Welcome to <keyword id="9884466" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="insider-cannabis">Insider Cannabis</keyword>, our weekly newsletter where we're bringing you an inside look at the deals, trends, and personalities driving the multibillion-dollar global <keyword id="14728" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="cannabis">cannabis</keyword> boom.<a href="http://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/cultivated">Sign up here to get it in your inbox every week</a>.We're back!Hope everyone had a restful holiday. It was disturbing to watch pro-Trump rioters storm the US Capitol this week, but we'll leave coverage of Wednesday's shameful display to our colleagues in DC. We're back to our regularly scheduled programming here on Business Insider's cannabis industry team. Instead of our usual weekly roundup, last week we put together a list of our best stories from 2020. If you missed it, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-cannabis-newsletter-december-31-best-of-2020-12">you can find them here</a>.In December, signs pointed to a rebound for the cannabis industry after a tough 2020. The blockbuster, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tilray-aphria-ceo-interview-explain-merger-strategy-strategic-partner-2020-12">$4 billion Tilray-Aphria merger</a> seems to have taken the lid off of M&amp;A and the rest of the industry quickly followed suit, with both US and Canadian cannabis companies jockeying for market share - and bankers and investors are again looking to make some money. The industry got another boost this week after Democrats won a pair of victories in Georgia, tilting the balance of the Senate and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-victories-in-georgia-will-pave-way-for-marijuana-reform-2021-1">boosting the prospects for federal cannabis reform</a>. Cannabis stocks <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/pot-stocks-democrat-georgia-senate-victories-decriminalization-acb-tlry-cgc-2021-1-1029937827">took off</a>, and some traders told me that it was an "epic" day for the sector.We've got lots of exciting stories on deck for this year, but we also want to hear directly from you about what you're watching, deals you're working on, and what we're missing and should be covering.-Jeremy (<a href="https://twitter.com/jfberke?lang=en">@jfberke</a>) and Yeji (<a href="https://twitter.com/jesse_yeji?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@jesse_yeji</a>)As a reminder, here's how to get in touch: <a href="mailto:jberke@businessinsider.com">jberke@businessinsider.com</a>, or <a href="mailto:ylee@businessinsider.com">ylee@businessinsider.com</a>. Signal number for encrypted messages upon request. Here's what we wrote about this week:<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-victories-in-georgia-will-pave-way-for-marijuana-reform-2021-1">Democrats' victories in Georgia will pave the way for federal cannabis reform and spur major investors to jump into the booming industry</a></h3>Wall Street analysts say Democrats' pair of victories in Georgia will boost the prospects for federal <keyword id="40905" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Marijuana">marijuana</keyword> reform as the party will narrowly control Congress, as well as the White House.Analysts from Cowen said the most likely course is the passage of legislation that would protect states that choose to legalize marijuana but stop short of federal legalization.<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/list-top-cannabis-startups-that-vcs-cant-stop-talking-about-2020-12">The 5 top cannabis startups that VCs can't stop talking about</a></h3>We asked 17 top cannabis VCs to name startups in the industry that they think are poised for major growth in 2021. Each investor was asked to recommend one startup they invested in and one they hadn't. In total, investors gave us 27 names - here are the five that came up most often.<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/novamind-pitch-deck-psychedelics-ketamine-spravato-clinics-2021-1">See the 20-slide pitch deck a psychedelics startup used to raise funds to build out a network of ketamine clinics</a></h3><keyword id="2874738" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Psychedelics">Psychedelics</keyword> company Novamind recently announced that it raised 10 million Canadian dollars in a private placement. The company is preparing to go public on the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) this month. Here's a look at the pitch deck they used to raise money and build out a network of ketamine clinics in the US.<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marijuana-legalization-ballot-tracker-new-jersey-arizona-montana-vote-results-2020">Democrats' big victory in Georgia is the best possible outcome for the cannabis industry. Here's the ultimate guide to marijuana legalization: the key dates to know, and which stocks could benefit the most.</a></h3>We've updated our ultimate guide to cannabis legislation after both Democratic Senate candidates in Georgia won their special runoff elections, sequentially cinching a Democratic majority in Congress. Here's a look at what this means for the cannabis industry.<h3><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/companies-positioned-to-benefit-most-if-new-york-legalizes-cannabis-2021-1">A top Wall Street analyst says New York has a 'very good chance' of legalizing cannabis and lays out the companies that are poised to profit</a></h3>Though New York has tried - and failed - to legalize cannabis twice already, Cowen analyst Vivien Azer wrote in a January 6 note that the state has a "very good chance" at succeeding in its efforts this year. If this happens, Azer writes that the companies best positioned to benefit from New York turning recreational are the ones that are currently operating in the state, according to Azer, like Green Thumb Industries, Curaleaf, and Cresco Labs.<h2>Executive Moves</h2><ul><li>Harborside <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/harborside-inc-announces-departure-of-steve-deangelo-301200035.html">announced on Monday</a> that co-founder Steve DeAngelo would be leaving the company.</li><li>Terry Booth, the former CEO of Aurora Cannabis, is<a href="https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/australis-enters-into-term-sheet-to-acquire-alps-866142013.html"> joining Australis Capital</a> as CEO.</li><li>Indus Holdings <a href="https://www.newcannabisventures.com/indus-holdings-inc-announces-kevin-lawrence-as-chief-revenue-officer/">announced on Tuesday</a> that Kevin Lawrence would be joining the company as chief revenue officer.</li><li>MedMen <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201218005666/en/MedMen-Appoints-Reece-Fulgham-as-Interim-Chief-Financial-Officer">appoints Reece Fulgham</a> as interim CFO. The company said Zeeshan Hyder will be stepping down in January.</li><li>Rapper TI is <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/tip-ti-harris-joins-viola-as-social-justice-and-reform-ambassador-301198649.html#:~:text=28%2C%202020%20%2FPRNewswire%2F%20%2D%2D,Social%20Justice%20and%20Reform%20Ambassador.">joining Viola Brands</a> as the company's social justice and reform advisor. </li></ul><h2>Deals, launches, and IPOs</h2><ul><li>Cannabis company AYR Strategies is expanding to New Jersey and Florida via <a href="https://ir.ayrstrategies.com/news-events/press-releases/detail/61/ayr-strategies-enters-into-agreements-to-expand-footprint">a $290 million all-stock acquisition</a> of the CSE-listed Liberty Health Sciences.</li><li>Curaleaf raised $275 million (CAD) <a href="https://www.newcannabisventures.com/curaleaf-raises-c275-million-selling-shares-at-c16-75/">in a share sale</a>, in anticipation of what chairman Boris Jordan called "newly enhanced opportunities in the sector."</li><li>Columbia Care will <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201222005205/en/Columbia-Care-Signs-Definitive-Agreement-to-Acquire-Green-Leaf-Medical">acquire Green Leaf Medical</a> in a $240 million cash and stock deal. </li><li>HempFusion Wellness <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210106005508/en/HempFusion-Wellness-Inc.-Completes-USD17000000-Initial-Public-Offering-and-Commences-Trading-on-the-Toronto-Stock-Exchange">began trading on the TSX</a> in an IPO that raised $17 million on Monday. </li><li>Vancouver-based psychedelics company <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210106005508/en/HempFusion-Wellness-Inc.-Completes-USD17000000-Initial-Public-Offering-and-Commences-Trading-on-the-Toronto-Stock-Exchange">NeonMind began trading</a> on the CSE on Monday. </li><li>Canopy Growth is <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canopy-growth-announces-plan-of-arrangement-with-canopy-rivers-301196803.html">splitting from its publicly-traded VC arm, Canopy Rivers</a>. As part of the split, Canopy Rivers will <a href="https://www.canopyrivers.com/newsroom/company-news/news-details/2020/12/21/canopy-rivers-to-monetize-certain-portfolio-assets-for-total-value-of-297-million">monetize $297 million in assets,</a> and Canopy Growth will increase its stake in TerrAscend and Vert Mirabel.</li><li>Cannabis industry VC fund Casa Verde capital closed <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2020/12/21/snoop-doggs-casa-verde-capital-closes-on-100-million-as-the-cannabis-industry-bounces-back/">a new $100 million fund</a> in December. </li></ul><h2>Policy moves</h2><ul><li>New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced that the state would - once again - try to legalize adult-use cannabis. Read about his announcement <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gov-andrew-cuomo-intends-to-legalize-marijuana-new-york-2021-1">here</a>.</li><li>Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker <a href="https://twitter.com/GovPritzker/status/1344748952374145028">announced right before the new year</a> that the state had expunged nearly half a million cannabis-related arrest records since legalizing adult-use cannabis in 2019.</li><li>New Jersey, which voted to legalize recreational cannabis in November, went into cannabis limbo on January 1 when the state's constitutional amendment would have taken effect. Murphy <a href="https://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/marijuana/2021/01/01/new-jersey-marijuana-legalization-legal-weed-vote-results-phil-murphy/4079150001/">held off signing cannabis legislation passed by state lawmakers</a> because he wanted a change in the bill to fine underaged individuals found with the drug. The new bill is set for a vote on Monday.</li><li>A lawmaker in Virginia introduced a bill to legalize marijuana in the state after Gov. Ralph Northam <a href="https://www.marijuanamoment.net/virginia-lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-legalize-marijuana-in-2021/">laid the groundwork for legalization</a> in the state's budget and indicated he would support the legislation.</li><li>Both of Georgia's Democratic Senators won their runoff special elections earlier this week, securing a Democratic majority in Congress and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/democrats-victories-in-georgia-will-pave-way-for-marijuana-reform-2021-1">boosting the chances for federal cannabis reform</a>.</li><li>Canopy Growth is <a href="https://mjbizdaily.com/cannabis-firm-canopy-growth-sues-gw-pharma-claiming-patent-infringement/">suing GW Pharma</a>, the maker of the CBD-based epilepsy drug Epidiolex, over patent infringement.</li></ul><h2>Chart of the week</h2>The US has become the epicenter for big mergers in the cannabis industry over the past two years, according to data from Viridian Capital Advisors. In the second half of 2020, cannabis companies in the US accounted for over 90% of M&amp;A worldwide:<div type="image" title="The US dominated M&amp;A activity in 2020" height="880" width="1280" msid="80174505" hostid="261"></div><h2>What we're reading</h2><a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/psychedelics-big-pharma">Big pharma is about to tune in to the potential of psychedelics</a> (Wired)<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gov-andrew-cuomo-intends-to-legalize-marijuana-new-york-2021-1">Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his intent to legalize marijuana in New York</a> (Business Insider)<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/mexico-set-to-become-worlds-largest-legal-cannabis-market-11609263506">Mexico set to become world's largest legal cannabis market</a> (Wall Street Journal)<a href="https://www.curbed.com/article/new-jersey-cannabis-legalization-guide-new-york.html">A New Yorker's guide to cannabis legalization in New Jersey</a> (Curbed)<a href="https://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/marijuana/arizona-cities-restrict-recreational-weed-creating-monopolies-11520949">Arizona cities are banning recreational marijuana, but the fix is already in</a> (Phoenix New Times)<a href="https://searchlightnm.org/fields-of-green/">Fields of Green</a> (Searchlight New Mexico)

Insider Cannabis: Dems take Georgia - Cannabis startups VCs can't stop talking about - New York legalization

New Delhi, Feb 1 () BJP-ruled states hailed the Union Budget as focussed on boosting development, creating jobs and taking every section of the society along, but those governed by the opposition parties expressed disappointment saying it lacked vision to revive the economy.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar and their counterparts from Karnataka and Goa - B S Yediyurappa and Pramod Sawant - said the budget will help generate jobs, boost rural economy and create infrastructure for growth. They thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for the budget.
 Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal termed the budget "pro-people" since it was structured on the overall theme of 'Ease of Living'.
"I congratulate Finance Minister Smt. @nsitharaman ji for a common man centric budget, and for taking ahead Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji's vision for a robust and vibrant India," Sawant added in a tweet.
But West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal and their Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh counterparts - Uddhav Thackeray and Kamal Nath - were not impressed by the budgetary proposals.
Banerjee slammed the central government's proposal to sell a part of its shares in LIC, describing it as a plan to "ambush" the legacy of public institutions. Thackeray and Kejriwal alleged the budget gives "step-motherly" treatment to Maharashtra and Delhi.
Nath termed the budget "disappointing" and a "labyrinth of data", saying it lacked a plan to deal with the economic slowdown and the inflation.
"When Delhi doesn't figure in the BJP's priorities, why should people vote for it?" he said on Twitter in Hindi. "Delhi had high expectations from the Budget, but step-motherly treatment has been meted out to it again," Kejriwal said.
His deputy and Delhi Finance Minister Manish Sisodia too criticised the budget as the "biggest injustice" to the people of the national capital.
At a press conference, he pointed out that the Centre has allotted Rs 325 crore to the Delhi government as central taxes share, which is the same since 2001. He alleged Delhiites give Rs 1.5 lakh crore as taxes to the Centre annually, but it doesn't give anything to the Delhi government.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh said economy was not a priority for the government, trashing the budget as "high on pomposity and low on tangibles". He said the BJP-led Central government, which was too busy pursuing its "negative and divisive agenda".
Singh particularly highlighted that the "16-point action plan for agriculture" makes no mention of any initiatives or schemes to encourage crop diversification, and a failure to diversify would further aggravate the problems for the country on the agriculture front.
Terming the budget "a jugglery of words", Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot said there was no focus on providing relief to people or industries. "Budget speech lacked any substance to solve present economic crisis. It was simply jugglery of words without any focus on providing relief to common people or to industries," Gehlot tweeted.
The Rajasthan BJP countered Gehlot's charge, saying the budget was "balanced and inclusive" and Finance Minister Sitharaman appropriately focussed on all sections.
"Changes in income-tax slab is a big relief to middle class. Every section has been focused. Budget provisions for the welfare of all sections and sectors including education, health, infrastructure development, tribals, senior citizens have been made," BJP state president Satish Poonia said.
Industry bodies in Rajasthan gave a mixed reaction to the budget.
Federation of Rajasthan Trade and Industry chairman Suresh Agrawal said looking at the present economic situation, businesses and industries had big expectations from the budget.
"The budget should have been more focused on business and industries. Exporters, textile and automobile industries will be benefitted with the budget but MSME sector's expectations were not met," he said.
Confederation of Indian Industry's Rajasthan chairman Anand Mishra said the budget has covered many items. "There is a good outlay of Rs 2,500 crore in tourism which we are sure that Rajasthan will be able to take benefit. The removal of dividend tax would lead to investment in stock market."
Haryana CM Khattar too highlighted the budgetary provisions made for the tourism sector, thanking Sitharaman for announcing that Rakhigarhi, an Indus Valley Civilisation site, will be developed as "iconic sites" with on-site museums.
He said this move will give Rakhigarhi international recognition and boost tourism revenue for Haryana.
"This Budget will also prove to be a milestone in terms of developing the basic infrastructure of the country, farmers' growth, jobs for youth and betterment of health facilities in the country,"
Adityanath said, adding the budget protects the interests of each section of the society.
His deputy Dinesh Sharma said the Union Budget will fulfil the dream of "New India".
"It will also lay the foundation of a USD 5-trillion economy. The New Educational Policy will bring a revolution in the education sector. Study in India programme will publicise India's higher education."
Yediyurappa said the emphasis on rural India in the budget will benefit farmers in a big way.
"This budget is a boon for farmers. It's a clear reflection of the Prime Minister's desire to double farmers' income by 2022. The 'Jal Jivan' scheme extended to 100 water-stressed districts will benefit farmers in a big way," he added.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the budget would not help strengthen the economy or ensure social security, but it will increase inflation and unemployment. He also said that "legitimate needs" of the southern state were completely ignored in the budget. TEAM ABH
ABH

BJP-ruled states praise 'pro-people' budget, others say it lacks vision to revive economy

The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships, so we may get a share of the revenue from your purchase.<a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2Fcollections%2Fsignature-soft-sheet-sets%2Fproducts%2Fhemmed-sheet-set%3Fcolor%3Dwhite" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Boll &amp; Branch</div></div></div></a><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Textile Exchange just named husband-and-wife startup <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boll &amp; Branch</a> as the largest consumer of Organic Fair Trade Certified cotton, ahead of companies like Patagonia and Nike.</li><li>Why does this matter? Approximately half of all textiles around the world are made of cotton, which is traditionally reliant upon millions of pounds of pesticides. Organic cotton is a much more sustainable alternative.</li><li><a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2Fcollections%2Fsignature-soft-sheet-sets%2Fproducts%2Fhemmed-sheet-set%3Fcolor%3Dwhite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boll &amp; Branch customers pay a premium for sheets (typically $200-$295 depending on size)</a>, but get a guilt-free luxury that's replacing environmentally dangerous practices in a high-impact industry.</li><li>Find a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boll-and-branch-organic-cotton-fair-trade-bed-sheets-review-2016-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">review of Boll &amp; Branch sheets here</a>, or check out our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/best-sheets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">buying guide to the best sheets you can buy on the internet here</a>. In the latter, Boll &amp; Branch was ranked the best organic cotton option.</li></ul>Before a retail company becomes the most anything in the world - especially when ranked alongside heavyweights like Patagonia and Nike - you'd expect to have heard of it before.But, given the prevalence of direct-to-consumer companies, that's not always the case.Take five-year-old startup Boll &amp; Branch, for instance. The company makes luxury sheets via a chemical-free supply chain and sells them online. Insider Picks has named them <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boll-and-branch-organic-cotton-fair-trade-bed-sheets-review-2016-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">one of the biggest viral-marketing successes of the past several years</a> and dubbed their sheets among the most luxurious we've ever tried.Recently, <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boll &amp; Branch</a> was also named the world's largest consumer of Organic Fair Trade Certified cotton, ahead of longstanding companies like Patagonia and Nike - the latter of which has been working for decades to move to 100% organic cotton by 2020.For Boll &amp; Branch - and the customers that propelled it to exceed a $100 million run rate in less than five years - using organic materials is important for overall comfort as well as for social and environmental impact. Why is organic cotton better? In short, it's better for you, the environment, and the people that make whatever you're buying. Organic cotton doesn't use pesticides or other harmful chemicals, it requires far less water to produce, and organic growing systems often emphasize the ability to maintain soil fertility and encourage biologically diverse agriculture - replacing systems that typically heavily exhaust and degrade the soil.According to the World Wildlife Fund, <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approximately half of all textiles are made of cotton</a>, and cotton growing's pollution and diversion of water has had severe impacts on major ecosystems already - including the Aral Sea in Central Asia and the Indus Delta in Pakistan. Thus, it's not just that organic cotton is a sustainable improvement - it's that organic cotton makes much-needed ecological strides in a high-impact industry."Before selling a single product, we spent a year and a half ensuring we built out a transparent and ethical supply chain," said Boll &amp; Branch CEO and Co-Founder Scott Tannen in a 2018 press release. "From the very beginning, we made the conscious choice to use only 100% organic cotton and worked very hard to ensure Fair Trade - meaning safer working conditions, no child labor, and fair treatment and pay for all of our workers." <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boll-and-branch-organic-cotton-fair-trade-bed-sheets-review-2016-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tannen told Business Insider in 2017</a> that this ultimately amounts to farmers earning a living wage that's usually two to three times the commodity price of cotton, and that factory workers are paid a living wage - meaning, not just the minimum wage in their area.<a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boll &amp; Branch sheets</a> are great: "Luxurious in every sense of the word - soft to the touch, thoughtfully designed, and premium in looks" as Insider Picks senior editor Ellen Hoffman <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/boll-and-branch-organic-cotton-fair-trade-bed-sheets-review-2016-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in her review</a>. And that's why the company has experienced such rapid and continued success.But their customers have also been willing to spend $200 and up on sheet sets in part because they want to own something that feels good to own - a luxury, <a href="https://click.linksynergy.com/deeplink?id=EHFxW6yx8Uo&amp;mid=43070&amp;murl=https%3A%2F%2Fvraiandoro.com%2Fpages%2Fdiamond-foundry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">like diamonds made in labs with solar energy</a>, that didn't include ecological and social damage in the price tag. The combination has created the largest purveyor of organic cotton on earth - from a five-year-old, homegrown startup from New Jersey.If your bedding could use an upgrade - and you can afford the premium - Boll &amp; Branch may be a good bet. To skip the browsing, head straight to the company's bestseller: the <a href="http://www.pjatr.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2Fcollections%2Fsignature-soft-sheet-sets%2Fproducts%2Fhemmed-sheet-set%3Fcolor%3Dwhite" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Solid Hemmed Sheet Set ($200-$295)</a>.<h3><a href="http://www.pntrac.com/t/TUJGRkxHRkJGSEhLR01CRktHSUdI?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bollandbranch.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">You can check out everything Boll &amp; Branch has to offer here.</a></h3><a href="http://e.businessinsider.com/join/ci/insider-picks">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a> Find all the best offers at our <a href="https://coupons.businessinsider.com/">Coupons page</a>. Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/insiderpicks">Insider Picks</a> team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

This small bedding startup just beat out heavyweights like Patagonia and Nike to become the biggest consumer of organic cotton worldwide - here's why that matters

Delhi’s rising pollution has led to emergency-like situation, forcing schools, colleges and construction sites to shut down. The air quality in Delhi-NCR has turned worse, especially after Diwali. 
 
In this backdrop, even corporates are taking several measures to protect their employees from the choking pollution. 
 
Many companies are providing masks, installing air purifiers in offices and are even asking employees to stay indoors and work from home. 
 
Some top level executives have even travelled out of Delhi to work from different locations. 
 
An American Tower Corporation (ATC) official told ET the company is going to announce flexible working hours next week in the wake of increased pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region. 
 
Other companies like Google, Huawei, Panasonic and LG Electronics India have already installed air purifiers in their local offices. 
 
“We have installed air purifiers across all our offices. We don't want to take any chance with regard to our team's health," Panasonic India President Manish Sharma told ET. 
 
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola has announced work from home and Indus Towers, Lava and Intex Technologies have also provided protective masks to employees. 
 
Chairman of Manipal Global Education Services TV Mohandas Pai said people with young children should leave the city and activities such as construction and burning of paddy husk should be banned for at least 15 days. 
 
(Image: Reuters)

This is how corporate India is shielding its employees from Delhi pollution

Venture capital giant <keyword id="144381" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Accel-Partners">Accel Partners</keyword> and <keyword id="3267567" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Infosys-cofounder-Nandan-Nilekani">Infosys cofounder Nandan Nilekani</keyword> has funded the robotics firm <keyword id="3267189" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Systemantics">Systemantics</keyword>, which builds industrial robots for the manufacturing sector. The last time it had received funding was in 2013, when <keyword id="592779" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Blume-Ventures">Blume Ventures</keyword> had invested in the firm. 
 Systemantics was founded by IIT-Madras alumni <keyword id="3267568" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Jagannath-Raju">Jagannath Raju</keyword> in 1995. 
 
This is the seventh venture that Nilekani has backed. He has earlier invested in early-stage start-ups which he believes to be building highly impactful disruptive ideas. 
 In the past one year, Nilekani has backed Team Indus, Fortigo, Mubble, Juggernaut, Lets-Venture and <keyword id="1501494" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Power2sme">Power2SME</keyword>, while co-investing in a number of these ventures with Accel, including Fortigo and Power2SME. 
 Even though Systemantics likes to keep a low profile, it has quietly worked on custom robotics projects with the Government, as well as with tech giants like <keyword id="6359357" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Titan">Titan</keyword> and Hindustan Aeronautics (<keyword id="68124" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="HAL">HAL</keyword>). 
 
"Systemantics is Make In India truly at work - with India's cost structure advantages and innovative design efficiency at full strength. This core belief drove our decision to back them. Their seasoned management team's executional ability, coupled with deep-tech IP, could eventually challenge global incumbents," Sanjay Nath, managing partner at Blume Ventures, told ET. 
 
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GqZVMuglEzo/TsuDQiMhpGI/AAAAAAAAAR8/WEFieIp16N8/s1600/Nandan+Nilekani.jpg">Image source</a>

Nandan Nilekani funds robotics firm Systemantics

<keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword> shopping experience is going to get better with Flipkart’s new focus area. Flipkart is working to gain mastery over <keyword id="107950" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</keyword>, cofounder and CEO <keyword id="225032" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sachin-Bansal">Sachin Bansal</keyword> told ET, describing the technology as a key differentiator in the fiercely competitive business of online retail. 

	Bansal's comments, are of a piece with Flipkart's efforts to expand capability in technology areas such as data analytics and mobility.
 

	"The big disruption that is happening across the world is the rise of artificial intelligence," the 34-year-old said on Friday at an event organised by The Indus Entrepreneurs in Bengaluru.
 "At Flipkart that is a huge focus for us." Earlier this year, Flipkart hired former <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> executive <keyword id="278552" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Punit-Soni">Punit Soni</keyword> as its chief product officer and appointed <keyword id="3013495" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Peyush-Ranjan">Peyush Ranjan</keyword>, also a Google veteran, as its head of engineering. Bansal's comments throw light on the work that the technology teams have been tasked with, and point to the potential advancements at online retailers. 

	"The number of shopping experiences will become more and more human, rather than talking to a machine that's pretty dumb," said Bansal, who studied at IIT Delhi and worked at Amazon before launching Flipkart with batchmate Binny Bansal in 2007.
 

	"This is still work in progress but it will become one of the big reasons for consumers to choose one way or another."

	 
	 
	(Image credits: Indiatimes)

Mastering artificial intelligence the next big focus of
Flipkart

Companies and startups are ready to raid engineering and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=B-school+">B-school</a> campuses across India this placement season, adding to the fierce war for talent already raging between large e-Commerce companies and established old-world recruiters. 
 
The startups which are looking for fresh talents include ShopClues, LocalOye, Urban-Clap, PropTiger, Indus Insights, MyRefers, CodeNation, Embibe, Jombay, Lybrate and ShadowFax. 
 
Moreover, a survey of 11 startups suggests they will step up overall <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=campus+hiring+">campus hiring</a> to 770 students from the Class of 2016 compared with only 250 that they hired from the last batch. 
 
Bulk of this hiring will be across top engineering colleges and B-schools, including Indian Institutes of Technology, National Institutes of Technology and Indian Institutes of Management. 
 
Don’t be disappointed if you are not studying in the above mentioned institutes as a handful will also recruit at leading undergraduate colleges including Shri Ram College of Commerce, Lady Shri Ram College and St Stephen's, and design schools such as National Institute of Design and National Institute of Fashion Technology. 
 
Now comes the most interesting part- salary! Average salaries offered by these startups range between Rs 12 lakh and Rs 18 lakh at engineering colleges and B-schools, say campus sources. Prop-Tiger, for instance, is paying upwards of Rs 15 lakh plus benefits at tech schools; CodeNation will pay around Rs 24 lakh. 
 
At least three of these startups — Lybrate, LocalOye and ShadowFax — are first-timers on campus while others, at the very least, are doubling last year's numbers. In some cases, hiring targets are going up five-fold or even 16-fold compared with last year. 
 
The strategies behind the hiring are discussed below: 
1. Depending on the kind of institutes, students are being hired for a variety of roles: from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=software+development+engineers">software development engineers</a>; core management &amp; data scientists; product, operations and marketing; merchant acquisition and servicing, to human resource management, product and graphic designers and even entrepreneurs in residence. Sanjay Mehta, a Mumbai-based angel investor who participated in and led 11 angel deals in 2015, says the reason why startups are so gung-ho about <keyword id="511161" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="campus-hiring">campus hiring</keyword> is because they want to put this talent to work on cutting-edge technology and new delivery models. Not surprisingly, several institutes where placements have started, including Birla Institute of Technology &amp; Science-Pilani and <keyword id="75110" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="NITs">NITs</keyword>, are seeing these startups go head-to-head with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=traditional+recruiters+">traditional recruiters</a> to hire talent. At other B-schools and <keyword id="49737" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="IITs">IITs</keyword> where pre-placement offers (PPOs) have started flowing in, it is again the startups that are leading the pack. 
 
2. Much high in numbers: The numbers speak for themselves. If ShopClues is revising its hiring intake from around 100 last year to 180-250 this time, realty portal PropTiger is doubling its target to 50. Even five-month-old B2B (business-to-business) hyperlocal delivery startup ShadowFax, which raised $300,000 from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Snapdeal">Snapdeal</a>'s founders and others in August followed by a $8.5-million Series A round by Fidelity's proprietary investment arm Eight Roads Ventures barely a month later, is looking to hire from IITs, <keyword id="46923" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIMs">IIMs</keyword> and other leading management institutes for its technology, data science and operations teams. 
 
3. Tapping more institutes: In the process, these companies are reaching out to many more institutes this year. "If there is a campus that attracts bright minds of the country, we want to be there. This includes other engineering colleges as well as top colleges in economics and commerce," says Saurabh Sharma, founder &amp; chief executive officer of Indus Insights. The Big Data firm made 40 offers last year, mostly at the top IITs (Bombay, Delhi, Madras). This year, it plans to make 100-plus, including at NITs (Trichy, Warangal, etc), SRCC, LSR, Christ College and Indian School of Business. 
 Similarly, Delhi-based mobile services marketplace UrbanClap, which hired 30 business development and operations specialists from <keyword id="6360099" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Delhi-University">Delhi University</keyword> last year, is extending its reach to several new institutes, including <keyword id="6431668" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="IIT-Delhi">IIT-Delhi</keyword> and IIM-Ahmedabad as it gears up to take on 80-100 this year. 
 
Salaries apart, the other drawing factors include the opportunity to work on challenging problems. "We don't have any glass ceilings. Freshers could be running entire teams within six months of joining," says Aditi Avasthi, founder and CEO, Embibe. "Students are opting for startups aggressively as some of the roles offered by them are quite challenging and inclined with their aspirations," sums up Rahul Katyal, placement manager at IIT-Bombay. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Gear up to face interviews! Engineering and business schools to witness over three-fold jump in recruitments in India

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Wikimedia/BevoptKarhoo founder and CEO Daniel Ishag.</div></div></div>Taxi app Karhoo <a href="https://karhoo.com/en-GB/" target="_blank">has confirmed</a> on its website that it is shutting down.The closure of Karhoo, which has been trying to compete with US taxi giant Uber, comes less than 24 hours after Sky News reported that the company was <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/karhoo-taxi-app-administration-uber-2016-11" target="_blank">looking to raise further capital</a> to stop it from going into administration.Karhoo executives are now looking at the "next steps for the business."Founded in London just 18 months ago before relocating its HQ to New York, Karhoo worked by connecting to the fleet dispatch system of black taxi, minicab and executive car operators, allowing passengers to choose and book their ride based on price, arrival time, vehicle style and cab firm.Karhoo's profile on startup tracker Crunchbase suggests that it raised hundreds of millions from investors but this figure has been called into question.Karhoo apparently <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/taxis-are-getting-vaporized-by-uber-so-a-new-startup-just-raised-250-million-to-help-cabs-compete-2015-10" target="_blank">raised a huge $250 million (£202 million)</a> investment round from two investors last October followed by an undisclosed Series A round from a solo investor when it launched in January. Its investors include Nick Gatfield, the former CEO of Music Entertainment, and David Kowitz, the cofounder of hedge fund Indus Capital Partners.However, it looks as though company has been burning through cash at a phenomenal rate in a bid to grow its user base, with several customers claiming they received multiple free rides from Karhoo.Karhoo user Omar Nawaz wrote on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/LDNstartups/?ref=br_tf" target="_blank">London Startups Facebook group</a>: "I got at least 120 of free cabs then stopped using it. Constant promotions does not build retention or habitual behaviour."Here is the full statement from Karhoo:"It is with much regret that we have to announce that Karhoo has had to close its service and is now looking at the next steps for the business."The Karhoo staff around the world in London, New York, Singapore and Tel Aviv have, over the past 18-months, worked tirelessly to make Karhoo a success. Many of them have worked unpaid for the last six weeks in an effort to get the business to a better place."Unfortunately, by the time the new management team took control last week, it was clear that the financial situation was pretty dire, and Karhoo was not able to find a backer."We would like to thank our staff, our partners, the fleets around the world that shared our vision, and the hundreds of thousands of people who downloaded the app and supported what we were trying to do."The world needs a Karhoo."This is a developing story... <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-unveils-solar-roof-solarcity-video-2016-10">Elon Musk just unveiled something that could revolutionize how you power your home </a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="ZtcHQzNzE6rJiNVeNBtErYRi4yljUmMb" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

Uber rival Karhoo confirms it is shutting down

The silicon valley of India, Bengaluru, is too noisy and and perhaps even over-hyped. We aren’t saying this, but the start-ups based out of that region claim as much. So, what are they doing about the situation? A few of them are quietly shifting their base from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coimbatore">Bengaluru to Coimbatore</a> to avoid the hullaballoo of the state capital and focus on quality. Some of them include Dhruv Kumar of online medical advice platform, iCliniq who shifted to Coimbatore 3 years ago after his 2 year stint in Bengaluru. 
 
"I wanted to be out of all the noise and focus on building a quality product," said Kumar. "There are events all the time and the place is flooded with funding stories. Those days, we thought we were a tech startup and did not focus enough on the health and business side." 
 
A much-focussed development and the wait for the product to mature have been rewarding for him. iCliniq now has more than 1,000 doctors on its platform and they have so far addressed tens of thousands of health issues. It gets a large portion of revenue from the US and Europe. 
 
"Entrepreneurs are celebrated in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/indian-govt-wants-more-indian-airlines-to-take-up-international-routes-says-civil-aviation-minister/articleshow/43165558.cms">Coimbatore</a>," the 27-year-old told ET, cheerfully. The cotton-growing region saw its first industries in ginning and moved on to make garments, machinery, automobile and many ancillary products. It is often called the 'Manchester of South India', drawing comparison with the first industrial city. 
 
Several young entrepreneurs like Kumar, who started up in Bengaluru are shifting to Coimbatore. Do-PartTime, a part-time job discovery portal, is another example and one of the reasons for the shift was talent retention. "Every company has a dynamic workforce, which frequently shifts, and a static workforce with loyalty. In a place like Coimbatore, the teams stick around," said Kumar. 
 
Coimbatore has pleasant weather conditions like Bengaluru and is seeing its fair share of startup activity. The <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Know-why-GAP-HM-chose-Delhi-over-Mumbai-and-Bangalore/articleshow/47328005.cms">Coimbatore c</a>hapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), a non-profit consortium that promotes entrepreneurship, has identified 47 active startups. 
 
One of the catalysts for them is the educational institutions in the region that have helped establish a sound technical ecosystem, TiE-Coimbatore President Selvakumar said. 
 
There are five incubation centres in and around the city, almost all of them set up by a technical education institution. PSG STEP, the incubation arm of PSG Institute of Technology, was established in 1998, much before any other college, including IIM Ahmedabad, did so. 
 
The centre incubates startups in IT, electronics and mechanical streams from Coimbatore. NanoTechnolgy was added to the list recently. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/be-it-intracity-orinter-city-these-5-expressways-make-travelling-a-breeze/Hosur-Road-Elevated-Expressway-Bangalore-Karnataka/slideshow/30985057.cms">Also Read: Be It Intracity Or Inter-city, These 5 Expressways Make Travelling A Breeze</a> 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Move over Bengaluru, Coimbatore is the new start-up city

<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=india">India</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/India-wants-friendly-relations-with-Pakistan-Rajnath-Singh/articleshow/47911348.cms">Pakistan’s</a> relationship has gone through more high and lows than the helpless rupee. Most often than not, the relationship follows this pattern- one minute, we’re bickering about our border feuds, the next minute, we’re admiring each other’s spirit but the moment someone mentions- Kashmir, everything suddenly goes haywire. 
 It's been over sixty years, but the exact status of the bond between these two countries is still unknown, just like the status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Just kidding. Jammu and Kashmir belongs to <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, obviously. 
 
But all said and done, it would be a colossal mistake to not acknowledge that over the years, our closest neighbour/blame-game player has been a source of great help and never-ending guffaws. 
 Thus, in celebration of <keyword id="3001" type="COUNTRY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Pakistan">Pakistan</keyword>’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Independence-Day-special-7-Movies-based-on-Indias-independence-movement/articleshow/48480987.cms">Independence Day</a>, Business Insider draws up a list of five reasons why Indians should be making a ‘thank-you card’ for Pakistan. 
 
1. World-class cricket rivalry: Without Pakistan, would the world cup or cricket matches ever be the same? I shudder to think of the boring matches’ women who can’t differentiate a ‘wide’ from a ‘no-ball’ would have to endure. An India- Pakistan match has the power to unite families and induce patriotism like nothing else. Moreover, the rivalry between both these cricket teams put the rivalry between Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to shame. Winning a match against Pakistan is of greater significance than discovering the cure for a deadly disease or just about anything else. That’s right. And, let’s not to forget, the easy retweets that can be garnered by cracking Shahid Afridi and Inzamam-ul-Haq jokes. We might not like to admit it, but Indians need you, Pakistan. 
 
2. Fawad Khan: Fawad Afzal Khan, better known as the only reason women all across India endured Khoobsurat, a two-hour long snoozefest masquerading as a movie. I’m not exaggerating when I say that Fawad Khan is Pakistan’s national treasure. His chiseled face, perfectly sculpted body has us swooning and watching Khoobsurat on repeat, at the cost of damaging our brain. Don’t think it’s possible to thank you enough for his existence, Pakistan. 
 
3. Pakistan army gives the Indian army a much needed practice: When our neighbour is in one of their no-so-friendly moods, it results in a couple of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Pakistan-resorts-to-ceasefire-violation-shell-mortar-bombs-in-Poonch/articleshow/48449239.cms">infiltration bids</a> and the sacred LoC being violated. As a result, the Pakistan army unknowingly motivates the Indian army to stay on their feet by providing much-needed net practice. Additionally, it also keeps them prepared for any plausible serious confrontations with other nuclear states. (China, we’re looking at you) 
 
4. Helping Bollywood directors with movie plots: Bollywood Directors just like Bollywood lyricists would have been ‘inspired’ by works of others while figuring out plots for movies had it not been for the partition and the subsequent creation of Pakistan. If you’re one of those who loves Gadar, 1947, A Love Story, Veer Zara and the recent <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Bajrangi-Bhaijaan-the-highest-grosser-of-2015/articleshow/48145585.cms">Bajrangi Bhaijaan</a>, you have to no one to thank, but thy neighbor. Thank you Pakistan for providing our directors with the perfect storylines for <keyword id="28240" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Independence-day">Independence Day</keyword> special films since 1947. 
 
5. Chand Nawab: Nawazuddin Siddiqui might have kept us laughing with his antics as Chand Nawab in Bajrangi Bhaijaan, but he undoubtedly failed at overshadowing the original Chand Nawab on whom the character was based. Chand Nawab, a Pakistani journalist with Indus News had to face many hurdles while recording his PTC in a crowded railway station. The video of his attempts to get his PTC right while having to dodge people who would walk in front of the camera went viral and made us fall in love with this man, who has become our new favourite. All due to Pakistan, guys! 
 
Special mention- If there’s one thing that India has gotten horribly wrong while Pakistan has hit the bull’s eye, it is Coke Studio. With their version, Pakistan showed us what a music programme should ideally be about. 
 
We’re indebted. With love, India.

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