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<keyword id="19939134" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zepto" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zepto" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zepto">Zepto</keyword>, a popular quick-commerce platform which rivals Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart, has secured <keyword id="22972597" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="USD-340-million" source="keywords">USD 340 million</keyword> in a follow-on financing round led by <keyword id="20231170" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="General-Catalyst" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="General Catalyst" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="General Catalyst">General Catalyst</keyword>, pushing the Mumbai-based startup's <keyword id="19896943" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="valuation" source="keywords">valuation</keyword> to $5 billion. This fresh infusion of capital comes shortly after Zepto raised $665 million in June 2024, which had then valued the company at $3.6 billion—almost triple its worth from the previous year. The latest round was spearheaded by General Catalyst, with new investors Dragon Fund and Epiq Capital also joining the fray. Existing backers, including <keyword id="22972598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="StepStone" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="StepStone" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="StepStone">StepStone</keyword>, Lightspeed, DST, and Contrary, have further increased their investments in Zepto. <keyword id="20291499" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aadit-Palicha" source="keywords">Aadit Palicha</keyword>, Co-founder and CEO of Zepto, explained that the decision to pursue this follow-on financing was driven by two key factors. "First, we couldn’t miss the opportunity to bring <keyword id="21957857" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora" source="keywords">Neeraj Arora</keyword> from General Catalyst on board as our lead investor. Second, strengthening our balance sheet is a strategic move as we continue to show strong growth and operational efficiency," Palicha said according to PTI. Zepto is rapidly expanding its network of dark stores, which currently stands at 370, according to a report in The Hindu. The company plans to increase this to approximately 700 stores by March 2025, thereby strengthening its presence across the top 20 cities in India. In June, Zepto reported crossing the $1 billion mark in annualized Gross Merchandise Value (GMV). Founded in 2021 by Stanford University dropouts Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, Zepto has rapidly grown into a leading player in the quick commerce sector, drawing significant attention from investors and industry watchers alike.

Zepto secures USD 340 million in latest funding round, boosting valuation to USD 5 billion

<ul><li><keyword id="468884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora" source="Orion">Neeraj Arora</keyword>, the former chief business officer of <keyword id="790242" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="WhatsApp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> has said that he regrets the sale to Facebook. </li><li>Arora, who helped in negotiations with Facebook says WhatsApp today is a shadow of its earlier versions. </li><li>WhatsApp is currently Meta’s second biggest platform. </li></ul>Popular messaging app WhatsApp was acquired by Mark Zuckerberg-led Facebook (now known as Meta) in 2014 for around $22 billion in cash and stock. The messaging app’s former chief business officer Neeraj Arora who helped in the negotiations now says that he regrets it. Facebook had acquired WhatsApp in a multi-billion dollar deal, making it the biggest acquisition for the company. The acquisition happened around five years after WhatsApp was launched and three years after Arora joined the company. In a series of <a href="https://twitter.com/neerajarora/status/1521964283466113024">tweets</a>, Neeraj Arora talks about the circumstances around the deal and the promises made by Facebook to convince WhatsApp’s founder Brain Acton to sell the app to the social media giant. “In 2014, I was the Chief Business Officer of WhatsApp and I helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook. Today, I regret it,” Arora said on Twitter. According to Arora, Facebook had approached WhatsApp for acquiring the messaging app in 2012/2013 and the latter had rejected the offer. However, Facebook approached WhatsApp once again in 2014. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Promises made by Facebook" comment="subhead" text="Promises made by Facebook">Promises made by Facebook</cmsannotation> Arora claims that Facebook’s offer in 2014 sounded like a partnership due to the promises made by the Zuckerberg led company. <ul><li>Full support for end-to-end encryption. </li><li>No ads. </li><li>Independence on product decisions. </li><li>Board seat for Jan Koum (WhatsApp cofounder and former CEO). </li><li>Office in Mountain View. </li></ul>Arora added that Facebook claimed that it supported WhatsApp’s mission of offering a service without any ads, games or gimmicks. He also added that Facebook had agreed to WhatsApp’s following terms – no mining user data, no ads and no cross-platform tracking. “Of course, that’s not what happened,” says Arora. The final nail in the coffin was the Cambridge Analytica scandal which revealed that personal data of millions of Facebook users was collected by Cambridge Analytica without user consent. Brian Acton had shared a tweet, asking people to delete Facebook. <div type="twitter" handle="brianacton" handlename="Brian Acton" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/85157243/acton_normal.jpg" favoritecount="32506" retweetcount="12064" status="It is time. #deletefacebook" createdat="1521586819000" id="976231995846963201"></div> “Today, WhatsApp is Facebook’s second largest platform (even bigger than Instagram or FB Messenger). But it’s a shadow of the product we poured our hearts into, and wanted to build for the world,” says Arora. In an attack on Facebook’s policies around user data, Arora said, “Nobody knew in the beginning that Facebook would become a Frankenstein monster that devoured user data and spat out dirty money. We didn’t either.” Arora is the cofounder of <keyword id="13828131" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HalloApp" source="Orion">HalloApp</keyword>, which has raised funds from Sequoia Capital, Brian Acton, former Facebook board director Jim Breyer and others. HalloApp intends to charge a subscription fee to its subscribers, which is expected to be between $2 to $5 per month. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/elon-musk-called-out-apples-app-store-fee-saying-its-like-having-a-30-tax-on-the-internet/articleshow/91324986.cms">Elon Musk called out Apple's App Store fee, saying it's 'like having a 30% tax on the Internet'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/facebook-whistleblower-is-optimistic-about-elon-musks-twitter-takeover-and-says-musk-can-take-feedback-better-than-mark-zuckerberg/articleshow/91213942.cms">Facebook whistleblower is optimistic about Elon Musk's Twitter takeover and says Musk can take feedback better than Mark Zuckerberg</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/facebook-parent-meta-soars-17-after-q1-results-show-user-growth-recovery-and-mark-zuckerberg-reins-in-metaverse-spending/articleshow/91151852.cms">Facebook parent Meta soars 16% after Q1 results show user growth recovery, and Mark Zuckerberg reins in metaverse spending</a>

Neeraj Arora, former chief business officer of WhatsApp regrets sale to Facebook

<ul><li>Ex IITian can be the next CEO of <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="468884" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora">Neeraj Arora</keyword> is a ex-googler.</li><li>Neeraj graduated from IIT-Delhi in 2000 and did his MBA from <keyword id="6357275" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-school-of-business">Indian School of Business</keyword> in 2006.</li></ul> Neeraj Arora, a 39 year old IITian may <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/business/meet-neeraj-arora-the-iitian-who-could-be-elevated-to-whatsapp-ceo-1846667" data-type="tilCustomLink">step up</a> to the CEO position at WhatsApp after <keyword id="1983269" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jan-Koum">Jan Koum</keyword> stepped down earlier this week. The former CEO resigned from the company due to differences with its parent company, <keyword id="6354576" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword>. With 1.5 million monthly users, WhatsApp is the biggest mobile messaging service in the world. Also, over 3 million people are actively using WhatsApp Business app. Arora has being associated with WhatsApp for the past seven years, according to his <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/neerajarora/">LinkedIn profile</a>. He is the head of “All Things Business” at WhatsApp in the San Francisco Bay area. According to reports, Arora is considered the “number four” person at WhatsApp. This plus his extensive experience of working with some of the top tech companies is why he is being considered for the position. He started his career in 2000 as a product manager with the private cloud sharing and governance platform Accellion Inc. Prior to working with WhatsApp, he served as a board member for Paytm for a period of nearly three years. Arora has also worked with <keyword id="6355629" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="google">Google</keyword> in the past. He worked as a corporate development manager for nearly three years before being promoted to lead the company's corporate development team where he lead acquisitions and strategic investments across products and geographies. Neeraj is an IIT-Delhi 2000 batch pass-out. After his bachelors in mechanical engineering he completed his MBA in finance and strategy from the <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> School of Business in 2006.

WhatsApp may get an Indian CEO following Jan Koum’s exit

All of a sudden there is a sudden boom in the Indian wearable technology platforms. Beating <keyword id="874458" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xiaomi">Xiaomi</keyword>'s Mi Band, <keyword id="211471" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vishal-Gondal">Vishal Gondal</keyword>’s GOQii is the market leader in India in this segment. 
 <keyword id="1951790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="SenseGiz">SenseGiz</keyword>, a Bengaluru-based startup that makes a safety monitoring wristband called <keyword id="3683950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="safr">SAFR</keyword>, has sold around 35,000 devices so far. Priced at Rs 3,000, SAFR connects to a smartphone app and can detect if a user has got into an accident and alert emergency contacts, as per a news report by The <keyword id="6474066" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-times">Economic Times</keyword>. 
 Its primary markets have been <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> and the US. "Now, awareness is growing even in India," <keyword id="3683949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhishek-latte">Abhishek Latte</keyword>, cofounder and CEO of SenseGiz told the ET. 
 "People should not throw the devices after a few months. To prevent that, there should be enough services that keep the consumer interested. Hardware is just one part," <keyword id="52455" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gondal">Gondal</keyword>, whose GOQii counts former <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> search head <keyword id="6372293" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amit-Singhal">Amit Singhal</keyword> and WhatsApp's business head <keyword id="468884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora">Neeraj Arora</keyword> among investors, told the financial daily. 
 Another wearable start up by an <keyword id="6364832" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Kharagpur">IIT Kharagpur</keyword> alumnus, Blink operates a smartwatch and uses an inhouse operating system. The device will be priced at around $200 and will be launched by the end of September. 
 Some of the wearable ventures that have won funding include Actofit, a fitness wearable that has received funds from Next Orbit Ventures; <keyword id="2105082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azoi">Azoi</keyword>, another fitness wearable funded by <keyword id="3683948" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="vedanta-capital">Vedanta Capital</keyword>, MadRat Games, which has built a wearable gaming suit and has been funded by <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword> and others, and Leaf Wearable, a bluetoothconnected jewellery for safety of women and funded on crowdfunding platform Ketto.

​ Made in India wearable technology platforms are beating Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi

A group of Indian origin Silicon Valley hotshots have joined the board of the financial technology firm <keyword id="2689416" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Deal4loans">Deal4Loans</keyword>, which provides loans through its online portal. 
 Among others, the group includes <keyword id="508899" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ram-Shriram">Ram Shriram</keyword>, founding board member and one of the first investors in Google, <keyword id="468884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora">Neeraj Arora</keyword>, the business head of Whatsapp and <keyword id="3322410" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Puru-Vashishtha">Puru Vashishtha</keyword>, who had invested on Wall Street hedge funds. All three of them have also invested unknown amounts in the company. 
 Deal4Loans, founded by <keyword id="2034824" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rishi-Mehra">Rishi Mehra</keyword> in 2009, claims that it is the first of its kind when it comes to online loan comparison and booking. Mehra told ET told that it has seen a "hockey stick growth" in the last three years, having already booked Rs 10,000 crore in loans through its customer base of 7 million. 
 
"Its deep technology edge and algorithms attracted me to invest in the company. Digitisation of banks is a reality that Indian banks will have to adapt to," Shriram told ET via mail. 
 
He also added that digitisation would require banks to have a technology partner, something which Deal4loans is capable of being.

Indian-origin leaders from Silicon Valley have invested undisclosed amounts in Deal4Loans

<keyword id="2189512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-video" source="Orion">Prime Video</keyword> on Wednesday announced that the much-awaited second season of "Made In Heaven" will premiere on August 10. Created by <keyword id="36968" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoya-akhtar" source="Orion">Zoya Akhtar</keyword> and <keyword id="125922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="reema-kagti" source="Orion">Reema Kagti</keyword>, the show revolves around Sobhita Dhulipala's Tara Khanna and actor Arjun Mathur's Karan Mehra, two best friends turned wedding planners navigating the world of big fat Indian weddings while dealing with conflicts in their personal lives. "Made In Heaven" season two will delve deeper into the lives of its characters who navigate the complexities of organizing and celebrating marriages while their own lives unfold in unexpected ways, a press release stated. "As seen in the first season, the new season will also feature a host of cameos, whilst taking forward the nuanced narrative on various social prejudices. Season Two will beautifully reveal the dichotomy of tradition, modern aspirations and belief systems set against the canvas of lavish Indian weddings," it stated. The seven-episode season two is directed by Kagti and Akhtar along with Alankrita Shrivastava, Neeraj Ghaywan and Nitya Mehra. Besides Dhulipala and Mathur, it also features Jim Sarbh, Kalki Koechlin, Shashank Arora, Shivani Raghuvanshi, and Vijay Raaz. The newcomers include Mona Singh, Ishwak Singh and Trinetra Haldar. The first season of "Made in Heaven" came out in 2019 and received critical-acclaim for its storytelling and performances by the lead cast. In a statement, Akhtar and Kagti said the show holds a special place in their hearts and is a symbol of "true strength of collaboration with many creative energies aligning". "The second season of 'Made In Heaven', delves deeper into the extravagant world of Indian weddings and unearths more stories from the community. "'Made In Heaven' reflects the lives of upscale modern India, and is narrated through the eyes of two wedding planners, set against the backdrop of quintessential Indian weddings and recurring social prejudices. Our hope is that the latest one is received with as much love as the last," they added. Aparna Purohit, Head of Originals, Prime Video India, "Made In Heaven" has become a part of the "cultural zeitgeist". "The next instalment of the show will present a perfect mosaic of stories that blend tradition and modernity, coupled with a layered, immersive and an emotional narrative. It's a true privilege to work with such gifted, collaborative and passionate storytellers and we are confident that the new season of the show will not just entertain but provoke, inspire, and uplift our audiences," she added. "Made In Heaven" is produced by Excel Media &amp; Entertainment and Zoya Akhtar and Reema Kagti's Tiger Baby.

Prime Video's Made In Heaven Season 2 premieres on Aug 10

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Former <keyword id="11896250" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="whatsapp" source="Orion">WhatsApp</keyword> exec Neeraj Arora says he regrets that <keyword id="11892960" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="facebook" source="Orion">Facebook</keyword> bought the startup.</li><li>WhatsApp insiders have long bemoaned the sale, which they say saw the startup's mission unravel.</li></ul>WhatsApp's early execs have been vocal for years about their disdain for Facebook and what the company did to their startup.And on Thursday, WhatsApp's former chief business officer weighed in.Neeraj Arora joined the startup in 2011 and said on Twitter that he "helped negotiate the $22 billion sale to Facebook. Today, I regret it."The story is well-known that Facebook approached WhatsApp with an offer that Arora said looked like a partnership. One of those promises was WhatsApp leadership would retain "complete independence on product decisions." Others were that Mark Zuckerberg's company would never integrate ads and cross-platform tracking on the app and that it wouldn't mine user data."FB and their management agreed and we thought they believed in our mission," Arora said.But Facebook, WhatsApp execs have said, had other plans.Facebook considered introducing ads to WhatsApp and letting businesses communicate with the app's users, Co-founder Brian Acton told <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/parmyolson/2018/09/26/exclusive-whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-gives-the-inside-story-on-deletefacebook-and-why-he-left-850-million-behind/?sh=125be16b3f20">Forbes</a> in 2018 shortly after he left. The app does not have ads today. "Today, WhatsApp is Facebook's second largest platform (even bigger than Instagram or FB Messenger,)" Arora tweeted. "But it's a shadow of the product we poured our hearts into, and wanted to build for the world. And I am not the only one who regrets that it became part of Facebook when it did."Arora, who has cofounded a relatively new ad-free social platform called HalloApp, said <keyword id="6358815" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tech" source="Orion">tech</keyword> companies need to take accountability when their products and services go awry."Nobody knew in the beginning that Facebook would become a Frankenstein monster that devoured user data and spat out dirty money," Arora tweeted.Arora left WhatsApp in 2018 shortly after Acton departed the company. Acton famously kicked off a #deletefacebook campaign on Twitter after Facebook's handling of user data amid the Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light."It is time," <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-tweet-time-to-delete-facebook-2018-3">Acton said in an early 2018 tweet</a>, adding the hashtag #DeleteFacebook.

Former WhatsApp exec says he regrets the startup's sale to Facebook because it became a 'shadow of the product we poured our hearts into'

With an aim to make the messaging platform more user friendly, Meta-owned WhatsApp has announced that it is rolling out new features, including emoji reactions, bigger files and groups. The company said that it is slowly rolling out the ability to add up to 512 people to a group, which, till now, allowed to add only up to 256. "We are excited to share that emoji reactions are now available on the latest version of the app. Reactions are fun, fast, and they reduce overload in groups too. We will continue improving them by adding an even broader range of expressions in the future," the company said in a blogpost. "In addition, you can now send files within WhatsApp up to 2GB in size at a time, protected by end-to-end encryption. This is an increase from the previous limit of 100MB and we think will be helpful for collaboration among small businesses and school groups," it added. WhatsApp said it recommends using WiFi for larger files and it will display a counter while uploading or downloading to let users know how long your transfer will take. A recent report said that WhatsApp is likely working on the ability to view status updates right within the chats list in a future update of the app. This feature is under development so it has not been rolled out to beta testers yet. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/neeraj-arora-former-chief-business-officer-of-whatsapp-regrets-sale-to-facebook/articleshow/91343668.cms">Neeraj Arora, former chief business officer of WhatsApp regrets sale to Facebook</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/ten-less-known-whatsapp-tips-and-tricks-to-make-texting-more-exciting/articleshow/91341009.cms">Ten less-known WhatsApp tips and tricks to make texting more exciting</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-will-soon-allow-you-to-use-the-same-account-on-multiple-phones/articleshow/91153204.cms">WhatsApp will soon allow you to use the same account on multiple phones</a>

WhatsApp update brings emoji reactions, groups with 512 members

<ul><li>Neeraj Arora and Michael Donohue, two of <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword>’s earliest employees, have launched a new private social network.</li><li>Named the <keyword id="11677784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="halloapp">HalloApp</keyword>, the company promises that it will always be ad-free, algorithm-free and all messages are encrypted by default.</li><li>HalloApp is available for download from Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store.</li></ul>At a time when gaining wide reach on social networks is commonplace, having a private social network might seem contrary to what people want. And yet, two of WhatsApp’s earliest employees have gone ahead and launched just that, a private social network called HalloApp. HalloApp is now available to download and install on <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/halloapp/id1501583052">iOS</a> and <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.halloapp">Android devices</a>. From early impressions, it seems to be a mix of the now-defunct Path app and WhatsApp – HalloApp draws inspiration from Path when it comes to the “private social network” part, and from WhatsApp, when it comes to adding and chatting with friends – the only way you can find people is by having their phone number. As an added bonus, the app does not have any ads and all messages are encrypted by default. The two employees behind the app are Neeraj Arora and Michael Donohue. Both Arora and Donohue were with WhatsApp before and after the Facebook acquisition. While Arora was with the company until 2018, Donohue left in 2019. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Social media has turned into a ‘digital mall’, says Arora" comment="subhead" text="Social media has turned into a ‘digital mall’, says Arora">Social media has turned into a ‘digital mall’, says Arora</cmsannotation> Our social media feeds have become algorithm-driven – this applies to Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, but more so for the latter two, as Twitter gives an option to switch to a chronological timeline. Even YouTube’s recommended videos are <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/how-youtubes-algorithm-really-works/575212/">tuned by algorithms</a>, with “Where you hoped to have meaningful conversations, instead you found yourself falling down the rabbit hole of blinking red notifications and an algorithmic feed of meaningless content,” Arora said in a <a href="https://halloapp.com/blog/real-relationship-network/">blog post</a>, highlighting the pitfalls of algorithm-driven feeds. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Getting to know HalloApp" comment="subhead" text="Getting to know HalloApp">Getting to know HalloApp</cmsannotation> HalloApp’s interface is pretty simple – and by some extent, barebones, right now. The app is divided into three tabs – the Home feed, groups and chats. The Home feed is where posts from your friends and family show up. Arora describes it as such, taking aim at virtually most of the major social networks out there: “No ads. No bots. No likes. No trolls. No followers. No algorithms. No influencers. No photo filters. No “feed fatigue.” No misinformation spreading like wildfire.” He also goes ahead to explain that the company will eventually offer additional features in the app at a small cost. Groups and chats are self-explanatory. Right now, the chats screen shows the people are who have signed up on HalloApp. It will be interesting to see if HalloApp gains traction at a time when the Pegasus spyware has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apples-iphone-has-a-major-blinking-red-five-alarm-fire-problem-with-imessage-security-according-to-a-cybersecurity-researcher/articleshow/84555122.cms">reportedly used with iMessage</a> and WhatsApp as two of the several attack vectors. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/india-among-top-three-countries-facing-phishing-attacks-via-whatsapp-and-telegram-reveals-report/articleshow/84401513.cms">India among top three countries facing phishing attacks via WhatsApp and Telegram, reveals report</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/youtube-shorts-begins-rolling-out-globally-as-it-looks-to-catch-up-with-tiktok/articleshow/84376695.cms">YouTube Shorts begins rolling out globally as it looks to catch up with TikTok</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/photo-editing-and-app-lock-features-android-apps-caught-stealing-users-facebook-passwords/articleshow/84136996.cms">Android apps with over 5.8 million downloads caught stealing users’ Facebook passwords</a>

Two of WhatsApp's earliest employees have launched a private, ad-free social network

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Miikka Skaffari/Getty Images for Breakthrough PrizeNeeraj Arora</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/whatsapp">WhatsApp's</a> chief business officer Neeraj Arora is quitting.</li><li>He's the latest in a long line of senior execs to quit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/facebook">Facebook</a>, from the cofounders of Instagram to Oculus.</li><li>Arora's departure follows ugly clashes between WhatsApp's cofounders and Facebook leadership.</li><li>He says he plans to spent time with his family.</li></ul>The chief business officer of WhatsApp is leaving, the latest in a line of high-level departures at Facebook and its associated apps.Neeraj Arora, a seven-year veteran of the encrypted messaging app, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/neerajarora/posts/10155801921937478">announced on Facebook on Monday that he was stepping down, saying he planned to spend more time with his family</a>."It is time to move on, but I cannot be more proud of how WhatsApp continues to touch people in so many different ways every day. I am confident that WhatsApp will continue to be the simple, secure &amp; trusted communication product for years to come," he wrote. "I'm going to be taking some time off to recharge and spend time with family."Arora's exit comes as Facebook lurches from scandal to scandal, and in the wake of a number of high-profile executive exits. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/instagram-cofounder-kevin-systrom-quitting-everythings-awesome-2018-10">Earlier this year the two cofounders of Instagram, Kevin Systrom</a> and Mike Krieger, left the Facebook-owned photo-sharing app, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/10/22/oculus-co-founder-brendan-iribe-leaves-facebook.html">and Oculus cofounder Brendan Iribe made his exit in October</a>. WhatsApp has proved particularly contentious for Facebook. WhatsApp's cofounder and CEO Jan Koum bailed out in April 2018, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jan-koum-whatsapp-privacy-quit-facebook-cowardly-2018-5">reportedly as a result of privacy concerns</a>. And in September, WhatsApp's other cofounder, Brian Acton, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whatsapp-cofounder-brian-acton-clashed-with-facebook-sheryl-sandberg-2018-9">went public with allegations of fiery clashes with Facebook's leadership over monetization</a>. (He has also previously called on people to #DeleteFacebook.)Do you work at Facebook or WhatsApp? Got a tip? Contact this reporter via Signal or WhatsApp at +1 (650) 636-6268 using a non-work phone, email at rprice@businessinsider.com, Telegram or WeChat at robaeprice, or Twitter DM at <a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice">@robaeprice</a>. (PR pitches by email only, please.) You can also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-tip-business-insider-securely-guide-signal-securedrop-2017-6">contact Business Insider securely via SecureDrop</a>. WhatsApp is among Facebook's most widely-used products, though the company has moved slowly in efforts to monetize the free-to-use app.Arora, a former Google employee, joined WhatsApp in November 2011 and served as its chief business officer. After Koum's resignation, there was some speculation that Arora would be made the app's next chief exec - <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/technology/news/story/meet-new-boss-of-whatsapp-he-is-not-neeraj-arora-but-he-has-a-big-india-connection-1229323-2018-05-09">but that role ultimately went to Chris Daniels</a>, formerly VP of internet.org, Facebook's internet connectivity efforts.<h2>Here's Neeraj Arora's full public goodbye post:</h2>"Time flies for sure but not memories. It is hard to believe that it has been seven years since Jan and Brian got me onboard at WhatsApp, and it has been one hell of a ride!"I've been blessed to work with a small set of talented people and see how maniacal focus can create something magical which is loved by billions of people. It is time to move on, but I cannot be more proud of how WhatsApp continues to touch people in so many different ways every day. I am confident that WhatsApp will continue to be the simple, secure &amp; trusted communication product for years to come."I'm going to be taking some time off to recharge and spend time with family. I am deeply indebted to Jan and Brian, who entrusted me to be their business companion for so many years and I am thankful to each one of you who has supported me along the way and made this exciting journey possible." <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-go-open-3000-automated-stores-2018-9">Amazon wants to open 3,000 cashier-less grocery stores - and they'll have a major advantage over their competitors</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

WhatsApp's chief business officer is the latest exec to leave Facebook

<ul><li>SPN has announced key transitions in its senior leadership team.</li><li><keyword id="192573" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rohit-Gupta">Rohit Gupta</keyword> has transitioned from his role as Chief Revenue Officer – Ad Sales and International Business and taken on the responsibility of being SPN’s Advisor to the Management and the Board.</li><li><keyword id="1554863" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajesh-Kaul">Rajesh Kaul</keyword>, in addition to his existing role as the Chief Revenue Officer – Distribution and Business Head – Sports, will take on charge of International Sales. Sandeep Mehrotra has been appointed Head - Ad Sales, Network Channels.</li><li>Danish Khan, Business Head – <keyword id="17942" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sony-Entertainment-Television">Sony Entertainment Television</keyword>, Digital Business and <keyword id="6983273" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="StudioNEXT">StudioNext</keyword> will take additional charge of Network Channels Licensing.</li></ul><keyword id="3186877" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sony-Pictures-Networks-India">Sony Pictures Networks India</keyword> has revamped its organizational structure, making several leadership changes. These changes are effective immediately. Rohit Gupta has transitioned from his role as Chief Revenue Officer – Ad Sales and International Business and taken on the responsibility of being SPN’s Advisor to the Management and the Board. Rohit’s efforts have contributed immeasurably to the organization over the last two decades, and we thank him for his tremendous contributions to the growth of our network. In this new role, Rohit will be advising senior management on industry trends, developments and work closely with the CEO on various industry issues that could positively impact the company’s strategy and growth. Rajesh Kaul, in addition to his existing role as the Chief Revenue Officer – Distribution and Business Head – Sports, will take on charge of International Sales and will work in-collaboration with the Digital team to expand SPN’s brand presence and reach across the world. Neeraj Arora, currently heading International Sales will now be reporting directly to Rajesh Kaul. Sandeep Mehrotra has been appointed Head - Ad Sales, Network Channels. With an illustrious career, spanning over two and a half decades, Sandeep has a proven record in driving revenues and delivering efficiencies to clients and businesses. Within SPN, he has moved multiple channels, regions and ranks and has invested his time in curating long-term client relationships with a unifocal thought of creating business solutions. In his new role, Sandeep will directly report to the CEO. Danish Khan, Business Head – Sony Entertainment Television, Digital Business and StudioNext will take additional charge of Network Channels Licensing. This alignment will enable an end-to-end view of opportunities at play between channels and digital and thereby enable us in taking decisions, best suited for the network’s growth. <keyword id="11723990" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="tushar-shah-business-head">Tushar Shah, Business Head</keyword>, English, Factual Entertainment &amp; Sony AATH, takes on an additional role of the newly created position of Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) for SPN. His expanded role will include taking the corporate brand to the consumer and furthering its reach besides managing his existing channel portfolio. Aditya Mehta, in addition to his current role of Corporate Strategy and Business Development, will spearhead the formation of Data Analytics CoE to strengthen SPN’s approach to being a data driven organization. He would also be responsible for Business Monetization which will leverage the power of data and act as a bridge between Digital &amp; Linear revenue opportunities. Nitin Nadkarni, Chief Finance Officer (CFO) will take additional charge of the Broadcast Operations and Network Engineering (B.O.N.E) department. Kingshuk Bhattacharya - Head, B.O.N.E. will now report to Nitin. Commenting on the revamp, <keyword id="305969" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="NP-Singh">NP Singh</keyword>, MD &amp; CEO, SPN said, “SPN has embarked on Vision 3.0 to create a future-ready organization based on a culture powered by corporate values and a management structure backed by an operating model that accelerates growth. All leadership changes announced today are reflective of that evolutionary intent.” Manu Wadhwa, CHRO at SPN added, “The organization remodeling is a result of our constant focus to strengthen our talent and leadership capabilities and will ensure that we stay ahead of the curve in a dynamic media and entertainment industry.”

Sony Pictures Networks India revamps organizational structure, announces key leadership changes

<ul><li>Students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) aspiring to qualify for CA examination are protesting against May exam results. </li><li>The students took to Twitter to reveal the errors in the evaluation of examination papers, along with the hashtag #dearICAIpleasechange. </li><li>The students alleged that answer sheets have been evaluated incorrectly, deducting marks for correct answers. </li><li>Given that, the institute said that the November 2019 and May 2020 exam papers will undergo digital evaluation.</li></ul>Students of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) aspiring to qualify CA examination have been<a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/education/icai-protest-day-2-ca-aspirants-protest-at-200-branches-demand-right-to-revaluation-of-papers-watch/story-NqN3k42b8Nxerke6NHBygM.html"> protesting against the results</a>. The aspirants staged massive protest across 200 branches of the ICAI, demanding revaluation of the examination papers. They are protesting both online and offline. The students took to Twitter to reveal errors in the evaluation under the hashtag #dearICAIpleasechange. According to PTI, students alleged that answer sheets have been evaluated incorrectly, deducting marks for the correct answers as well. The students evaluated their own answers, based on the answer key released released by the institute. "They found that many of their correct answers had been marked as wrong and this way, many students flunked the papers. In some cases, even 12 marks have been deducted," CA Neeraj Arora, ICAI member <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/over-200-students-stage-protest-at-icai-claim-papers-not-evaluated-properly-2320029.html">told </a>PTI. The exam was conducted in May. Students accessed their answer copies via RTI (Right To Information) enquiries. Until 2018, the CA Act did not allow students to show the answer copies to any other person, which was scrapped after massive protests during that year. The students even want the institute to penalise examiners for the errors. In response to the student outrage, the institute had put out a notification clarifying that "It has been brought to our notice that certain adverse reports relating to the system of evaluation of answer books of CA exams are doing the rounds on social media." Given that, the institute has introduced changes in the evaluation process for the examinations scheduled for November 2019 and May 2020. The examination papers will now undergo digital evaluation to maintain transparency. It will also eliminate manual errors like totalling, variation in marks according to the examiner. In fact, the institute will also roll out OMR-based evaluation for MCQs of Elective Papers. This will keep the examination objective type, eliminating variations in the subjective answers. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mulea-magadh-university-students-protest-exam-delay-with-youtube-campaign/articleshow/68736600.cms">‘We have become zombies’, say helpless students at a 450,000-strong Indian university launching a YouTube protest against a broken system</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/mbbs-doctors-need-not-take-extra-exams-for-licences-pg-admissions/articleshow/70271392.cms">Now, MBBS doctors need not take extra exams for licences, PG admissions</a>

Hundreds of India's aspiring chartered accountants are furious and protesting on the streets

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://twitter.com/readmark">Mark Read / Twitter</a></div></div></div>The ad holding giant WPP is merging J. Walter Thompson, one of the world's oldest ad agencies, with Wunderman, its global digital network, <a href="https://www.wpp.com/news/2018/11/wpp-forms-new-creative-data-and-technology-agency-wunderman-thompson">the company announced on Monday</a>.The new organization, called Wunderman Thompson, will be led by Wunderman's global CEO, Mel Edwards, while Tamara Ingram, the CEO of J. Walter Thompson, will become chairman.The merger comes on the heels of a similar union in September, where WPP brought together the agencies VML and Young &amp; Rubicam to create a new entity called VMLY&amp;R.It's the latest illustration of CEO Mark Read's quest to simplify WPP's various networks, revive growth, and better integrate creative, digital, and media functions."It shows that there are no sacred cows, which is a good sign for WPP," said David Jones, the former Havas chief who founded the brand-tech company You &amp; Mr. Jones.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ad-industry-executives-sound-off-on-jwt-and-wunderman-merger-2018-11">Click here</a> to read more about what the merger means for the future of the industry.In other news:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-documents-could-be-published-by-uk-mp-damian-collins-2018-11">Facebook has a bruising week ahead as British lawmakers say there's a 'high level of public interest' in releasing a cache of seized legal documents.</a> The documents could contain explosive revelations about how Facebook's privacy policy allowed Cambridge Analytica to secure the data of 87 million users.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/whatsapp-chief-business-officer-neeraj-arora-quits-2018-11">Speaking of Facebook, WhatsApp's chief business officer is the latest exec to leave Facebook.</a> Neeraj Arora is the latest in a long line of senior execs to quit <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/facebook">Facebook</a>, from the cofounders of Instagram to Oculus.<a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/11/26/facebook-watch-pivoting-older-audiences-teens-tuning-out.html">Facebook Watch is reportedly shifting its strategy to focus on older users instead of teens and young adults, CNBC reports.</a> The dedicated video platform has failed to get recognition with users, who aren't used to watching long videos on Facebook.<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/amazon-with-little-fanfare-emerges-as-an-advertising-giant-1543248561">Here is a look at how Amazon is on track to become an advertising juggernaut, according to the Wall Street Journal.</a> The company's ad sales have been growing at a steady clip in recent quarters, with the ad business expected to generate more income than its cloud business in the next few years, according to analysts. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/seeking-nominations-for-the-rising-stars-of-madison-avenue-2018-11">Seeking nominations for the rising stars of Madison Avenue.</a> Please submit your ideas <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Og5VKXANxYzGQWFLYDHrUj5HgIY4pJjKka_0XCHxZvE/edit">via this survey</a> by Nov. 30, 2018.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ignition-2018-speakers-2018-8">Announcing IGNITION 2018 speakers: Don't miss Mark Cuban, Sir Martin Sorrell, Danica Patrick, Troy Carter, and more!</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/time-lapse-videos-satellite-images-china-infrastructure-change-2017-7">Beautiful time-lapse videos show how much China has changed over the years</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

You Searched For "Neeraj Arora" and got 13 results

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You Searched For "Neeraj Arora" and got 13 results

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