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<ul><li><keyword id="18635" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> led a new round of funding for <keyword id="4943836" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Acko">Acko</keyword>, a digital insurance startup.</li><li>Acko’s main competition comes from sites like PolicyBachat, PolicyBazaar and Easypolicy. </li><li>Flipkart, Amazon’s primary challenger in the Indian market, has its own insurance portal called Sabin Advisors. </li></ul>After losing out on its offer to buy 60% stake in Flipkart, Amazon continues undeterred with its investments in India. The company is restarting its efforts by investing in Acko, a digital insurance startup based in the country. In its new round of funding, Acko managed to raise ₹809 million ($12 million) and also brought on a new investor, Ashish Dhawan, the founder of a private equity firm called ChrysCap. Reports of the US retail giant backing the startup have been <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/internet/amazon-may-back-online-insurance-startup-acko/62322035">brewing</a> since January this year. Earlier, it was speculated that Amazon would come on board as a part of a new financing round of a total of ₹1 billion ($15 million). The actual amount may not be the complete billion, but it does bring Acko’s grand total up to ₹2.8 billion ($42 million). Not to mention, it’s the <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/amazon-leads-12m-funding-round-in-acko/64342454">first</a> investment by Amazon in India’s insurance sector. Founded by <keyword id="3064929" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Varun-Dua">Varun Dua</keyword>, one of the co-founders of Coverfox (an insurance comparison site), Acko’s main <a href="https://www.owler.com/company/ackogeneralinsurance#competitors">competition</a> comes from sites like PolicyBachat, PolicyBazaar, Easypolicy and PolicyX.com. At this point, they’re all generating more revenue than Acko. To its credit, it did <a href="https://www.owler.com/reports/acko/acko--ola--acko-partner-to-create-in-trip-insuranc/1522914840916">partner</a> with <keyword id="6354720" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword> in April earlier this year to provide an ‘in-trip insurance’ program. Regardless of whether users chose to ride a cab, auto or e-rickshaw, users could opt-in for insurance that would cover the loss of property, medical expenses, ambulance transportation cover etc. The company claimed it was the first of its kind. In the future, it’s <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/amazon-leads-12m-funding-round-in-acko/64342454">possible</a> that Amazon is looking to bring those financial products to retail consumers as well. That’s probably one of the reasons why Flipkart was <a href="https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/amazon-talks-invest-rs-100-crore-online-insurance-startup-acko-technologies-74073">interested</a> in investing in Acko as well, but the deal seems to have landed in Amazon’s lap instead. That isn’t to say that Flipkart isn’t getting into insurance as well. The company was recently acquired by <keyword id="80487" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="walmart">Walmart</keyword>, and had earlier <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/info-tech/flipkarts-bansals-diversify-kick-off-new-venture-sabin-advisors/article10007641.ece">set up</a> its own insurance business and venture capital funding called ‘Sabin Advisors’ in December, last year. Acko already has backers like Catamaran Ventures, Hemendra Kothari of <keyword id="83987" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DSP-Blackrock">DSP Blackrock</keyword> and Accel Partners, among others. The plan is that the company’s interface will completely be online, but for insurance claims there will operate offline centres.

Amazon invests $12 mn in Indian insurance start-up Acko

“Even though 2015 has been the year of the burgeoning presence of numerous startups, very few of these look towards finance and even fewer look towards <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword>,” states <keyword id="3064929" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Varun-Dua">Varun Dua</keyword>, CEO and co-founder of <keyword id="1054184" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="online-insurance-portal">online insurance portal</keyword> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/An-online-insurance-portal-set-up-a-toll-free-helpline-to-help-Chennai-flood-victims-with-their-claims/articleshow/50109916.cms?from=mdr">Coverfox</a>, matter-of-factly. 
 This is what he thinks is one of <keyword id="2821957" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Coverfox">Coverfox</keyword>’s biggest advantage as very little has been done in terms of innovation and as a result there’s massive scope. Investors too have seemed to realize that- going by the figures that the company has managed to raise during its two rounds of founding. 
 
Having managed to get an IRDA Direct Broker license in early 2014, Mumbai-based Coverfox then raised $2 million in its Series A round of founding following it with a Series B round where it raised $12 million in April 2015. That’s not all. In September, the company bagged headlines for receiving an undisclosed amount of investment from <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narayan+murthy">N. R Narayan </a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narayan+murthy">Murthy’</a>s private investment firm Catamaran Ventures. 
The money he tells me is going to be invested heavily in two core areas- branding and technology. 
 
“It’s not enough that we create a seamless experience for customers looking to buy <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=insurance">insurance</a> online or package information in a way that is easier for them to understand unless we market ourselves well. All of this is no good if no one is aware of our existence and views us as a credible platform. We just launched our first ever TV campaign and going by the response, we’re hoping that should do the trick for us,” he elaborates. 
 
When asked about the biggest challenge affecting the online insurance market which seems to be growing due to the proliferation of smartphones, he is quick to answer that it’s agents. “Substituting agents who are the biggest reason the insurance market is predominately viewed as an offline player is a necessity. However, what helps is that with the number of career opportunities that are available right now, no one really wants to become a ‘LIC agent’ anymore. It’s being said that we’re losing close to 100,000 agents every year. It’s possible to earn more being an Ola or an Uber driver than by being an agent.” 
 
Another challenge he belies is undoubtedly the strict regulations which result in slowing down the pace of innovation. “Even though these regulations do help us as well, but sometimes they can cost us. For example, I can’t offer discounts even ifg my economics are in place as the pricing is also regulated,” he says. 
 
But, he’s hoping that these challenges fall short of stopping customers from, buying insurance online. Infact, he feels that if a customer is looking for a seamless transaction experience they should buy insurance on their portal as they have integrated almost 35 insurance companies on their portal offer better pricing than what’s offered offline. 
 
Additionally, what he thinks will benefit Coverfox in the long run is that the company is very focused on what it intends to achieve and as of now there are no plans of diversifying or acquiring. There are however plans of tie-ups. 
 Recently, Coverfox tied up with <keyword id="1945738" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Cardekho">CarDekho</keyword> to offer customers <keyword id="35490" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="car-insurance">car insurance</keyword> and it is the used car market that they’re going to be heaving focusing on, as they believe that insurance of cars is a mandatory activity and hence the company has announcements of three tie-ups with large car-portals in the pipeline. 
 
“The aim is to be the leader in the car insurance market, very soon,” he signs off.

Varun Dua, CEO and co-founder of online insurance portal
Coverfox says the finance startup space holds humongous potential

Over two centuries ago, in a France impoverished by multiple socio-economic crises, a French noble casually uttered the words: “Qu’ils mangent de la brioche”. The nobleperson could never have known how consequential these word — roughly translated to 'Let them eat cake' — would be, as this callous string of words would later mistakenly become attributed to the last queen of France. And she certainly could never have predicted how an interpretation of the phrase would butterfly into fuelling one of the largest unorganised protests in modern times. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The Met Gala incident" comment="subhead" text="The Met Gala incident">The <keyword id="20083183" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Met-Gala" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Met Gala" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Met Gala">Met Gala</keyword> incident</cmsannotation> In early May, popular internet influencer Haley Kalil put on a floral dress designed by her friend Marc Bouwer. All was going perfect; Kalil was headed to the Met Gala — one of the biggest and most exclusive fashion events ever — adorned in an utterly gorgeous 18th-century-style dress. Even if she wasn’t allowed inside the Gala, Kalil would meet and interact with the biggest names in movies, fashion, entertainment.. you name it, all of which would undoubtedly boost her social presence through the roof. All was going well — until it wasn’t. In an attempt to jump onto an ongoing TikTok trend, one utilising a popular audio clip from the 2006 film Marie Antoinette, Kalil unleashed a <keyword id="19897919" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media" source="keywords">social media</keyword> revolution not seen until #Metoo a few years earlier. In the film, Marie heartlessly proclaims “Let them eat cake!” in response to the information that the nation’s starving poor had run out of bread. In another, slightly more perfect world, and maybe at a different time, the clip would have buried itself under the mountains of TikTok trends that would inevitably come after it. But at a time where the brutal <keyword id="20399452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Israel-Gaza-conflict" source="keywords">Israel-Gaza conflict</keyword> had subject millions of Palestinians to horrifying levels of hunger and thirst, Kalil’s seemingly innocuous clout-chasing did not, quite understandably, sit well with the global audience. A flurry of backlash soon followed Kalil’s now-deleted post from the Gala, which had since received dozens of millions of viewers. Many were furious at Kalil’s tone-deaf attitude towards the ongoing <keyword id="20262850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaza-crisis" source="keywords">Gaza crisis</keyword>, even if the influencer was simply following a trend without understanding its context. For the vast majority of people frustrated with the general status quo, however, this was the last straw. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Blocklist 2024 is born" comment="subhead" text="Blocklist 2024 is born">Blocklist 2024 is born</cmsannotation> The Israel-Hamas war had been going on for over half a year now. An estimated 35,000 Palestinians, including children too young to make sense of any of it, had perished. As bombs rained down on hospitals, schools and refugee centres, 2.3 million Gazans became forcibly displaced, marking one of the deadliest confrontations the world had seen in a while. As mass protests erupted all over the world, there was a measurably deafening silence from the world’s <keyword id="19903563" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="celebrities" source="keywords">celebrities</keyword>, who commanded the biggest spheres of influence. Frustrations were further fueled by the actions of a few influencers who refraining from participating in an important issue, but were also wasting exorbitant amounts of money on extravagances instead. Many pointed out that tickets to the 2024 Met Gala can cost around Rs 62 lakhs — a massive sum that could have been better spent in aiding the starving and injured in Gaza. Many were frustrated, and decided to force action out of these tight-lipped celebrities. As a result, the Blockout List 2024 was created. The aim was to mass block all these “complicit” A-listers on various social media platforms, thereby reducing their visibility and reach. This, the protestors hoped, would cut into their income by straining brand partnerships, and therefore force them to speak out on the matter. Very soon, multiple star-studded block lists spread through the internet, causing personalities such as Kim Kardashian, <keyword id="19918406" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alia-bhatt" source="keywords">Alia Bhatt</keyword>, Taylor Swift and Beyonce to lose thousands to millions of followers overnight. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Celebrities finally extend support to Gaza" comment="subhead" text="Celebrities finally extend support to Gaza">Celebrities finally extend support to Gaza</cmsannotation> While most celebrities still remained quiet after the event, some made quick reparations. Singer Lizzo soon posted an Instagram video thanking activists and shared ways to help in the evacuation of Gazans. However, some pointed out that celebrities might now begin to speak out in response to the backlash, and not out of genuine concern for the situation in Gaza. Others simply applauded that at least the bare minimum was finally being achieved. However, the biggest wave of public and celebrity support finally came around after a terrible new tragedy struck Gaza. Just two days after being ordered by the International Court of Justice to halt its deadly offensive on <keyword id="19987254" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Rafah" source="keywords">Rafah</keyword> — a cramped refugee city now housing about half of Gaza’s displaced population — Israel ramped up its bombing of the war-torn area. This led to the death of 45 civilians, what Israel has termed “a tragic accident”. In addition to renewing global outrage against the Israeli government, an AI-generated image with the words ‘All Eyes On Rafah’ quickly flooded social media. The image, which has now been shared at least 44 million times on Instagram stories and social media posts, depicted refugee shelter tents in Rafah, and attempted to warn Israel that the world was now watching the nation’s actions closely. Interestingly enough, many celebrities, Indian and otherwise, shared the AI-image in droves this time. This included Kareena Kapoor Khan, <keyword id="19932032" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="madhuri-dixit" source="keywords">Madhuri Dixit</keyword>, Varun Dhawan, Dua Lipa, Bella Hadid, Tripti Dimri, Sonam Kapoor and Samantha Ruth Prabhu. Several of these personalities, such as Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Alia Bhatt, had been added to a Blockout list prior to this act of solidarity. While the real intention behind this suspiciously-timed support can be debated, many of the celebrities have faced new backlash. Several Indians chastised the stars for not speaking out against atrocities against different communities in their own country, spurring a rejuvenation of the Bollywood boycott movement. In response, Madhuri Dixit and Ritika Sharma (wife of Rohit Sharma) deleted their stories, a move that another section of netizens deemed “pathetic”. In an age where the power of social media can propel both justice and vanity with equal fervor, the fallout from Kalil’s ill-fated post underscores a critical question: can the amplification of voices, no matter how misinformed, be harnessed for genuine global change? The true impact of the blockout movement, whether fleeting or foundational, remains to be seen. What is clear, however, is that the power dynamics between the public and its icons are shifting, demanding a more conscientious engagement with global issues.

From ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ to ‘All Eyes on Rafah’: Did Blockout 2024 make Indian celebrities speak out for Gaza?

<ul><li><keyword id="74945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">Women entrepreneurs</keyword> are not far behind in founding the most valuable businesses of this millennium. </li><li>Ghazal Alagh of Mamaearth, and Saumya Singh Rathore of Winzo, aged 35, each is the youngest woman in the list. </li><li>Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, and Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, INDmoney, at 41, are the eldest women in the list </li></ul>When it comes to founding valuable new businesses, women <keyword id="53533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs" source="Orion">entrepreneurs</keyword> are giving men a run for their money. We take a look at top ten <keyword id="19669428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youngest-women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">youngest women entrepreneurs</keyword> in India according to the first edition of ‘India's Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2023’ launched by I<a href="https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/personal-banking/wealth/First-Private#home">DFC FIRST Private</a> Banking and <a href="https://hurunindia.com/">Hurun India</a>. Ghazal Alagh, 35, Gurugram Ghazal Alagh is a self-made woman entrepreneur and the co-founder of Mamaearth, one of India's leading brands of natural and toxin-free skincare and baby care products. Alagh's journey started with a personal need – she was struggling to find safe and effective skincare products for her son. This inspired her to create her own brand, Mamaearth, which has since become a household name in India and recently went public. Saumya Singh Rathore, 35, New Delhi Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO, has contributed to building India's leading social gaming platform in local languages, boasting a user base exceeding 100 million. Since its inception in 2018, WinZO has secured funding surpassing $100 million, supported by key investors like Griffin Gaming Partners, Makers Fund, Courtside Ventures, and Steve Pagliuca. Rajoshi Ghosh, 36, Bengaluru Rajoshi Ghosh, a serial entrepreneur, serves as the COO and co-founder of Hasura, a software technology company based in San Francisco. Beyond her role at Hasura, she has initiated five other startups. She holds the title of a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and commenced her professional journey as a published bioinformatics researcher specialising in genomics at the Genome Institute of Singapore. Dr. Garima Sawhney, 37, Gurugram Dr. Garima Sawhney, a co-founder at Pristyn Care, is a leading figure in India's healthcare. Renowned for her expertise in gynaecology, she embarked on her career as a doctor, honing crucial life skills during her tenure at a government hospital. Her leadership, born from compassionate patient care, has steered Pristyn Care to a valuation of $1.4 billion. Kanika Gupta, 39, Gurugram Kanika Gupta Shori holds the position of co-founder and COO at Square Yards, an integrated real estate marketplace. With an educational background from Wharton Business School, she brings more than 11 years of experience in both banking and entrepreneurial pursuits. Beyond her professional roles, Kanika actively contributes to initiatives centred around empowering women and supporting children's welfare. Vineeta Singh, 40, Mumbai Vineeta Singh is an Indian entrepreneur and investor who is the co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics, a popular Indian beauty brand. Singh is also a judge on the Indian reality television show Shark Tank India. Singh is known for her tough questioning and her willingness to invest in businesses that she believes have the potential to succeed. Ruchi Kalra, 40, Gurumgram Ruchi Kalra, an entrepreneur from Gurgaon, has co-founded two unicorn startups – OfBusiness and Oxyzo with her husband, Ashish Mohapatra. Ruchi's successful business approach centres on extracting profit from each transaction, a strategy that has proven effective. She and her husband are the first couple who has founded two unicorns. Mabel Chako, 40, Bengaluru Mabel Chako, co-founder and chief operating officer at Open, boasts a 13-year entrepreneurial journey in financial technology. Her expertise spans intricate financial landscapes, honed through roles at Citrus Payment Solutions and PayU. Her founding of CashNxt in 2007 and Zwitch in 2013 (later acquired by Citrus Payments) underscores her entrepreneurial acumen and commitment to innovative solutions. Ruchi Deepak, 41, Mumbai Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, hails from Jamshedpur and pursued her bachelor's degree at Lady Shri Ram College, followed by Law at Delhi University. Ruchi aimed for meaningful innovation in financial services. Witnessing the industry's focus on selling to distributors rather than customers directly, she envisioned a shift. Co-founding Acko with Varun Dua, they leveraged technology to revolutionise insurance experiences. Amrita Sirohia, 41, Gurugram Amrita Sirohia, co-founder of INDmoney, embarked on her journey in the financial sector driven by a passion for technology and finance. Amrita's professional trajectory includes roles at renowned companies like Google and Barclays, which led to her understanding of financial complexities and technological innovation. Co-founding INDmoney, her aim was to democratise wealth management through tech-enabled financial solutions, empowering individuals to navigate and optimise their financial portfolios efficiently.

She power: The top 10 youngest women entrepreneurs in India

<ul><li>The Series D round was led by General Atlantic and Multiples Private Equity.</li><li>The company will use this funding to boost its health business with a $150 million investment.</li><li>The company claims to have over 70 million customers.</li></ul>Amazon-backed digital insurance company <keyword id="4943836" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="acko" source="Orion">Acko</keyword> has raised $255 million, at a valuation of $1.1 billion. The Series D round was led by General Atlantic and Multiples Private Equity, along with the participation from Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Lightspeed. Existing investors Intact Ventures and Munich Re Ventures have infused an undisclosed amount in this round. The transaction is subject to approval by the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), India’s insurance regulator. Barclays was the exclusive financial advisor to Acko on this fundraise. <keyword id="4055885" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="acko-general-insurance" source="Orion">Acko General insurance</keyword> is the 34th unicorn of 2021. A unicorn, in a startup parlance, is company valued over $1 billion. Founded by Varun Dua and Ruchi Deepak in 2016, Mumbai-based Acko is an independent digital general insurance company, which offers insurance products across motor, health, travel and more. Motor insurance is its largest offering, cofounder Deepak had told Business Insider in a previous interaction. The company claims to have over 70 million customers, clocking a run-rate of nearly $150 million in premiums. “We strongly believe in supporting our customers in protecting their valued assets or the health and safety of their loved ones via a differentiated product and value-added service. Insurance and protection must work for people based on their unique risks and needs in a seamless, reliable fashion,” Dua, chief executive officer (CEO) of Acko added. Acko intends to use this funding to invest in their healthcare vertical and scale its team, particularly within technology, product and data science. The company intends to invest $150 million into its health business. Prior to this, the company has raised $450 million to date from marquee investors like Amazon, Accel, Elevation, Accent Capital, Flipkart’s co-founder Binny Bansal and others. Acko is the second insurtech startup to enter the unicorn club. Digit insurance crossed the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/digit-insurance-becomes-2021s-first-indian-unicorn-as-existing-investors-pump-in-funding-pushing-valuation-to-1-9-billion/articleshow/80279463.cms">billion dollar valuation mark in January</a> 2021. Though<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/softbank-will-be-selling-20-of-its-stake-in-policybazaars-ipo-next-week/articleshow/87310755.cms"> IPO-bound PolicyBazaar </a>is an insurtech player too, it is a seller of insurance policies and not a provider like the other two players. PolicyBazaar will be launching its IPO on November 1, at a price band of ₹940-980. The lot size is set at 15 shares. The issue size of the IPO is ₹5,709 crore consisting of a fresh issue of ₹3,759 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of ₹1,959 crore by its existing shareholders. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/nykaa-raises-2400-crore-from-174-anchor-investors/articleshow/87325004.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Nykaa raises nearly ₹2,400 crore in anchor investment from Government of Singapore, Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/has-the-legal-battle-between-phonepe-and-bharatpe-over-pe-been-going-on-for-too-long/articleshow/87299198.cms">Has the legal battle between PhonePe and BharatPe over ‘Pe’ been going on for too long?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/supreme-court-of-india-verdict-on-pegasus-spying-case-appoints-a-retired-judge-committee-for-probe/articleshow/87299281.cms">A panel headed by a retired judge will probe if the Indian government used Pegasus to spy on journalists and other prominent citizens</a>

Amazon-backed digital insurance company Acko is now valued over a billion dollars

Home-grown digital-native insurer <keyword id="4943836" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Acko">ACKO</keyword> on Wednesday said it had raised $60 million (approximately Rs 441 crore) in a round of funding led by Munich Re Ventures. Existing investors Amazon, RPS Ventures and Intact Ventures Inc. Also participated in the round, ACKO said, adding that it plans to use the funds to accelerate its growth in existing lines and expansion into new product lines. Founded by Varun Dua and Ruchi Deepak in 2016, ACKO aims to fundamentally change how a new generation of consumers interact with and experience insurance. "Munich Re has been a strategic partner to ACKO since inception and we are really excited to bring them on board as our investor. As one of the largest reinsurance companies globally, their investment shows confidence in our data and technology-driven business model," Dua, Founder and CEO, ACKO. Said in a statement. "This confidence is further reinforced by the continued support of our existing investors, Amazon, Intact and RPS Ventures," he said. ACKO said it provides insurance to the "digitally savvy" through an intuitive purchase experience, zero-paperwork and stress-free claims process. The startup has so far issued over 650 million policies to over 60 million unique customers to date. ACKO addresses insurance needs through data-based personalised pricing and instant claim verification and settlement. It recently partnered with Amazon Pay for distributing two and four-wheeler insurance.

Amazon-backed Acko gets $60 million in fresh funds as it eyes growth in the insurtech sector

<ul><li><keyword id="12009985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dezerv" source="Orion">Dezerv</keyword> plans to use this funding to build a strong team as well as launch and scale their investment technology platform.</li><li>The company’s seed round was co-led by Elevation Capital and Matrix Partners India.</li><li>Last month, Amazon made its first investment in the Indian investment advisory startup smallcase.</li></ul>Wealth management platform Dezerv, which helps individuals make investment decisions, has raised $7 million seed funding just six months after its launch. Dezerv plans to use this funding to build a strong team as well as launch and scale their investment technology platform. The company also aims to help young professionals make right investment decisions while investing in mutual funds. The company claims to have brought together a team of investing and technology experts with academic experience from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), University of Southern California (USC), Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs). The company further claims that its team includes individuals from global companies like JP Morgan, UBS, Uber, Brookfield, Morgan Stanley and Clevertap. Dezerv’s seed round was co-led by Elevation Capital and Matrix Partners India. Whiteboard Capital and Blume Founders Fund also participated in the round, along with 20 angel investors. This included Cred’s Kunal Shah, Ofbusiness’ Asish Mohapatra and Ruchi Kalra, Acko’s Varun Dua, Meesho’s Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, BharatPe’s Shashvat Nakrani and Suhail Sameer, among others. The company was set up in April 2021 by former IIFL Wealth executives — Sandeep Jethwani, Vaibhav Porwal and Sahil Contractor. It aims to offer a “fresh approach and platform” to help underserved Indian professionals access investment expertise. “Dezerv will leverage the digital adoption and scalable investment infrastructure of post-pandemic India, coupled with decades of our experience to bring world-class investing to Indian professionals,” the company’s founders said in a joint statement. The wealth management startup, citing its study, noted that 75% working professionals say that they need guidance on their portfolio and investment. “Today, this market comprises 30 million households of working professionals in the country who are adrift without a clear solution to manage their growing pool of wealth,” the report added. Dezerv competes with another wealth management startup smallcase, which raised<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/investment/news/amazon-invests-in-indian-wealth-management-startup-smallcases-40-million-round/articleshow/85426900.cms"> funding </a>from Amazon only last month. Bengaluru-based fintech startup Smallcase Technologies raised a $40 million round led by Faering Capital, with participation from PremjiInvest. The company provides users with weighted portfolios of stocks and exchange traded funds (ETF) for retail investors to invest in using their personal existing demat accounts. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/phonepe-is-citing-data-to-argue-that-merchants-should-pay-for-upi-transactions/articleshow/85863071.cms">PhonePe is citing data to argue that merchants should pay for UPI transactions</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/uber-has-ola-zomato-has-swiggy-but-whos-urban-company-competing-with/articleshow/85835674.cms">Uber has Ola, Zomato has Swiggy but who’s Urban Company competing with?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/zomato-is-shutting-down-its-singapore-and-uk-based-subsidiaries/articleshow/85858611.cms">Zomato is shutting down its Singapore and UK-based subsidiaries</a>

Six-month-old investment advisory startup Dezerv raises $7 million

<ul><li>Insurtech startup <keyword id="4943836" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Acko">Acko</keyword> has raised $65 million in a series C round. </li><li>Founded by Varun Dua in 2016, the startup has marquee investors like Amazon, Accel Partners, SAIF Partners among others. </li><li>This funding round takes Acko’s <keyword id="51393" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="valuation">valuation</keyword> to a reported $300 million. </li></ul>Insurance technology startup Acko has <a href="https://www.vccircle.com/binny-bansal-others-invest-65-mn-in-digital-insurance-startup-acko/">raised</a> $65 million from <keyword id="6364080" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="binny-bansal">Binny Bansal</keyword>, former Flipkart co-founder, and Kabir Misra, former SoftBank Managing Partner. The series C funding round with a <a href="https://www.vccircle.com/binny-bansal-others-invest-65-mn-in-digital-insurance-startup-acko/">reported</a> valuation of $300 million also saw participation from Intact Insurance (Canada’s property and casualty insurer) and existing marquee investors like Amazon, Accel Partners, SAIF Partners and TechPro Ventures. Acko, was founded by Varun Dua in 2016, and has gone on to make its mark in the Indian insurtech industry. In the recent past, Acko has been signing partnerships one after the other venturing into different verticals within insurance. The insurtech startup tied up with <a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/money-and-banking/acko-partners-goibibo-for-travel-insurance-foray/article26006200.ece">Goibibo</a> to offer travel insurance to the latter’s users. Acko also partnered with <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/acko-general-insurance-partners-with-driveu-to-provide-trip-cover-for-car-owners/articleshow/66118573.cms">DriveU</a> to offer trip cover to car owners who opt to hire drivers from the latter’s platform. Interestingly, the startup also formed a partnership with <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/sme-sector/au-small-finance-bank-partners-with-insurtech-firm-acko-general-insurance/articleshow/68269212.cms">AU Small Finance Bank</a> in early March to bring about customised insurance deals for their users. India has seen a slow penetration of the insurance sector but things are changing now. According to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/banking/finance/insure/insurance-industry-to-touch-280-billion-by-fy20-assocham/articleshow/65740339.cms">reports,</a> the Indian insurance industry is set to grow to $280 million by 2019-20. India has also seen a surge in insurtech startups with the likes of Policybazaar also gaining unicorn status. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-two-startup-icons-switch-to-the-other-side-as-venture-capitalists/articleshow/67420444.cms">India’s two startup icons switch to the other side — as venture capitalists</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/heres-why-binny-bansals-021-capital-placed-its-bets-on-the-two-year-old-legal-tech-startup-spotdraft/articleshow/68198106.cms">Why India’s Unicorn Founders Backed This Barely Two-Year-Old Legal Tech Startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/after-minting-1-billion-from-flipkart-sale-sachin-bansal-is-now-betting-big-on-ola/articleshow/67526383.cms">Watch Out Uber. Sachin Bansal Gets Ola Share After Selling Flipkart</a>

This Indian insurance startup may be worth $300 million in just over two years

<ul><li>Paytm is reportedly in talks to acquire <keyword id="7716572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurtech-startup">insurtech startup</keyword> <keyword id="2821957" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coverfox">Coverfox</keyword> for $120 million. </li><li><keyword id="198636" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vijay-Shekhar-Sharma">Vijay Shekhar Sharma</keyword>, Paytm founder and CEO, had earlier in an interview with Business Insider said that they are looking at the <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> sector. </li><li>If closed, this could be one of Paytm’s biggest acquisitions. </li></ul>Paytm which has made its mark in the Indian digital payments space is reportedly looking at acquiring insurtech startup Coverfox for a whopping $120 million, reported <a href="https://tech.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/startups/paytm-in-talks-to-acquire-coverfox/69625293">ET</a>. The reports say that the talks are in early stages, still. Paytm founder and CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma had earlier told Business Insider in an interview of their plans to expand financial offerings. “This year, we plan to double down on payments to reach Tier 5 and 6 cities of India. We are also looking at expanding our financial services – Insurance is one of the sectors that we want to get into,” Sharma had told BI. There are over 142 insurtech startups in India according to Tracxn. Online insurance industry in India is <a href="https://trak.in/tags/business/2014/03/19/online-insurance-india-growth/">reportedly</a> all set to be worth ₹200 billion by 2020. If it is closed, this deal would be Paytm’s biggest acquisition so far, marking its grand debut into the insurance sector. It will then compete with the likes of Policybazaar, also funded by Paytm’s investor – Softbank. Paytm’s valuation is set to hit $18 billion, according to <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/paytm-raising-up-to-2-billion-valuation-may-soar-to-18-billion/articleshow/68606766.cms">reports.</a> However, when reached out, Coverfox said, "As a company policy, we do not comment on speculation." Coverfox, whose parent company is Glitterbug Technologies, was reportedly in the market looking for a fresh round of funding of $50 million. Its latest valuation is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/coverfoxs-parent-company-glitterbug-is-out-to-raise-50-million-in-new-round/articleshow/68313619.cms">reported </a>to be around $150-$200 million. In its last funding round in April 2018, the insurance aggregator had raised $22 million in a Series C funding led by IFC, Transamerica and existing investors - SAIF Partners, Accel and NR Narayana Murthy’s private investment arm - Catamaran Ventures. Coverfox was started in 2014 by Devendra Rane and Varun Dua. Two years later, Dua had gone on to found another insurtech startup Acko General Insurance. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/facing-jio-paytm-founder-vijay-shekhar-sharma-plans-a-ticket-to-us/articleshow/69053166.cms">‘I want it all and I want it now’, says Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma as he plans a ticket to the US</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/binny-bansal-and-others-invest-65-million-in-insurtech-startup-acko-with-a-300-million-valuation/articleshow/68402912.cms">This Indian insurance startup may be worth $300 million in just over two years</a>

Paytm could be spending big money for its insurance debut

It’s no secret that 2015 has been the year of <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword>. We’re all talking about that fact and accepting it. But, now that the year’s coming to an end, it’s time we take a moment to acknowledge the people behind these successful and efficient startups. 
 
Hence, we at Business Insider round up five <keyword id="53533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</keyword> who we think have made a mark this year and who will ensure that 2016 remains an exciting year for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups">startups</a>- 
 
 
 
1. <keyword id="1670338" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ritesh-Agarwal">Ritesh Agarwal</keyword>: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=ritesh+agarwal">Ritesh Agarwal</a>, CEO and founder of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=oyo">OYO Rooms</a>, India’s largest budget hotel chain which is present in more than 160 cities with 40,000 rooms under its umbrella is just 22 years old and a college drop-out. 
 
With the success of OYO Rooms, Agarwal has not only managed to change the entire hospitality game but also has rivals scurry to offer customers more budget options. And, to top it, Agarwal is also looking to acquire its rival ZO Rooms. We’re doubly excited to see how 2016 unravels for this young genius. 
 
 
 
2. Saurav Kumar: Four-year-old technology innovation firm <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=cube26">Cube26 </a>was Saurav Kumar’s brainchild and is backed by Tiger Global and Flipkart amongst others. Kumar is known to bet big on innovations and Internet of Things and 2015 saw the release of its IOTA bulb which works via Bluetooth and can be synced with one’s phone. 
 
We’re expecting bigger things from Kumar next year! 
 
 
 
3. Varun Dua: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Varun-Dua-CEO-and-co-founder-of-online-insurance-portalCoverfox-says-the-finance-startup-space-holds-humongous-potential/articleshow/50269160.cms">Varun Dua</a> is one of the rare entrepreneurs who’ve looked towards the financial startup space and ended up founding <keyword id="2821957" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Coverfox">Coverfox</keyword>, an online insurance portal. The fact that the startup received over $14 million in funding is testimony to the fact that investors are sitting up and taking advantage of the humongous potential that the insurance space holds. For making insurance easier and taking it online, Dua makes it to our list! 
 
 
 
 
4. Albinder Dhindsa and Saurabh Kumar: From a shared work-space to raising $150 million recently, Albinder Dhindsa and Saurabh Kumar led<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=grofers"> Grofers</a>' growth story in 2015 has been tremendous. The startup completely revolutionized the way grocery is shopped and currently the company fulfills over 30,000 orders a day with an average transaction size of Rs 350. 
 
 
 
5. Varun Aggarwal: Varun Aggarwal, along with Himsanshu Aggarwal found Aspiring Minds, an Indian employability evaluation and certification company to enable equal opportunity hiring of entry-level talent in the IT industry. They’re the company behind AMCAT and have found reasonable success in the placement business. For taking the route unknown and working towards solving the hiring crisis in the country, Aggarwal has our vote. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

BI Year Roundup: Five
entrepreneurs who made a mark for themselves in 2015

2015 has been a momentous occasion for the burgeoning Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups">startups</a>, and Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Narendra Modi’s</a> <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startup+india">Startup India</a> initiative was the icing on the cake. 
 With policies devised especially keeping the need of <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword> in mind and with aid from founders of startups themselves, it’s a given that they should be happy and content at the moment. 
 
However, that’s not the case. 
 This could be blamed on the fact that a few of the policies announced at the <keyword id="3003094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Startup-India">Startup India</keyword> event were quite ambiguous, not to forget generic. Thus, founders have some additional expectations from Arun Jaitley’s <keyword id="2783177" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget-2016">Budget 2016</keyword> so that their demands relating to their personal sectors are more or less met. 
 According to Rajiv Sharma, MD and co-founder of <keyword id="3186078" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="dPronto">dPronto</keyword>, a last-mile delivery and logistics company that was in the new for typing up with e-commerce giant Flipkart, the need of the hour is adequate budget resources allocated for the social sector. 
 
“While it is important to boost the confidence to global investors by way of structural reforms and find a way to achieve the fiscal deficit target of 3.5 per cent in FY17, there shoudl also be high focus on inclusive growth and adequate measures to ensure upliftment of the rural sector, creation of more employment opportunities, and enriching the lives of women, children, senior citizens and people below the poverty line,” he believes. 
 
However, for Varun Dua, CEO and co-founder of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=coverfox">Coverfox,</a> a one of a kind online insurance portal, the key priority remains in deregulation and allowing<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FDI"> FDI</a> in fintech. “Most fintech businesses like payment banks / insurance have heavy dependence on domestic capital which is mostly risk averse and thus scarce.” 
 
The Budget should also consider relaxation in structures which make private secondary transactions more liquid from a tax or complication perspective, Dua adds. 
 
Then, there’s Pankaj Vermani, the CEO of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=CLOVIA">Clovia</a>, an e-commerce website which focuses on lingerie, who believes that it should be seen that the boom experienced by the e-commerce industry in 2015 should continue, at any cost. 
 
“To ensure that the growth continues the <keyword id="6360189" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Union-Budget">Union budget</keyword> needs to provide greater tax clarity especially related to jurisdiction / taxability issues. We are also hoping for a positive clarification for the Central Sales tax on transactions such as cash on delivery, which involve inter-state movement of goods.In addition, today every region has different laws for eCommerce. To govern the sector better one needs better definition of the category and a centralized law," he signs off. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Budget 2016: This is what startups are expecting. Are you listening, Arun Jaitley?

●Themed ‘Innovation for All’, the event focused on amplifying impact through revolutionary technologies ●Villgro announced total funding to the tune of INR 4 crore through iPitch. Winners included BeAble Health, Kritsnam, Cultyvate, along with several other social impact startups ●30+ pertinent panel discussions around social innovations in agritech, medtech, cleantech &amp; employability were hosted by 100+ industry experts December 07, 2019: Villgro, India's oldest and foremost social enterprise incubator, successfully wrapped up its Unconvention 2019 conference on 7th December 2019. As always, the event was a high-decibel confluence of leading social entrepreneurs, CSR professionals, investors, policymakers, and academia. Aimed at understanding the crucial nature of constant innovation to power the next phase of social entrepreneurship, Uncovention’s 10th edition was indubitably a resounding success. <a name="m_-6531833679794319461_m_6042435902640344815__gjdgxs"></a>Day 1 of Unconvention started with a power-packed mentor meet – a workshop with former, current and potential Villgro mentor who discussed the importance and challenges of mentorship, specifically in the social sector. This was followed by several round-table discussions around the conference theme – Innovation for All: Amplifying impact potential for philanthropic capital. These discussions were aimed at donors looking at diversifying their impact portfolio. The opening address, describing the prolific 20-year journey of Villgro, was then presented by R. Ramaraj (Senior Advisor, Elevar Equity &amp; Board Member, Villgro); NK Chaudhary (Chairman &amp; Managing Director, Jaipur Rugs), then hosted a fireside chat covering the importance of low cost innovation to create large-scale impact. This was followed by a discussion on making innovations accessible to next billion, comprising Sharad Sharma of iSPIRT, Bindu Ananth of Dvara Trust, and others, moderated by PR Ganapathy (Regional Director India, Stanford Seed). The event then gave way to the most sought-after part of Unconvention. The winners of iPitch, Villgro’s investment discovery platform were announced. This year, backed by donors like Hindustan Unilever Foundation (HUF), and iPitch investment partners like Menterra, Upaya Social Ventures, Beyond Capital Fund, the total investments worth 4 crore were offered to early-stage start-ups such as Kritsnam Technologies, Oscillo Machines, Lal10, Flexmotiv and more. Arunabha Ghosh (CEO, Council on Energy, Environment, and Water (CEEW)) &amp; Paul Basil (CEO, Villgro) then launched the multi-million dollar 'Powering Livelihoods' initiative by Villgro &amp; CEEW. The next set of sessions included the much needed masterclass on “Data Protection Law” by Unconvention’s Legal Compliance Partner GameChanger Law Advisors. Shobini Mukerji (Executive Director, J-PAL), Shama Karkal (CEO, Swasti Health Catalyst), and Aparajita Agrawal (Former Co-founder &amp; Director, Sankalp Forum) covered diverse topics. These included access to capital for social sector start-ups, creating awareness and market access, and innovative financing models. The day wrapped up with a networking session dubbed as ‘Investor Speed Dating’ which entailed one-on-one conversations with industry-leading investors. Day 2 of Unconvention commenced with a closed door session with select medtech entrepreneurs and Dr. <keyword id="172787" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devi-Shetty">Devi Shetty</keyword> (Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health), followed by his keynote address. He highlighted the key learnings from his 20-year journey with Narayana Health. He was introduced by Dr. Paul Salins (Managing Director and VP, Narayana Health and Mazumdar Shah Cancer Centre). This was followed by another round of investor speed dating and a masterclass on Being Compliance Ready by Unconvention’s Financial Compliance Partner SpiceRoute Business. The day was dedicated to sector-specific sessions, focusing primarily on Education, Energy, Agriculture and Health. Commenting on the state of renewable energy in India, Arunabha Ghosh, CEO, CEEW, said, India alone has more than $50bn worth market for clean energy solutions for rural livelihoods. Powering Livelihoods, a joint initiative between CEEW and Villgro, aims to trigger the transformation of India's rural economy by scaling up the deployment of clean energy-powered livelihood solutions. By marrying CEEW's deep expertise in evidence generation and sectoral engagement with Villgro's years of experience in growing businesses, the initiative provides significant capital, capacity building, and ecosystem support to enterprises to scale up these solutions. Furthermore, there was an enlightening session on Energy and Cleantech addressed by some of the eminent personalities in the industry such as Tanya Kothari of Shell Foundation, Svati Bhogle of Sustaintech India Pvt Ltd. and Col. Manish Ahuja of PREFPL. The topics that were discussed in the session included leveraging energy innovations as a growth catalyst for India’s micro enterprises, entrepreneurship in times of climate change and future of clean mobility. The discussion around the education &amp; employability sector focused on Leveraging the gig economy for impact and Collaborating for tech for good. The speakers included Avishek Gupta of Caspain, Aparna Dua of Asha Impact, Rahil Rangwala of MSDF, Kevin D'souza of <keyword id="790242" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="WhatsApp">WhatsApp</keyword> and Nataraj S. Kuntagod, Accenture, among many others. For the health sector, the chosen topics of discussion were Ayushman Bharat and Digital Health and procurement policies that can revolutionize the sector. The speakers included Varun Jhaveri of Ayushman Bharat, Kiran Anandampillai, National Health Authority, Garima Sahai, <keyword id="170241" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Medtronic">Medtronic</keyword> Labs, among many others. Dr. Devi Shetty, Chairman and Founder, Narayana Health, advised the medtech entrepreneurs to have breakfast, lunch and dinner in the hospital with clinicians. It is said often but still not enough - you need to immerse yourself into the clinical workflow. Shaping the future of water footprint in agriculture and innovations in agri-supply chains to solve for agricultural losses were the topics covered in the discussion pertaining to the agriculture domain. The speakers included Reshma Anand Shivakumar of ITC, Rasika of Soulfull, <keyword id="80658" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anil-Kumar">Anil Kumar</keyword> of Samunnati Finance, Hemendra Mathur of Bharat Innovation Fund, among 20+ others. As the event comes to its culmination, Paul Basil, Founder and CEO, Villgro, said, “Having successfully wrapped up the 10th edition of Unconvention, we cannot help but reflect upon this gratifying journey. We have come a long way and have empowered innumerable early-stage start-ups with seed funding and best-in-class mentoring, strategy-creating, GTM support, follow-on fundraising support. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone who has joined us on this journey and all those who are present here today. Thank you for your unwavering support that has allowed us to catalyse multiple generations of social entrepreneurs and create an ecosystem of unbridled growth for all aspiring entrepreneurs. Together, we have – and will continue to – change the world!” (Business Insider India is a digital media partner in the event)

With large-scale investments, insightful discussions and all-round innovation, Villgro wraps up Unconvention 2019

Fashion weeks have passed their limitations from the lounges of elite houses. Surpassing the wardrobes, fashion weeks have got more meaningful than just exhibiting the latest oeuvre of trends. 
 
Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort, which has created a niche for itself in revolutionizing the fashion space is no exception this season. The 2017 season just witnessed a ‘#NotWhatIWear’ movement launched by Ajio.com, a curated online fashion and style destination. 
 
Of late we have come across college diktats asking women students not to wear this and that. With ‘NotWhatIWear’ campaign, Ajio.com has added its voice to thousands of conversations of this nature taking place across the nation. The campaign aims to sensitize and encourage ‘inclusivity’ towards one another as well as choices, including the sartorial ones. 
 
Show must go on 
The show opened with a powerful thematic audio-visual presentation that set the context, featuring women sporting cardboard boxes, which had on them statements such as ‘I’m wearing skinny jeans. Should I be banned from college?’ 
 
What followed was a spectacular sequence that had four models strutting down the ramp in card board boxes highlighted with thought provoking messages. The show picked up tempo when four female and two male models showcased stylish monochrome creations, leading to the four female models dramatically ripping off the boxes to reveal an attractive collection of black minis, off- shoulder numbers and funky cropped tops. 
 
Then came the Work Wear sequence headlined as ‘They told me not to wear this to work’ made interesting by Ajio.com coming out with a fashionable dateline ranging from Fun Filled Mondays to Monochrome Tuesdays, Ethnic Wednesdays, Sporty Thursdays, and Feminine Fridays. 
 
Later, the show had a fun and sporty collection for campus clothing spunkily themed ‘They told me not to wear this to college’, which featured edgy denim shorts, colourful Tees, slinky maxis, and skinny jeans. 
 
Marriage of ethnic and western 
 
It was party time when a mix of western and ethnic wear took to the ramp with creatively draped saris teamed with tube tops, will-power dresses, and chic western styles with fusion elements. 
The finale had models clad in identical fabrics with thematic graffiti that urged women to express their style freely and fearlessly. The models moved in formation and dramatically turned when the lights went out to reveal a glow in the dark neon sign “#NotWhatIWear” on their clothes. 
 
Show stopper 
But the high point of the show was yet to come when the ramp was dazzled by celebrities, RJ Malishka, Mallika Dua and Varun Thakur as they whole-heartedly endorsed the relevant #NotWhatIWear movement initiated by Ajio.com.

You Searched For "Varun Dua" and got 13 results

Amazon invests $12 mn in Indian insurance start-up Acko

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From ‘Let Them Eat Cake’ to ‘All Eyes on Rafah’: Did Blockout 2024 make Indian celebrities speak out for Gaza?

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She power: The top 10 youngest women entrepreneurs in India

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Amazon-backed digital insurance company Acko is now valued over a billion dollars

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IANS

Six-month-old investment advisory startup Dezerv raises $7 million

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Budget 2016: This is what startups are expecting. Are you listening, Arun Jaitley?

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With large-scale investments, insightful discussions and all-round innovation, Villgro wraps up Unconvention 2019

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Women's dress code at college: Let the Lakme Fashion Week Summer/ Resort guide you

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