari - Indian social media app
    Chingari – Indian social media app

    Chingari is an Indian-based short-video platform. It was launched in the year 2018 in the month of November. It is a video-sharing and social networking service where the users can create short videos.

    Chingari lets its users create videos that provide features to lip-sync, dance, voice-over movie dialogues, etc. The ban of TikTok has led this social media video app to gain a lot of popularity in India.

    Josh

    Josh - Indian social media app
    Josh – Indian social media app

    Josh is an Indian-based short video platform It was launched in the year 2020 in September by Dailyhunt. Dailyhunt is an Indian content and daily news application which is located in Bangalore, India. It provides content in 14 Indian languages. It was founded by Umesh Kulkarni and Chandrashekar Sohoni who were ex-Nokia employees. It was released initially in the year 2010.

    The short video platform, Josh has short videos which are trending and viral that you can share with your followers. The app lets you create your unique videos. The App has videos on dance, music, comedy, jokes, and pranks. It also has videos on various challenges, pets, cooking.

    The Mobile application has an easy-to-use Josh beauty camera with real-time filters, face stickers, special effects, makeup camera, emojis. Etc. You can even create Duet videos on Josh. You can share the videos on WhatsApp or Facebook and you can set it as your status.

    Josh is India’s number 1 Short videos app. The launch of this platform is considered to be the next step by Dailyhunt to release more apps in the future.


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    Flik

    Flik - Indian social media app
    Flik – Indian social media app

    Flik is a social media app that is trying to change the experience of chatting by making it much more enjoyable and is gearing to stand one of the top social media platforms made in India. The app provides a feature that is a mixture of a social media app and a dating app. It was founded by Bahadursinh Jadeja and launched on the year 10th of September 2019. The parent company of this mobile application is Loopytime Pvt. Ltd.

    You can connect with new people using Flik. Flik helps you in finding friends and increasing your contact. It has an additional feature which is for dating and you can match with a like-minded person on the app. Flik can be considered a dating app as well.

    Flik is one of the few mobile applications that provide features such as social media and dating in a single platform. The app can be used in Hindi. It provides features such as personal messaging, video calls and voice calls, audio messages, etc. If you would like to add live stories of the content Flik allows you to do that, flik is one of the social media sites that help you to share it with your friends.

    Flik allows you to share files in any format such as pdf, ppt, word, mp3, excel, Apk, zip, and much more. Flik is rated for 18+. It has 10K+ downloads on the Play store. The app is available in the Play store and the size is around 12 MB.

    Moj

    Moj - Indian social media app
    Moj – Indian social media app

    Moj app is a social media platform for video sharing and its parent company is ShareChat, and is owned by Mohalla Tech Private Ltd. Moj was founded by Ankush Sachdeva, Bhanu Pratap Singh, and Farid Ahsan. It was founded immediately after TikTok along with other Chinese apps was banned in India after the India-China situation in 2020.

    The social networking platform began its journey on 29 June 2020 and in just two days 50 thousand downloads were made from the Google Play Store. The main features that it offers are special effects, emoticons to use on your videos, and others. Different genres of videos can be made like comedy, education, dancing, and acting. The duration of the videos can be of 15 seconds to 1 minute.

    The app is growing to be one of the most popular social media with a support of over 15 languages and in January 2021, it has crossed 100 million downloads. In 2021, it generated $102 Million in revenue.

    Mitron

    Mitron - Indian social media app
    Mitron – Indian social media app

    Mitron is launched by Shivank Agarwal and Anish Khandelwal on April 11, 2020. It is a video sharing app that provides you with the feature of creating, editing, and sharing your videos. With just a size of 26 Mb, it can easily get fit into your phone space without any problem.

    The features that the offers include a cool range of transitions, special effects. Apart from that, the users can edit their videos as per their requirement and there are various types of audio to choose from and can be used in your video. The app is free. Mitron offers more than 15 different categories for content. This app is very popular in the Indian Short video content ecosystem.

    Leher

    Leher - Indian social media app
    Leher – Indian social media app

    Leher is an India Social networking platform that provides room for audio and video discussion. It was founded in the year 2018 on the month of August by Atul Jaju and Vikas Malpani. It is a live discussing platform and any topic can be discussed here with your community and friends. You can also join the discussion of your favorite topic here.

    It is easier to interact with the audience and one can do live Q&A, polls comments, and one can also send a direct message to the person they want to. The person who is hosting a discussion, and invite other people of their choice in the discussion and can ask them to participate in it. Stickers and Emoji reactions are also offered to the users to make the discussion more fun

    Leher made revenues close to Rs 11 lakhs in FY20, which was a laudable rise from Rs 4 lakhs, which is managed in FY19. It is a competitor of the Clubhouse app.


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    Kutumb

    Kutumb - Indian social media app
    Kutumb – Indian social media app

    Kutumb was founded in the year 2020 by Abhishek Kejriwal and Mohit Sharma and is a social networking platform. Through this app, one can get connected with people through their communication and can share images, videos, news, and other things. All of these can be done in your choice of regional languages.

    During the time of Covid’s second wave, it is through the help of Kutumb app that numerous NGOs managed to collect donations to help the victims of the Covid-19 disease and prevent or overcome its dreadful effects.

    Conclusion

    There are a lot of other famous Indian-based Social Media Apps and we would definitely be able to find a lot more different social media platforms coming up in the future. Some apps like Houseparty, a messaging platform; Trell, which is similar to Pinterest, Helo, and Vero social media platforms, and many more.

    4.7 billion social media app downloads were recorded at the end of the first half of 2021 with Asia leading the charts. India is the leader of social media downloads, as per the same report App Annie. Therefore, every second, someone or the other is registering on one of the popular social media sites including the made in Bharat apps. If you haven’t visited these websites/platforms yet, now is the time to do so!

    FAQ

    What is the first Indian social media app?

    Bharatam is India’s first own Social Networking platform. It is a platform of the Indians, by the Indians, and for the Indians.

    How many Indian apps are there in India?

    There are more than 161,022 apps from Indian publishers on Google Play.

    Which apps are banned in India?

    Some apps that are banned in India are:

    • TikTok
    • Shareit
    • Kwai
    • UC Browser
    • Baidu map
    • Shein
    • Clash of Kings
    • DU battery saver

    What are the Indian Social Media Apps?

    Some popular Indian social media apps are:

    • Sharechat
    • Koo
    • Chingari
    • Josh
    • Flik
    • Moj
    • Mitron
    • Leher
    • Kutumb
  • Generic Aadhaar – India’s Fastest Growing Pharmaceutical Company

    Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations. The content in this post has been approved by Generic Aadhaar.

    As per statistics, about 60% of Indians cannot afford to buy their daily medicines. The reason behind this inability is the high cost of medicines which are absolutely unnecessary in the Indian pharmaceutical market. About 85-90% of the medicines in the market are generic variants which ideally should be available at pocket-friendly prices. However, people end up paying enormous amounts for these drugs as the manufacturer has made it a wholesale business. The irony of the matter is that generic medicines are supposed to be dirt cheap.

    Realizing the gravity of the situation, Generic Aadhaar has embarked on a mission to make generic medicines available to all Indians at an affordable price. It has disrupted the conventional pharma industry and is determined to empower single-store owners and pass on the benefit to the end customers.

    Generic Aadhaar – Company Highlights

    Company Name Generic Aadhaar
    Headquarters Mumbai
    Founder Arjun Deshpande
    Founded 2018
    Sector Pharmaceuticals
    Registered Entity Name Swasthya Lifescience Pvt Ltd.
    Website genericaadhaar.com


    Generic Aadhaar – About and How it Works
    Generic Aadhaar – Founder
    Generic Aadhaar – How It All Started?
    Generic Aadhaar – Name, Tagline, and Logo
    Generic Aadhaar – Vision and Mission
    Generic Aadhaar – Target Market Size
    Generic Aadhaar – Products and Services
    Generic Aadhaar – Business and Revenue Model
    Generic Aadhaar – Startup Launch
    Generic Aadhaar – Challenges
    Generic Aadhaar – Advisors and Mentors
    Generic Aadhaar – Achievements and Recognitions
    Generic Aadhaar – Future Plans
    Generic Aadhaar – FAQs

    Generic Aadhaar – About and How it Works

    The venture provides high-quality generic medicines from pharmaceutical manufacturers at cheap prices and increases the accessibility to these medicines all over India. Generic Aadhaar follows a unique pharmacy-aggregator, profit-sharing business model to source generic drugs directly from the manufacturers. The items are then given to the retail pharmacies, thereby eliminating the 16-20 percent wholesaler margin along with other layers of margins such as C&F agents in the trade.

    The most important differentiator in the case of Generic Aadhaar is the fact that the inventory-carrying cost is very low when compared to stores that stock branded drugs. Since the stores are minimally designed, the overall cost of maintaining the business for franchises is also low. In addition, Generic Aadhaar helps small pharmacies earn double the profits and allows them to stay relevant in the market through the affordable medicines it provides.

    An Interview with Arjun Deshpande | Founder of Generic Aadhaar

    Generic Aadhaar ensures that the franchise is taken by an FDA licensed retailer. The retailer should be a pharmacist; if not, he or she should appoint one before the franchisee is taken. The Generic Aadhaar team helps with branding and provides IT support and medicines to the outlet.


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    Generic Aadhaar – Founder

    Arjun Deshpande founded Generic Aadhaar.

    Generic Aadhaar | Founder | Arjun Deshpande
    Generic Aadhaar | Founder | Arjun Deshpande

    Started with a sole mission of making medicines available to every Indian, a 16-year-old set his eyes on the pharma industry in 2018. At this novel age, Mr. Arjun Deshpande, one of India’s youngest and most dynamic entrepreneurs founded this innovative venture, Generic Aadhaar.

    Generic Aadhaar – How It All Started?

    Arjun’s mother work in the pharma space. When he was around 14 years old, he had visited various pharmaceuticals companies and plants along with his mother and that’s when he understood that generic medicines are sold in the market at the same price as the branded ones.  He noticed that the various countries he visited, import generic medicines from India and make them available to the masses at affordable rates. He wondered, “Why is this not the case in India when we are the manufacturing hub for pharmaceuticals?”

    It stroked him and gave rise to the vision of creating a brand identity through ‘Generic Aadhaar’ outlets. He found that the extra cost for generic medicines could be reduced. What does he do then? He tied up with WHO and GMP-certified pharmaceuticals and directly started providing his franchise’s pharmacist with the medicines that are produced in WHO GMP-certified pharmaceuticals companies. This helped to reduce the cost of medicines by nearly 80%. Arjun, inspired by Ratan Tata, wanted to serve the nation through his generic medicines initiative.

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    Generic Aadhaar, the name says it all; it will give aadhaar to the customers on their medical bills on every purchase of Generic medicines. As a pharmaceutical company, Generic Aadhaar went for a white and green color combination. This combination is symbolic of the healthcare segment.

    Generic Aadhaar Logo
    Generic Aadhaar Logo

    The tagline of Generic Aadhaar isDawaiyan Kifaiti Daarome Lejayiye Aapne Gharomewhich means that their company revolves around access to affordable medicines.

    Generic Aadhaar – Vision and Mission

    Vision: Generic Aadhaar is a pharmaceutical company with an aim to bring all small medical stores under one roof and help them to earn huge profit margins. It will support you to compete with big retail medical outlets giants and online pharmacies and help the citizens to avail good discounts on all medicines through generic aadhaar stores.

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    Generic Aadhaar holds a long-term vision of assisting the underprivileged sections for the betterment of India.

    Mission: To serve customers by giving affordable quality healthcare medicines. To pull out all the stops to ensure no Indian is barred from the availability of generic medicines. The company is determined to empower single-store owners and pass on the benefit to the end customer.


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    Generic Aadhaar – Target Market Size

    India is a massive hub for medicinal drug intake and consumption. To cater to the underprivileged people who cannot afford high branded medicines, the Mumbai- based Generic Aadhaar is planning to expand its pan-India reach by opening more than 800 plus retail outlets across India. The company is currently operating 45 outlets in cities like Mumbai and Pune.

    The pharmaceutical entity wants to touch every corner of India in the next five to seven years. It is getting calls from all parts of India for extending its franchise outlets. Generic Aadhaar is also working on an initiative called “Entrepreneurs Under One Umbrella.” Under the Generic Aadhaar umbrella, they provide quality medicines from reputed pharma companies by offering up to 80% lesser prices. It provides the biggest portfolio of Generic medicines from government-approved quality manufacturing facilities.


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    Generic Aadhaar – Products and Services

    Generic Aadhaar provides affordable generic medicines (particularly for the underprivileged class of India) through its outlets that are present across the nation. The medicines sold by the company cover all types of ailments like minor diseases or life-threatening illnesses. The USP of the company is the pharmacy-aggregator business model wherein it sources generic drugs directly from the manufacturer and hands them over to the drug retailer who delivers medicines to the masses at cheap rates.


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    Generic Aadhar supports single-retail drug stores all over India. It provides medication directly from the WHO-GMP pharmaceuticals and has tied up with drug retailers from Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore, and Odisha in a profit-sharing model.

    Generic Aadhaar – Business and Revenue Model

    Generic Aadhaar follows a B2B2C model. It is appointing franchisees across India by aggregating single medical stores that are in bad shape due to the intense competition in the pharmaceutical segment. The company is passing on various benefits to the franchise owners.

    Generic Aadhaar has introduced a business model that can support multi-disciplinary medications. The stores are equipped to sell all types of allopathy medicines. The company is actually complementing the Indian government’s effort of making affordable medicines available to everyone.

    Generic Aadhaar | General Chemist
    Generic Aadhaar | General Chemist

    Generic Aadhaar’s franchising model helps in generating employment for the youth in India and also promotes entrepreneurship. While taking stock of the customer’s advantage, Generic Aadhaar ensures that small chemists and retailers earn the benefits of the business too. The medicines are given to the pharmacies at their manufacturing cost which is then sold to customers, thereby reducing the retail price up to 80 percent. The organization also collaborates with the manufacturers by increasing their supply as demand increases, thus manufacturing facilities, in turn, double their profits. Generic Aadhaar protects the interests of customers, retailers, and manufacturers alike.


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    Generic Aadhaar – Startup Launch

    Generic Aadhaar started this venture for helping and benefiting the people of India. Earlier there were very few targeted people but now, by word of mouth they are able to expand Generic Aadhaar outlets across India. Due to affordable medicines, they are growing and getting demands for their brand “Generic Aadhaar” as an identity in India.

    They are not only aiming in their business growth but also, to be the best in providing Generic Medicines to every Indian through their venture. Most of the senior citizens who purchase generic medicines have cut their medical bills up to 50% with the same effect of Branded Medicines.


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    Generic Aadhaar – Challenges

    The biggest challenge for Arjun Deshpande, the founder of Generic Aadhaar, was to make people aware of generic medicines and build their trust in such medicines. Buyers were more inclined towards branded medicines that were quite expensive when compared to their generic counterparts.

    With passing time, misinformation on generic medicines gradually dispelled and Indians started to realize the benefits of purchasing them. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Prime Minister also encouraged Indians through the ‘MAKE IN INDIA’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ campaigns to purchase generic medicines and support Indian pharmaceutical brands on both national and international levels.

    Nothing seems to stop Generic Aadhaar at the moment! Indians are now building reliance on the company’s outlets for the purchase of medicines.

    Generic Aadhaar | Team
    Generic Aadhaar | Team

    Generic Aadhaar – Advisors and Mentors

    Shri Ratan Tata is Generic Aadhaar’s sole mentor and guru. He also invested an undisclosed amount in the innovative venture.

    Ratan Tata invested in Generic Aadhaar
    Ratan Tata invested in Generic Aadhaar

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    Generic Aadhaar- Achievements and Recognitions

    Arjun Deshpande, the brain behind Generic Aadhaar, has several recognitions bestowed upon him.

    • At Asia’s Biggest Entrepreneurship Awards 2020, Arjun Deshpande was awarded “Young Entrepreneur of the Year” by Mrs. Madhuri Dixit Nene.
    • Young Achievers Award 2020 by Indian Achievers Forum India (IAFI).
    • Dynamic Entrepreneur of the Year 2020.
    • Indian Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association felicitated him in the presence of the Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2019.

    Being a young entrepreneur doesn’t mean he lacks experience; Arjun has always demonstrated his presence and abilities by sharing his journey infamous talk shows as a key-note speaker.

    Generic Vs. Branded Medicine | Arjun Deshpande | TEDxDSCE
    • TEDx Bangalore – 2019
    • CPHI China – 2019
    • IIT Mumbai – 2019
    • Dayanand Sagar, Bangalore – 2019
    • KIIT University, Bhubaneswar – 2019
    • IIT RGPV Bhopal – 2019

    Generic Aadhaar – Future Plans

    Generic Aadhaar is rapidly expanding the presence of its franchise outlets in India. The company wants to reach every corner and every Indian in the future coming years. Today they have extended to 130+cities across India, but later they are planning to reach every corner it may be not only tier-1 cities but also tier-3 cities and rural towns of India, where there is more requirement. They want to be the only brand that never fails to provide Medicines of Different segments in India.

    Generic Aadhaar – FAQs

    What are Generic Medicines?

    A generic drug is a non-branded medicine that is cheaper as compared to the original branded drug. It has the same active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) but it costs 30-80% less compared to the original ones. It is a pharmaceutical drug that contains the same chemical substance as a drug that was originally protected by patents. Generic drugs are allowed for sale after the patents on the original drugs expire.

    Who is Arjun Deshpande?

    Arjun Deshpande, a teenager and a founder of “Generic Aadhaar – the fastest growing pharma company”, managed to convince Ratan Tata to invest in his startup. He is the youngest entrepreneur of India in the pharmaceutical sector.

    Why you should buy from Generic Aadhaar outlets?

    The team at Generic Aadhaar works aggressively towards making the largest portfolio of quality generic and branded medicines available at its outlets, at prices up to 80% lower than their branded counterparts in Generic Medicines.

    Why are Generic medicines cheap?

    Generic medicines are cheaper because it doesn’t have to face the brand name and manufacturing cost. The drugmaker doesn’t have to undergo the invention or marketing cost as the chemical formula.

    Are the medicines prescribed by doctors are Generic medicines?

    In India, 80-85% of prescribed medicines are Generics. However, due to immense marketing by the pharma companies, the price benefit does not reach the patients and even the generic medicines are costing much higher.

    Who introduced generic medicines in India?

    The Government of India launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana in 2008, under which it would provide good-quality generic drugs at affordable prices. So far, it has opened 7,290 distribution centers around the country; there should be more.

  • How will Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation benefit startups

    Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation (ADIF) is a body formed by a group of Indian investors and startup founders. They have joined hands together to set up a new alliance.

    This body is also expected to in the creation of sustainable development and growth in the digital economy in the country by interacting with the government and regulators on the policy framework that is required.

    The main objective of the Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation is to join together and break the dominance of foreign internet giants like Google.

    Reason for Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation
    Focus of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation
    Members of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation
    Plans of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation
    FAQ

    Reason for Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation

    The body was set up when the Indian startups were dissatisfied and were against the new billing policy of Google. According to the new policy, Google has made it mandatory for Indian developers who use Google Play to pay 30% commission for every in-app purchase.

    This had led to a debate in the Indian Technology ecosystem. Several Indian founders have accused Google saying that it was abusing its dominance in the market.

    Focus of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation

    In a statement from the committee of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation (ADIF), it has said that the association will concentrate and will be committed towards building a technology ecosystem that will be open, fair, neutral, and self-reliant.

    Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation (ADIF) as a representative body for the Indian technological startups will also ensure the growth and development of the digital economy of the country.

    The body will focus on including all the technology companies and building a sustainable economy for providing solutions in the country that can also be used globally.

    Members of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation

    The body mainly has individuals who are Indian startup owners or investors. The members of the association include Ajay Data who is the Managing Director of Data Group of Industries, Ritesh Mallik who is the Founder at Innov8 Coworking, Sairee Chahal who is the Founder & CEO of SHEROES, Snehil Khanor who is the Co-founder and CEO of TrulyMadly.

    Ajay Data
    Ajay Data

    The body also includes Anand Lunia who is the Founding Partner of India Quotient, Amit Sinha who is the Co-Founder – Unnati. Shailesh Vikram Singh who is the Managing Partner of Massive Fund, Murugavel Janakiraman who is the Founder and CEO of Matrimony.com.

    Ajay Data, the Secretary-General of ADIF has said that, ADIF’s main aim is to help the Indian Technological companies in building a sustainable and favorable business environment.

    Plans of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation

    ADIF has plans to work together with Indian and Global research experts. Their focus is to understand the possibility for the growth of Indian technological startups.

    Barriers

    They are also focusing on empowering the ecosystem by trying to remove the barriers and difficulties faced by the Indian technological startups at the entry-level. This will help the Indian companies to grow, expand, develop and become self-sustainable.

    Membership

    ADIF is also planning to open in the top 25 cities in the coming months. They are also focusing on increasing their membership in Tier-I and Tier-II cities. They also plan to cover the rest of the Indian towns.

    Policies

    The organization is working towards assisting in the creation of policies with the regulators thinking about the future and being able to do business in an easier way. They aim to make India as the top destination for capital and innovation. Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation has said that they would want to become the voice of entrepreneurs in respect to the policymakers and regulators.

    Knowledge hub

    Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation is expected to create a knowledge hub and a central location in which the resources for building digital products and services will be stored. They expect more than 1,000 members to join their trust.

    FAQ

    Who are the members of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation?

    The members include Murugavel Janakiraman of Bharat Matrimony, Snehil Khanor of TrulyMadly, Dr Ritesh Mallik of Innov8 Coworking and Sairee Chahal of SHEROES, among others.

    What is the focus of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation?

    The focus of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation is to build an association that will concentrate and will be committed towards building a technology ecosystem that will be open, fair, neutral, and self-reliant.

    Why was Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation founded?

    Indian startups were against the new billing policy of Google. According to policy Indian developers who use Google Play to pay 30% commission for every in-app purchase.

    Conclusion

    A fully foreign-dominated organization that does not have an Indian in their decision-making process will not be part of Atmanirbhar Digital India Foundation. The organization has been set up as a trust and will concentrate on entry-level Indian Technology companies.

    However, they are yet to be finalized with certain definitions. They are planning to start the onboarding soon. ADIF has said that there will be elections soon in order to appoint formal positions in the Trust.

  • Chinese App Ban: Creating New Spaces for Indian Startups

    Chinese apps have had a huge market in India. The major users of Chinese apps like TikTok, Helo, ShareIt, UC Browser, Shein, PUBG, Club Factory, etc. were Indians. So these apps’ major revenue was drawn from our country.

    All that changed when the government of India banned Chinese apps and created new opportunities for Indian startups.

    Why were Chinese Apps banned in India?

    On June 29, 2020, the Indian government banned 59 popular Chinese mobile apps including widely used TikTok, ShareIt, WeChat, UC Browser among others; and followed that up by banning 47 more apps in July. So far, the government has banned a total of 224 apps having China links(appendix).

    Chinese apps banned in India

    According to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, the apps were engaged in activities that are prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, defense of India, the security of the state and public order. The apps were secretly stealing and transmitting user data in an unauthorized manner to servers located outside India.

    The blocking order was issued under Section 69A of the Information Technology Act. This massive app banning comes just days after Indian and Chinese troops were involved in a fresh face-off at the border.

    India a major market for banned Chinese apps

    India was a large and growing market for many of the Chinese apps banned in the country. TikTok, the most popular among them, had 16.4 million new installs in June 2020. Overall, the app has over 200 million active users in India, which amounts to almost 40% of its 500 million users worldwide.

    TikTok’s sister app Helo, which caters to regional language audiences, also occupied a 50 million userbase in India.

    Bigo Live, a live streaming app, and Likee, a video streaming app, are also very popular in India. Likee has run several engagement campaigns on its platform in association with leading Indian brands. In 2019, it partnered with Salman Khan Films to promote Dabangg 3.

    Alibaba-owned UC browser has over 130 million active users in India. In fact, UC browser was the second leading mobile browser in India, with a 14.5% market share after Google Chrome, as of May 2020, and over 6.1 million new installs in June 2020 in India.

    Chinese apps alternatives

    Response of Indians after the ban

    According to Indian press reports, local entrepreneurs and venture capitalists are welcoming the ban on Chinese apps, suggesting it could boost local companies, particularly those operating in the sectors of e-commerce, social media, and gaming sectors. Several business tycoons who experienced success, as well as failure in the Indian tech startup ecosystem, have spoken in the government’s decision’s favor.  According to them, the ban will help the Indian businesses to establish better in the GDS alternatives to the Chinese apps which have been banned.

    Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO and founder of Paytm, said that this could bring a “digital revolution” in India.

    “Bold step in the national interest. A step towards Atmanirbhar App ecosystem. Time for the best Indian entrepreneurs to come forward and build the best by Indians, for Indians!”

    Top 300 apps on Play Store in India Split

    Opportunity for Indian Startups

    The ban on Chinese apps, which had secured an enormous mass of Indian users over the years, provides India’s startups an opportunity to step up and conquer the market.

    Most apps that have been banned have been successful in their local markets, and have used the consequent resources to expand in India. Their journey provides Indian startups a potential playbook, that if executed well, could place many of India’s apps on the global map.

    The steps taken by the Indian government, such as announcing the ‘Atmanirbhar’ (self-reliance) App Innovation Challenge, suggests that it has a strategy to make India digitally secure and independent.


    PM Launches ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’
    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the new ‘AatmanirbharBharat App Innovation Challenge’. The challenge which was launched through thePM’s tweet challenges Indian Startups and companies to develop ‘Made in India’applications that will facilitate not only the people of India…


    While the ban has come in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, it will certainly pave the way for more homegrown startups to launch Indian equivalents of the banned apps.

    This is a great opportunity to serve consumers with a great product. Speed of innovation and understanding of local consumer behavior will be critical for our companies to compete effectively with other offerings and this ban is like a marketing boost for Indian apps. The ban brings forth a plethora of opportunities and is in sync with the ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ revolution spoken about by the prime minister.

    There is also a real ‘swadeshi’ (homegrown) sentiment among consumers right now” and that ensures local platforms have the opportunity and responsibility to serve India’s consumers.

    While many Indian startups who have Chinese investors could face pressure, this is also an opportunity for local investors to take bigger bets on Indian startups. Such moments rarely come in a lifetime and players in the startup ecosystem must recognize the massive opportunity.


    Helo apps competitors(Roposo, ShareChat) are gaining the greater market
    In the wake of the growing tension with the Chinese forces on the India-Chinaborder in Ladakh, and a violent clash that left 20 Indian soldiers dead, theIndian government banned 59 apps of Chinese origin, citing data security andnational sovereignty concerns. These include popular apps such as Ti…


    Indian tech platforms have the potential to go global

    The idea of Indian apps stepping in to fill the vacuum and potentially going global is not far-fetched. This ban provides Indian app developers and entrepreneurs a chance to build a digital business by creating world-class solutions. It also provides existing players across social, messaging, utilities, and gaming categories to spread their wings farther.


    Facebook’s New Venture | Now Indian Startups will Get Funding From Facebook
    Facebook, the social media giant, and one of the top companies in the field ofTechnology has been financially helping many startups across the world in thepast few years by investing in them. Facebook has invested in Indian startups aswell. Some of the Indian startups in which Facebook has previ…


    Platforms such as Glance with more than 100 million daily active users, and Roposo with more than 75 million downloads, are already competing at scale with global players. Together, these account for nearly 40 percent of India’s smartphone population. Jio, with nearly 400 million subscribers, has 33 percent of India’s telecom subscribers. They might well become the largest tech businesses leading the Made In India narrative on the global platform.

    Final Words

    The ban on mainstream Chinese apps gives Indian tech startups a little longer runway to catch up and present compelling products that can appeal to users while respecting their privacy. While our Indian companies could benefit from this ban only if we can build attractive, reliable products that are part of a for-profit, pro-privacy IT ecosystem for humanity.

    Appendix

    List of banned Chinese apps in India.

    • APUS Launcher Pro
    • APUS Launcher
    • APUS Security
    • APUS Turbo Cleaner 2020
    • APUS Flashlight
    • Cut Cut
    • Baidu
    • FaceU
    • ShareSave by Xiaomi
    • CamCard
    • CamCard Business
    • CamOCR
    • VooV Meeting
    • Super Clean
    • Small Q brush
    • WeChat reading
    • Government WeChat
    • WeChat Work
    • Tencent Weiyun
    • Cyber Hunter Lite
    • Pitu
    • Cyber Hunter
    • Knives Out
    • Super Mecha Champions
    • Dawn of Isles
    • LifeAfter
    • Ludo World
    • PUBG MOBILE LITE
    • Chess Rush
    • Rise of Kingdoms: Lost Crusade
    • PUBG MOBILE Nordic Map
    • Warpath
    • Art of Conquest: Dark Horizon
    • Dank Tanks
    • Gallery Vault
    • Game of Sultans
    • Smart AppLock
    • Message Lock
    • Dual Space
    • AppLock
    • AppLock Lite
    • ZAKZAK Pro
    • ZAKZAK LIVE
    • Music
    • Music Player
    • Cleaner – Phone Booster
    • Photo Gallery HD & Editor
    • Photo Gallery & Album
    • Music Player – Bass Booster
    • Web Browser & Fast Explorer
    • Video Player All Format for Android
    • Gallery HD
    • Video Player
    • Amour
    • MV Master
    • APUS Message Center
    • Carrom Friends
    • Ludo All-Star
    • Bike Racing
    • Rangers Of Oblivion
    • Z Camera
    • GO SMS Pro
    • U-Dictionary
    • Ulike
    • Tantan
    • MICO Chat
    • Kitty Live
    • Alipay
    • Mobile Taobao
    • Road of Kings- Endless Glory
    • AlipayHK
    • Penguin FM
    • Youku
    • Sina News
    • Netease News
    • Murderous Pursuits
    • Mobile Legends: Pocket
    • HUYA LIVE
    • VPN for TikTok
    • iPick
    • Little Q Album
    • Hi Meitu
    • Beauty Camera Plus
    • Parallel Space Lite
    • Rules of Survival
  • PM Launches ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ | Urges Techies And Startups To Participate

    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the new Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge. The challenge which was launched through the PM’s tweet challenges Indian Startups and companies to develop ‘Made in India’ applications that will facilitate not only the people of India but the whole world. In his tweet, PM urged all the tech and startup community to come forward and develop world-class mobile applications under the challenge.

    PM Narendra Modi Launches The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ Through Twitter

    The challenge was launched under the Digital India mission by the collaboration of The Ministry of Electronics And IT with The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) which is an endeavor of Niti Aayog.

    In a second tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged everyone with such a working product or the ideas and vision to create one to come forward and take part in the challenge. He also gave a tagline for this challenge:

    Let us Code for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat!

    PM urged Technology Startups and Enthusiasts To Participate

    It has been only a few days since the Government of India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications such as TikTok, ShareIt, Xender, etc. from the Indian market. And the Government of India has already started to make India Aatmanirbhar in terms of world-class mobile applications.

    “Today, when the entire nation is working towards creating an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, it is a good opportunity to give direction to their efforts, momentum to their hard-work and mentorship to their talent to evolve Apps which can satisfy our market as well as compete with the world.”, wrote PM Narendra Modi on his LinkedIn post.

    Why Is This Important?

    China had huge control over the Indian market until the ban of the 59 Chinese applications a few days ago. These 59 applications contained some applications which were very popular in the Indian market. Some of such popular apps were TikTok, Xender, UC Browser, Shein, Club Factory, and more. While the Indian alternatives of these applications are available to download, they are much behind in terms of quality. Therefore, it was an important decision to launch the challenge.
    The challenge will motivate Indian Startups and techies to create such world-class applications that will find top spots in the world market. One more reason is that although Chinese apps have been banned in India, we still have many foreign-based applications that are very popular in India. These include popular social media apps WhatsApp and Instagram, Google apps, and more. Therefore, this decision was made not only for developing Indian alternatives for the 59 Chinese apps that were banned but also to develop apps that can conquer the World market and leave other apps behind.

    Although the Chinese apps have been banned by the Government from the Indian market, there are still many apps that Indians use which are not India-based. Therefore, this challenge will prove out to be a good step towards the Aatmanirbhar Bharat movement and the revenue generated by Indian apps will stay in India itself, helping a little to the Economy of India.
    PM Narendra Modi informed on his LinkedIn account that the challenge will be run on 2 different tracks. First – To promote existing Indian applications. And Second – To help people and startups to develop new applications in terms of financial and ideation support.

    The innovation challenge is being launched in 8 different categories:

    1. Office Productivity and Work From Home
    2. Social Networking
    3. News
    4. Games
    5. E-Learning
    6. Health and Wellness
    7. Entertainment
    8. Business (including Agritech and Fintech)

    The last date for submission of work has been set to 18th July and the work will be judged based on its ease of use, Security Features, Scalability, and Robustness.
    Along with the motivation to work, the challenge also offers money prizes to the top 3 contestants in each category along with the top 3 candidates of sub-categories decided by the Jury. The prizes will be as follows:

    Position Attained (in each category) Prize
    First 20 Lakhs
    Second 15 Lakhs
    Third 10 Lakhs

    Position Attained (in each sub-category) Prize
    First 5 Lakhs
    Second 3 Lakhs
    Third 2 Lakhs

    Along with the prize money, the apps will be given a place on the top leader-boards.

    Conclusion

    This challenge will motivate many individuals and companies to come forward and use their brains for the benefit of India. It is true that India has brains but lacks the motivation to create such world-class applications. This challenge will give them support as well as the motivation required by them to use their skills towards the betterment of India.