Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>The JV will create an omni-channel, multi-retail brand for the middle east with Nykaa holding 55% stake in the new entity and <keyword id="2705383" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apparel-group" source="Orion">Apparel Group</keyword> 45% stake.</li><li>The Apparel Group has operations across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries – UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain.</li><li><keyword id="6379793" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="falguni-nayar" source="Orion">Falguni Nayar</keyword>, founder and CEO of Nykaa said that consumption of beauty products is high in the Gulf.</li></ul>Beauty e-commerce player Nykaa today announced a joint venture with Dubai-based Apparel Group, a global fashion and lifestyle retail conglomerate. The alliance will create an omni-channel multi retail brand in the middle east with Nykaa holding 55% stake in the new entity and Apparel Group 45% stake. The company did not disclose the name of the entity, investment amount or any other financial details related to the joint venture. “To us the investment is not the main thing, the market, its potential and what we can do in those markets and the revenue potential is what we should get excited about,” said Falguni Nayar, founder and CEO of Nykaa during the announcement. The Apparel Group has operations across Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries — the UAE, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. Nayar said that they believe affinity for beauty is very high in Gulf countries along with consumption. Nykaa said it will bring its proven expertise to the alliance and will leverage the Apparel Group’s robust retail infrastructure network and deep market relationships. “Much like our own story, the Apparel Group has written their success in the GCC owing to an acute sense of consumer needs and a solid foundation of offline retail that includes robust local partnerships, fulfillment centers and supply chain models. Through this alliance, we are confident of growing the GCC beauty market and bringing the best of both brands to a new world of consumers,” said Nayar. The alliance also brings together two companies run by women entrepreneurs. Apparel Group, founded by Sima Ved in 1996 is an omnichannel retailer in the Middle East based out of the UAE. It is home to more than 75 lifestyle and beauty brands with over 2,000 stores in 14 countries. As per a Redseer report, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the UAE - two of the region’s biggest beauty and personal care markets - had a size of $17.1 billion and $6.6 billion respectively, in 2021. Moreover, they are projected to grow at a CAGR of 7% and 9% respectively over the next 3 years. “Since its inception in 1996, the Apparel Group has been focused on addressing the changing needs of its diverse customers across our presence in GCC, India, Southeast Asia and Africa. This alliance is going to be a new chapter in our expansion journey as we look forward to leveraging each other’s strengths and offer a unique value proposition to our consumers in the GCC region. So, we are ready to embark on what will be history in the making,” Sima Ved, founder and chairperson at Apparel Group. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/axis-mf-launches-a-nasdaq-100-focused-fund-of-fund/articleshow/94685875.cms">Axis MF launches a Nasdaq 100 focused Fund of Fund</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/5g-could-be-indias-next-growth-engine-and-a-successful-rollout-hinges-on-telcos-govt-policies/articleshow/94685725.cms">5G could be India’s next growth engine, and a successful rollout hinges on telcos, govt policies</a>

Nykaa enters into a JV with Dubai-based fashion retailer Apparel Group

<ul><li><keyword id="349124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="colorbar-cosmetics" source="Orion">Colorbar Cosmetics</keyword> has a strong roadmap in place to ensure it creates an edge for itself in the <keyword id="16218" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cosmetics" source="Orion">cosmetics</keyword> segment in India.</li><li><keyword id="138837" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="samir-modi" source="Orion">Samir Modi</keyword>, Founder &amp; Managing Director at Colorbar Cosmetics talks to us about how the brand re-caliberated <keyword id="6354839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing" source="Orion">marketing</keyword> and growth strategies during the pandemic, and about its growth plans for the future.</li></ul>Last year, the pandemic and ensuing lockdown brought retail outlets to a complete halt, and with it, consumer-facing brands heavily dependent on retail had to do quickly pivot to be able to keep the business going. For a lot of categories, like cosmetics, sales almost became zero, considering people were stuck at homes with no use of makeup anymore. However, this was the time many brands revamped their strategies and launched products that were relevant for people during those times. In the middle of the pandemic last year, Colorbar Cosmetics introduced essentials, perhaps the most relevant segment for consumers during that period. It also re-caliberated its marketing strategies, coming up with ways of ensuring that it had a constant recall and recognition among consumers. Meanwhile, the brand is also spreading its wings, entering newer segments. It is currently in the process of launching a complete men's line by early next year. It is also working on increasing its penetration model in Tier I, Tier II and Tier III cities. We recently caught up with Samir Modi, Founder &amp; Managing Director at Colorbar Cosmetics to understand how the business was impacted by the pandemic and all that it is doing to get back on track, and its plans for the next few years. Excerpts: Q) 2020 was a difficult year for brands across the world. How did the pandemic affect Colorbar? 2020 was a very difficult year in many aspects, the markets were down, retail was closed, customers were not coming in, shops were closed and new product launches were delayed. We had to withdraw some products from an expectation point of view. We also had to take care of our beauty advisors in the market and make sure that their livelihood is maintained in respect of sales happening. Now that the second wave of pandemic is hopefully on closure and markets opening, we feel far more at ease. The markets are normalising, sales are up, we are evolving and new products are coming in and with customers being more buoyant, we are very enthused that the recovery has happened and we are continuing to grow. Q) How have things been in 2021? What was your recovery strategy? 2021 has been great in establishing ourselves once again and reinforcing our strategy. The first strategy that we implemented on recovery was to clear the market. We wanted to start with the product being fresh. We put out a lot of programs for our beauty advisors to motivate them to reach out to our retailers, to reconnect the ties and assure them that we will get through the pandemic and move forward. We also introduced new products since we get quick wins to build the confidence of the beauty industry, which includes our suppliers and retailers who are very important and our leadership stakeholders who are associated with Colorbar are our prime concern inside and outside and I feel that this is the reason we’re back on track and are growing. Q) How did you revamp your online strategy to ensure you reach your consumers when they are stuck at home? We introduced essentials, the only segment that was prevalent during the pandemic. We came up with a robust program for our beauty advisors. We became digitally aligned so they could reach out to customers who they knew personally and could fulfill their makeup needs by joining our D2C ventures. We also reached out to our loyal members by offering them special discounts and initiatives. This was when we experienced that skincare as a segment was picking up pace. We also launched the Blue Light Defense Range in the pandemic, which no other brand had during that time. At a time when consumers were glued to their screens, we needed something in the market to salvage the skincare-related issues cropping up, owing to limitless hours of WFH. We launched this collection to help protect the skin from the blue light that emanates from the screen. A step in the right direction, it opened various avenues for us and we understood the need of the hour. We have also launched an entire collection of Hemp, focusing on nature-inspired products and ingredients. We feel we are the first ones to launch something of that magnitude for consumer wellbeing. The combination of essentials and increased focus on skincare while enabling advisors to reach out to their customers was a culmination of things that really helped us get out. Q) What part of your business is coming from online sales now? How much of that is coming from your own website and how much is from other ecommerce platforms? Predominantly marketplace and offline lead brands account to our major online sales. Today, the GA business brings the marketplace model between the <keyword id="6376684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nykaa" source="Orion">Nykaa</keyword> and Myntra into the world which is 30% and the balance 70% comes from the EBO (Exclusive Brand Outlets), GT (General Trade), MT (<keyword id="2721998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="modern-trade" source="Orion">Modern Trade</keyword>) source that we have. We also have a new strategy going forward for our own brand on the website that is now coming into force. We will have a full reverse structure also for D2C straight from our portal by January 2022. Q) What has your marketing strategy been in these difficult times? How are you making sure you are top-of-mind for your consumers? Did you increase your marketing spends this year? For a constant recall and recognition and to be on the top of minds of the consumers, we had 2-3 phases of strategy. First being for the customer, second the retailer and third the beauty advisor. In terms of an outreach program for retailers, we've launched a very robust program through renewed stickiness since Colorbar is already in the top 3 brands across stores. As a ‘feel-good’ strategy for beauty advisors, we launched an entire program called Project Ghar, Laggan, and Brides, which are programs that are introduced to make the beauty advisor feel like a larger part of the family since even a small amount makes a big difference for them. And thirdly, we are spending a lot more on performance marketing. There's been a lot on our social media to remain on top of the minds of our customers. We also do a lot of online training sessions to give consumers the skill sets of new techniques, new products and help them imbibe newer skill sets that they didn't have time to dwell on before. Q) Going ahead will there be any change in your marketing strategy? Going ahead, we will be doing many things that are different and are now broken up into offline, online and experiential selling. In the offline space, we are going in depth to where we currently are, adding close to 5000 outlets in the next one year. In our EBO’s, we plan to add another 100 stores to existing stores. We are re-doing our own website and are launching 2 or 3 new brands in the digital segment. We will have a presence offline on those brands but predominantly it is going to be direct to the consumer. The money being spent is really on each of these elements. One is a personalized touch and experience with the retailer where there is nothing to do about business but it was really about their support that got us here and to thank them, to validate that and to celebrate the reason why we are here. Colorbar is not just about sales, it's the relationship that binds us with our stakeholders. With the increased incentive and motivation, the beauty advisors are elated when I personally check up on them during my market visits. It is really about the experience called Colorbar and that is what I believe in. I believe that every touchpoint that we go to should not always be about sales but also the brand values are and these are things that are being pushed forward in the industry. Q) How are you going deeper into the country? Until now we have restricted ourselves to man counters to about 1300 outlets which were part of general trade monitoring and EBOs. Now with our EBOs being by about 100 stores, we will be increasing our penetration model in Tier I, Tier II and Tier III cities. We are going to be further supported to get online. It is a combination of deeper penetration into existing cities as we get to new cities and also looking at a new focus on the brand for Tier II and Tier III. Q) What kind of sales are you witnessing from smaller cities? Is the sales there still driven by physical stores or are they comfortable with shopping online for cosmetics now? I think smaller cities are still showing a propensity to come offline. Online is still a phenomenon which is more Tier I. But irrespective of Tier I or Tier II, I think more and more customers are now coming out because they are tired of staying at home and they are coming out to experience the product and feel the product. And that is one reason why we are also finding that our sales have now gone ahead compared to the pre-pandemic times. Q) What kind of growth have you witnessed in the past few years? Do you think you will get back to pre-pandemic levels next year? During the pre-pandemic times, we had a CAGR growth of 40% and during the pandemic the figures actually went down to almost 0. Today, we have crossed pre annual levels, our recovery and we are now ahead of that by almost 20%. So I think that we are right now in a very good position and we only feel that we should cross the 40% CAGR in the next few years to go ahead of 60%. Q) Is there any interesting trend that you have witnessed that you would want to talk about? A few trends that are coming out in the market one is Minis. I think more and more people are trying to put minis in their collections. Minis on their own don’t work, but I think minis in sets are something that is going on as a trend. Skincare is becoming a trend and is far stronger than earlier. Another big trend that is coming out is natural makeup and skincare in men. I think men are going to be the fastest growing segment and we are also looking to launch a complete men's line by early next year. Q) Where will the next phase of growth for Colorbar come from? Colorbar has 2-3 verticals where we feel we will grow: ● Online D2C where we were not strong earlier and will strengthen that portfolio for the next few years. That is where we will play a major role. ● More Colorbar stores in the future ● Deeper penetration ● New brand launches ● A wider product portfolio that will encompass men ● We will be getting into nutraceuticals next year which will have a beauty twist. For example, Gummy Bears which will be good for skin and nails to enhance beauty and give radiance to the skin. This will be digestible but will have a beauty element to it

The men’s segment is going to grow the fastest, we’ll launch a complete men's line by early next year: Samir Modi, Colorbar Cosmetics

<ul><li>As we enter a brand new year, we want to crystal gaze into what the year holds for us. </li><li>In today’s feature, e-commerce players tell us what lies ahead in 2021. </li></ul>With the second-largest internet user base, India has emerged as one of the most prominent markets globally. Being stuck at home because of the pandemic further triggered the desire to make life and work easier at home, which resulted in a significant increase in <keyword id="10547863" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="shopper-spends">shopper spends</keyword>. People who would otherwise go out to buy groceries and medicines at the pharmacy, turned to e-commerce platforms to get essentials delivered at their doorsteps. 2020 accelerated the e-commerce industry by a decade, revolutionising the way brands operate, run, and grow their businesses, as well as how consumers choose to shop and pay. As per Nielsen India’s E-commerce Consumer Panel (E-Analytics Solution), there was a double digit increase in average spend of <keyword id="237977" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="online-shoppers">online shoppers</keyword> for electronics and accessories (39%), mobile and accessories (12%), and fashion, including apparel, footwear, and accessories (10%) after the pandemic. Appliances (e.g.TV, WM, refrigerators, etc.) also saw notable shopper spending increase at 9%. This growth trajectory of e-commerce platforms in India testifies how customers are increasingly recognising the importance of comfort shopping within closed doors, and after seeing their businesses take a plunge in the first three months of the lockdown, more and more sellers are also coming online. According to IBEF, ‘The Indian E-commerce industry has been on an upward growth trajectory and is expected to surpass the US to become the second-largest e-commerce market in the world by 2034. Indian e-commerce sector is poised to reach US$99 billion by 2024 from US$30 billion in 2019, expanding at a 27% CAGR, with grocery and fashion/apparel likely to be the key drivers of incremental growth.’ The second half of the year, which is the festive season in India, brought cheer for many brands and further pushed the adoption rate of e-commerce. Players like Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, and Snapdeal together sold goods worth $3.1 billion in the first 4.5 days of the festival season sale. Consumers are still hesitant to return to in-store shopping completely and audiences from Tier II and Tier III are also preferring to shop online. Snapdeal saw 70% of its orders come in from Tier II and Tier III during Diwali. The pandemic and lockdown period has brought many learnings for all businesses, and e-commerce has undoubtedly been one of the sectors with the biggest takeaways. As we enter a new year, we reached out to e-commerce platforms to understand what role it would play in 2021. Here is what they said: Anchit Nayar, CEO, <keyword id="7726437" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nykaa-Retail">Nykaa Retail</keyword>: In the initial months of the lockdown, businesses witnessed a clear shift in consumer behaviour- with scores of historically offline shoppers coming online due to convenience and safety. As the country reopens further in 2021 we see the customer seamlessly moving with ease between online and offline channels underscoring the importance of omnichannel retailers catering to customer preference. Another key trend for 2021 will be a focus on bringing more personalization and curation to customers shopping online through greater tech and marketing integration. Lastly - we believe social commerce is going to have a big impact this year. At Nykaa we have integrated our content into our shopping app thereby allowing customers to watch and shop at once. Sandeep Komaravelly, Director of International Growth at Shopify: Shopify’s first annual report* <a href="https://www.shopify.com/future-of-commerce/2021">Future of Commerce 2021</a> report brought together global merchant and consumer data to predict how the commerce landscape will shift in the coming year. It highlighted five key trends that will be prevalent next year. <ol><li>Young consumers will change the business landscape as ecommerce charges ahead.</li><li>Physical retail as we know it will transform, giving local businesses new advantages.</li><li>Consumers want to shop independent. Businesses will adapt to make that easier.</li><li>More consumers will vote with their wallets.</li><li>Modern financial solutions will disrupt business and consumer banking, financing, and lending.</li></ol>Although we have seen the greatest shift online among young consumers, the other key segments including middle aged and older consumers are also seeing significant numbers starting to go online for their shopping needs. We expect such habits to persist in 2021 as Indian consumers increasingly prefer to support independent brands and local businesses. Kashyap Vadapalli, Chief Marketing Officer &amp; Business Head, Pepperfry: In a post-pandemic world, the one guarantee is massive shifts in the outlook of humanity across a wide spectrum of things. As people, as societies and as businesses, there has been a sea change in what one values or considers in their decision making and actions. The illusion of continued uninterrupted safety, growth, progress have all been shattered. In such a scenario fundamental values have become paramount. Organizations and marketing teams that focus on foundational propositions will thrive and in my opinion the trend that we will see in the next few quarters will be about these fundamental matters. People have become more purposeful in their actions and consumption than ever before and marketers who can tap into this theme of purpose will be able to attract consumers to their offerings. While digital and social have enabled interactions over the last 5-10 years, the next stage of this trend is where simple interactions, evolve to become deep connections. Going beyond the transactional exchanges and building relationships is the second key trend that will drive the growth of businesses in future. Samarth Agrawal, CEO, Cofounder, MaxWholesale: The key e-commerce trend for 2021 will be D2C retail, as e-commerce is growing at a fast pace, new-age brands will capitalize this opportunity to grow direct-to-consumer reach to a $15-$20 million revenue run-rate online for their brand. For the medium and large brands, the operative word is going to be “omni-channel retail” as they will try to champion B2C and B2B e-commerce for growth. B2B e-commerce in India today is where B2C e-commerce was in 2015. Amazon Spokesperson: “The unprecedented situation of the pandemic has brought about a rapid adoption and acceptance of e commerce as an essential service. One thing we’ve learned this year is that how important a role Amazon and ecommerce can play with enabling policies – for our customers as much as for small businesses &amp; economy. Throughout the year, we remain focused on enabling small businesses to benefit from widest reach made possible by e-commerce as they adapted to the unprecedented situation. For customers, we continued to put together and safely deliver the best of products from our widest selection by top brands across categories to address their ever evolving needs. As the lines between online &amp; offline continue to blur, 2021 will see businesses seamlessly implementing an omni channel approach and leverage our investment in technology and infrastructure to help empower their growth.” Snapdeal Spokesperson: The lockdown saw shoppers order everything online, from groceries to stationery, from maths tutorials to yoga sessions. Covid-19 related disruption has brought fundamental and long term changes in the way people shop. Millions of new e-commerce users, including in smaller cities &amp; towns, are now comfortable buying online. The growing cohort of online buyers is also leading to deepening of the supply available online. Online has grown beyond just well-known brands to embrace a wide range of regional and seller brands, which offer a compelling value proposition of good quality at great prices. The range of products that users now browse for and buy online has grown significantly this year. It’s not only phones, gadgets, food and fashion that they buy online, but also everyday stuff like a new mop, cooking utensils, bed covers and much more. Till a year ago, customers usually preferred to buy such products offline after a good look and feel. Users are now turning to online channels more proactively to discover choices beyond the physical markets in the neighbourhood. Having experienced the vast selection that is available online, the basket for online users will become more diverse and will reflect their consumption in a more representative way.

E-commerce: Trends to watch out for in 2021

<ul><li><keyword id="125145" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nazara-Technologies">Nazara Technologies</keyword> is backed by <keyword id="6398943" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="rakesh-jhunjhunwala">Rakesh Jhunjhunwala</keyword>, one of India’s biggest stock market investors. </li><li>The gaming and sports media company is looking to join the league of tech startups looking to go public this year. These include Zomato, Nykaa, and Delhivery. </li><li>This is the second attempt at a market debut. <keyword id="242260" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nazara">Nazara</keyword> had earlier filed the DRHP in 2018 but didn't go through with its plans.</li><li>In the last two years, Nazara has made at least seven acquisitions and raised ₹500 crore in funds.</li></ul>Indian gaming and sports media company Nazara Technologies has re-filed the Draft Red Herring Prospectus with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) as the first step towards its market debut. Nazara holds the license mobile gaming rights of popular cartoon characters like Chhota Bheem, Motu Patlu and Shikari Shambhu. It has also established itself in 64 countries across Africa, Middle East, South East Asia, and the Indian subcontinent. The public issue will see a sale of 4.96 million equity shares by Nazara’s promoters and investors. This year, Nazara’s <keyword id="3128913" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IPO-debut">IPO debut</keyword> could kick off a series of tech IPOs in the country as startups like Zomato, Nykaa, Delhivery are headed for the public markets. The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Nazara had first filed the DRHP in January 2018 and had even got approval from SEBI for an IPO (Initial Public Offering). However it didn’t go ahead with the launch because of a <a href="https://inc42.com/buzz/post-sportskeeda-acquisition-nazara-technologies-looks-at-ipo-in-2020/">market slump. </a> The company has been preparing for its market debut with acquisitions and funding in its kitty. Strengthening its capital base Nazara counts stock broking giant Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, IIFL Asset Management, Sequoia Capital, Plutus Wealth Management as its investors. Earlier in January 2021, WestBridge Ventures, an early investor in Nazara, had exited the company through a secondary transaction as Plutus pumped in ₹500 crore into the company. According to<a href="https://yourstory.com/2021/01/ys-learn-nazara-technologies-gaming-startup-exit-westbridge-capital"> reports</a>, the exit gave WestBridge 40 times the return on its investment. Nazara’s stakeholders <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Promoter </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Stake </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mitter Infotech </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20.57% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Arpit Khandelwal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12.51% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rakesh Jhunjhunwala </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">11.38% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Plutus Wealth Management LLP </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.91% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Special Opportunities Fund </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6.04% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Special Opportunities Fund - Series 4 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4.94% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Special Opportunities Fund - Series 5 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4.16% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Special Opportunities Fund - Series 2 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.89% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Nitish Mittersain </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.49% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Emerging Investment Ltd </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.90% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">IIFL Special Opportunities Fund - Series 3 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.87% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Riyaz Suterwalla </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.73% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Turtle Entertainment </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.68% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Manish Agarwal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.51% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Seedfund2 International </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.27% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Anshu Dhanuka </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.02% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Moneycontrol Nazara went on an acquisition spree Nazara strengthened its offerings by going on an acquisition drive. It has pumped in over $50 million in startups in the last two years. In fact, its acquisition spree even got it a ‘next Tencent’ reference in a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/prime/technology-and-startups/nazaras-acquisitions-will-keep-it-up-to-speed-on-all-things-gaming-next-becoming-indias-tencent-/primearticleshow/79393487.cms">news report.</a> Some of Nazara’s top acquisitions <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Startup </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sector </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Investment </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Paper Boat Apps </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mumbai-based indie studio </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹83.5 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sports Unity </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Creator of multiplayer quiz called Qunami </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹7.5 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sportskeeda </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sports media platform </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹44 crore </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bakbuck </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Local languages gaming platform </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Undisclosed </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Halaplay </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Fantasy gaming platform </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹40 crore </td></tr></tbody></table> In November 2019, Nazara technologies said that it plans to invest $20 million in startups next year. This announcement was after in the same year, Nazara had already acquired five companies. “Looking at the explosive growth in the interactive entertainment and sports ecosystem, Nazara has decided to up its aggression on investing in the emerging market ecosystem and support early stage startups accelerating the growth of these companies and the industry at large,” Nazara Technologies CEO, Manish Agarwal had said then. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-parliamentary-committee-summons-facebook-twitter-officials-over-misuse-of-social-media-platforms/articleshow/80321277.cms">India's parliamentary committee summons Facebook, Twitter officials over misuse of social media platforms</a>

The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Nazara Technologies is back with an IPO plan ⁠⁠— after a series of acquisitions and fundraisings

<ul><li><keyword id="6986952" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDFC-First-Bank">IDFC First Bank</keyword> has temporarily halted services to crypto companies as it explores ‘enhanced due diligence.’</li><li>IDFC First Bank isn't the only one, as ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank have taken similar decisions since May.</li><li>Cryptocurrencies were banned by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in 2018, but India’s top court overturned the decision in 2020.</li><li>For banks, cryptocurrencies are a concern since they're often a preferred instrument for money laundering, illegal purchases, and transactions relating to contraband.</li></ul>A host of Indian banks are reluctant to service the crypto industry and have opted to take matters into their own hands even though there is no official ban in place. The latest institution to reportedly join the bandwagon is IDFC First Bank. It has halted services to crypto companies sometime during the last one week, sources told <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/now-idfc-first-bank-halts-banking-services-to-crypto-industry-11624537138102.html">Livemint.</a> The report claims that the move is temporary while the bank explores 'enhanced due diligence’ regarding banking support to <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">crypto</a> exchanges. IDFC First Bank isn't the only one to keep its distance from the volatile markets. ICICI Bank, Yes Bank, and Paytm Payments Bank have taken similar decisions since May. Big wigs HDFC Bank and State Bank of India (SBI) have also cautioned their users against the risks of dealing in unregulated digital currencies like <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">Bitcoin</a>. Such moves further add to the confusion for customers who are caught in the middle. The banks’ decisions are internal with no transparency or any direct communication that alerts users to the change. There’s no official ban on cryptocurrencies in India, and the RBI has confirmed it Last month, the RBI <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/rbi-2018-cryptocurrency-circular-not-valid-crypto-exchanges-wazirx-say-deposits-should-resume-soon/articleshow/83117245.cms">clarified</a> that banks and other regulated entities should not cite its <a href="https://rbidocs.rbi.org.in/rdocs/notification/PDFs/NOTI15465B741A10B0E45E896C62A9C83AB938F.PDF">April 2018 order</a> banning banks from engaging with virtual currencies. The directive no longer holds true as it was set aside by the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/cryptocurrency-in-india-is-legal-but-a-pending-bill-with-the-government-could-change-things/articleshow/74521104.cms">Supreme Court of India</a> in 2020. Since then, the crypto industry has been entirely unregulated, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/india-central-bank-lenders-cryptocurrency-exchanges-traders-rbi-bitcoin-ban-2021-5-1030426343">making it tricky</a> for regulated financial players to decide the end outcome. For banks, <a href="https://wazirx.com/signup?invite=2kpah6gr&amp;utm_source=business-insider&amp;utm_medium=referral&amp;utm_campaign=microsite">cryptocurrencies</a> are a concern since they're often a preferred instrument for money laundering, illegal purchases, and transactions relating to contraband. While RBI's clarification gave relief to crypto investors, banks are caught in the middle as they can neither entirely support crypto nor claim absolute immunity from its future fallouts or issues. <h2 style="line-height:1.38;margin-top:0pt;margin-bottom:0pt;">Self-regulation is the only short-term solution for exchanges</h2> As the Indian government mulls over whether or not to bring in new laws to deal with cryptocurrencies, <keyword id="6422582" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Crypto-Exchanges">crypto exchanges</keyword> have <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/wazirx-zebpay-crypto-and-others-are-setting-up-their-own-self-regulation-board-in-india/articleshow/83203195.cms">agreed</a> to self-regulation under the patronage of the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI). It includes a code of conduct that will see all crypto exchange members voluntarily complying with KYC, tax and other norms. Crypto exchanges are also <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/indian-crypto-exchanges-are-eyeing-more-industry-bodies-to-expand-influence/articleshow/83742929.cms">reportedly</a> setting up a second lobby — of which Zebpay is a confirmed member — under the helm of IndiaTech, an industry body representing the country's leading internet startups like Ola, MakeMyTrip, Nykaa, Dream11, and more. With a formal setup, the board and exchanges will develop protocols to accommodate regular audits and inspections, customer redressal mechanism, and fraud protection. The collective effort, they claim, will also help crypto exchanges keep an eye out for money laundering, illegal transactions, and more. It's <a href="https://fortune.com/2021/06/02/india-bitcoin-ban-crypto-exchange-investors-crackdown-rbi/">estimated</a> that India has 15 million crypto investors with ₹10,000 crore worth of digital assets. For an industry that has zero regulations, that's a lot of money at stake. Even though cryptocurrencies are a concern, the underlying technology of blockchain is being welcomed. Recently, 15 private and state-run banks <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/sbi-hdfc-icici-and-12-others-banks-are-joining-forces-to-use-blockchain-to-power-letters-of-credit-a-move-that-could-be-a-boon-for-msmes/articleshow/83570874.cms">teamed up</a> in India to form a new group called Indian Banks' Blockchain Infrastructure Company Private Limited (IBBIC). Initially, they plan to process Letters of Credit (LCs), GST invoices, and e-way bills via blockchain to help speed up the existing system. <a target="_blank" class="c-link" href="https://forum.businessinsider.in/">For a more in-depth discussion, come on over to Business Insider Cryptosphere</a> — a forum where users can deep dive into all things crypto, engage in interesting discussions and stay ahead of the curve. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/cryptocurrency/news/heres-how-chinas-2021-crypto-crackdown-in-2021-differs-from-the-2017-ban/articleshow/83802778.cms">Here’s how China’s 2021 crypto crackdown in 2021 differs from the 2017 ban</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-is-seeking-a-8-billion-valuation-in-its-ipo-does-it-make-sense/articleshow/83801848.cms">There are a few reasons why Zomato wants $8 billion valuation from its IPO -- here's a look at if it makes sense</a>

IDFC First Bank joins ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and others in stopping services to crypto companies, despite RBI's nudge to ignore its 2018 order

<ul><li><keyword id="3339370" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Freshtohome">FreshToHome</keyword>, the fresh fish and meat e-commerce platform, has raised $121 million in a Series C round.</li><li>FreshToHome co-founder and CEO Shan Kadavil told Business Insider that the company is the world’s largest vertically integrated platform. </li><li>Kadavil said that the company has grown over four times in the last 12 months, and specifically during the lockdown, they saw a 2.5X growth.</li></ul>FreshToHome, the fresh fish and meat e-commerce platform, has raised $121 million in a Series C round. The <keyword id="6357455" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> was led by Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD) – the investment arm of the Dubai government, U.S. Government’s development finance institution – DFC, Investcorp, Allana Group and others. While the company said that this is the largest series C round of funding in consumer tech, FreshToHome co-founder and CEO Shan Kadavil told Business Insider that the company is the world’s largest vertically integrated platform. “Given our value proposition, we have seen viral growth. In addition to that, we are not hyperlocal, we are not just a marketplace or a frontend for the end consumer. We have grown so fast because of the health, immunity and safety aspect. If you go to a wet market today, it’s not really the safest thing to do,” Kadavil told Business Insider. FreshToHome sources from over 1,500 fishermen and farmers from across the country and also does contract farming.The startup also uses its patent-pending AI-powered supply chain technology and is aided by a state-of-the-art cold chain. “At ICD, we seek to partner with companies like FreshToHome that are able to break new ground for the greater good while also enjoying a large shareholder value creation opportunity” said Khalifa Al Daboos, Deputy CEO of Investment Corporation of Dubai, in a statement. With the latest investment, the company is also planning to expand across India and the Middle East. Fast growth Kadavil said that the company has grown over four times in the last 12 months, and specifically during lockdown, they saw a 2.5X growth. “What that reflects is how consumer buying has changed. Our category is very huge, it’s a $94 billion market and despite the market size, mostly everything is sold through wet markets,” he said. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Orders per month </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1.5 million </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Annualized revenue </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">₹600 crore </td></tr></tbody></table> The biggest hesitation for people so far had been they didn’t know or had assurance about the quality of food bought online – whether it’s fresh or not. But Kadavil shared that by deleting the middlemen in the process, they offer fresh produce to their users. He shared an example that when a user from Delhi places an order at 11 am, the fish is still in Cochin and is processed overnight and delivered to the user. “The online purchase behaviour is such that once you try the first order, then you get hooked on to our page. We have over 96% retention which is really a measure of how consumers buyback from us. It’s one of the largest retention rates in the industry,” said Kadavil. With the growing number of users and orders, over the next 12 months, Kadavil is targeting annualized sales of ₹1,500 crore. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/after-katrina-kaif-alia-bhatt-invests-in-e-commerce-unicorn-nykaa/articleshow/78888581.cms">After Katrina Kaif, Alia Bhatt invests in e-commerce unicorn Nykaa</a>

FreshToHome raises $121 million – founder says they are looking to double their revenue to ₹1,500 crore in the next one year

<ul><li><keyword id="937472" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Anupriya-Acharya">Anupriya Acharya</keyword> will be leading Publicis Groupe's country agenda across India and Sri Lanka. </li><li>Her primary responsibilities will include driving greater integration across the Groupe’s operations to deliver end to end marketing transformation to existing clients while winning the trust of new ones, as well as cultivating and attracting the best talent across Agencies and Practices. </li><li><keyword id="749098" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saurabh-Varma">Saurabh Varma</keyword>, currently CEO of Publicis Communications resigned from his position to pursue other career opportunities.</li></ul> Publicis Groupe has appointed Anupriya Acharya as Chief Executive Officer, South Asia. The move comes after Saurabh Varma put down his papers after spending 17 years at the agency. Acharya started her career at Ogilvy in 1994 and worked at a number of agencies before joining Publicis Groupe in 2013 as CEO of <keyword id="250897" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zenith">Zenith</keyword>. In 2016, she was elevated to CEO of Publicis Media where her mandate encompassed all the Groupe media agencies including Zenith, <keyword id="6383441" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Starcom">Starcom</keyword>, and <keyword id="2890861" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Performics">Performics</keyword>. In this stint she has more than doubled the operations in three years through expanding capabilities in digital media and services, analytics, consulting, content, commerce and adding new clients including Parle, Fiat, Ola, GSK, KrafHeinz, Lenovo, Motorola, Nykaa amongst others. An eminent member of the advertising and media fraternity, she is on the Jury of key industry awards, actively involved with AAAI and other industry bodies and also an Independent Director on the Board of DB Corp. She has been felicitated by Forbes India as ‘W-Power’ Trailblazer 2018 and featured in Fortune India’s list of Top 50 “Most Powerful Women in Business” consecutively in 2018 and 2019. In this newly created role, Acharya will be leading Publicis Groupe's country agenda across India and Sri Lanka. Her primary responsibilities will include driving greater integration across the Groupe’s operations to deliver end to end marketing transformation to existing clients while winning the trust of new ones, as well as cultivating and attracting the best talent across Agencies and Practices. She will be supported by the India leadership team, comprising all the agencies’ CEOs, including creative, media, digital, influence, data and technology. “I am thrilled with Anupriya’s appointment. She and I have been working together for a number of years, I am really impressed with her achievements to date and I cannot think of a better leader to take on this extremely important responsibility. India is an absolutely critical market for us, one of the very best talent pools in the world, with strong innovation and a great resonance well into the region and beyond. It is a strategic priority for us, and shifting to a Groupe leadership is a catalyst to accelerate our investments in India. Over the past 3 years, we have made significant progress in making the Power of One a reality in India, with great examples of collaboration for the benefit of our clients and talents and having Anupriya at the helm is very natural. I am truly looking forward to partnering with her in this new role.” said <keyword id="2963521" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Loris-Nold">Loris Nold</keyword>, CEO, Asia Pacific, Middle East &amp; Africa, Publicis Groupe. “I also wanted to announce that Saurabh Varma, currently CEO of Publicis Communications has decided to pursue other career opportunities, and will be leaving Publicis Groupe after 17 years. In the past few years, we have built very strong momentum at Publicis Communications and I want to thank Saurabh for his partnership and wish him good luck in his future endeavors”. Says Anupriya Acharya “Its a great honor to get this mandate and am both excited and humbled by getting this opportunity. We have such an incredibly talented leadership team in India, who has been the very reason for our success over the years. And moving to the Power of One model that puts our clients at the center of our Groupe offering has infused unmatched vitality and energy across the entire organisation. I look forward to building on this momentum and innovate further with new products and approaches”

Publicis Groupe appoints Anupriya Acharya as CEO, South Asia as Saurabh Varma resigns

“Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it a meaning,” a famous quotes suggests. And in India, there is a huge controversy around this word and its various interpretations. The country’s history, architecture and literature are steeped in various allusions to love. But, this liberal outlook towards one of the most important human emotions died somewhere in the middle ages, here. Thereafter, our ancient tradition of love was highly suppressed and frowned upon. 
 
Thus, despite having our very own God of love, our youth fell back on a rather obscure martyrdom of a Christian saint from Rome to celebrate love. It was somewhere in the 1990s that Valentine’s Day began making an impression in India, before that hardly anyone celebrated it here. The rise of economic globalization, the birth of a new class of rich people and the emergence of satellite channels all contributed to the increasing popularity of Valentine’s Day in India. Later, with the advent of the new middle class and its growing buying power, it predictably became a refreshingly great marketing strategy and opportunity for many businesses. 
 
Today, we not only have a day to celebrate love, we have a whole Valentine’s Week, which has grown in to a multi-million dollar business in India. According to surveys the Associated Chambers of Commerce &amp; Industry of India(ASSOCHAM), the Valentine’s week, which had already become a Rs 12,000 crore business in 2011, swelled to Rs 15,000 crore in 2013, and it was pegged at Rs 18,000 crore in 2014. 
 
Why online shopping comes as a better option for Valentine’s Day? 
Just as consumerism was reaching an all-time high in India, growing Internet penetration gave Indian buyers a new option in shopping—the online store. This new retail market makes a better option for shoppers generally, and particularly on Valentine’s Day. While discounted rates, free home delivery and cash-on-delivery are major lures of online shopping, these are made even more attractive during Valentine’s Week with special offers. There is also the advantage of saving time and being able to shop from the convenience of your home. In fact, if you wish to give your partner something more intimate like lingerie, then you can shop for it online in your own private space, without feeling awkward in a physical store among real sales people. Moreover, you can surprise your partner by directly sending a gift-wrapped order to his/her address without any additional costs for delivery. 
 
Another important benefit of online shopping during Valentine’s Day is getting valuable shopping advice from other shoppers on shopping communities, said Mehul Jobanputra, CEO and co-founder of <a href="http://www.desidime.com/">DesiDime</a>, India’s largest shopping community. 
 
Trends expected in 2015 
With so many compensations on offer, it is little wonder that online shopping companies show a marked increase in sales during Valentine’s Day every year. This year too, certain industries are expected to see immense traction during Valentine’s Day benefitting both shoppers and industry stakeholders. Consequently, Mehul Jobanputra shares a few insights and analyzes the top 4 industries: 
 
1. <keyword id="2174941" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="gifting-industry">Gifting Industry</keyword> In 2015, shoppers can expect horizontal players like <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, <keyword id="541988" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SnapDeal">Snapdeal</keyword> to give around 50%-60% off on soft toys, upto 40% off on perfumes and around 60-70% off on sunglasses. Some of the gifting options preferred for men would be silver cufflinks, ties, wallets, key chains, perfumes, and sunglasses, while for women jewelry, cosmetics, soft toys, and flowers would make ideal gift options. 
 
Websites to visit for gifting items: Flipkart, <keyword id="6388367" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jabong">Jabong</keyword>, Snapdeal 
 
2. Intimate Apparel Industry 
More often than not, men, who want to give something more intimate like lingerie to their partners, feel embarrassed to shop for it in physical stores. However, online shopping solves this problem for them as the intimate apparel industry is growing in the online arena. Shoppers can expect discounts as high as 60-70% off on lingerie and nightwear during Valentine’s Day this year. 
 
Websites to visit: Zivame.com, Jabong.com, Prettysecrets.com, Myntra.com 
 
3. Personalized Gift Industry 
One of the best ways to make Valentine’s Day even more special is to give a personalized gift. Gifting personalized items has become a lot easier, as all you have to do is select an appealing design and a beautiful memory to go with your chosen present. Shoppers can expect upto 35% off on customized gifting options. 
 
Websites to visit- Printvenue.com, <a href="http://printland.in/" target="_blank">printland.in</a>, wishpicker.com 
 
4. Flower, Jewelry and Cosmetics Industry 
While shoppers can expect upto 25% off on cosmetics this year around Valentine’s Day, they can also expect around 35% off on jewelry. 
 
Websites to visit:FernsNPetals, CaratLane, BlueStone, <a href="http://nykaa.com/" target="_blank">nykaa.com</a> 
 
So, this Valentine’s Day shop more in a smart way. If you still want some last minute advice or quick heads up on where to find the hottest Valentine’s Day deals and discounts, then visit <a href="http://www.desidime.com/festivals/valentines-day">DesiDime.com</a> and other such websites—there you will find all Valentine offers aggregated on a single page. In addition to this, you will also get to interact with fellow online shoppers in real time. 
 
About the author: This article has been written by Vandana Baria, Content Marketing Specialist at DesiDime.com. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

You Searched For "nykaa in middle countries" and got 8 results

Nykaa enters into a JV with Dubai-based fashion retailer Apparel Group

Bhakti Makwana

The men’s segment is going to grow the fastest, we’ll launch a complete men's line by early next year: Samir Modi, Colorbar Cosmetics

Samarpita Banerjee

E-commerce: Trends to watch out for in 2021

Karuna Sharma

The Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed Nazara Technologies is back with an IPO plan ⁠⁠— after a series of acquisitions and fundraisings

Sanchita Dash

IDFC First Bank joins ICICI Bank, Yes Bank and others in stopping services to crypto companies, despite RBI's nudge to ignore its 2018 order

Shivam Vahia

FreshToHome raises $121 million – founder says they are looking to double their revenue to ₹1,500 crore in the next one year

Sanchita Dash

Publicis Groupe appoints Anupriya Acharya as CEO, South Asia as Saurabh Varma resigns

BI India Partner

Decoding the science and business of love just ahead of V-Day

Guest Author

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides