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Dear reader, This week’s news roundup captures a mix of finance, technology, and career insights, spotlighting trends and timely advice. The <keyword id="19895040" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Real-Estate" source="keywords">real estate</keyword> sector in India continues to reign supreme in investment portfolios, even as new financial opportunities emerge. Meanwhile, <keyword id="20019820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Job-Seekers" source="keywords">job seekers</keyword> are dealing with “ghosting,” a new twist in recruitment echoing modern dating. In tech, a damaged satellite shows how fragile internet infrastructure can disrupt connectivity, while an <keyword id="23685266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Engineer" source="keywords">Amazon engineer</keyword> offers a firsthand roadmap to nailing technical interviews. Read on to know about the top stories of the week gone by. <h2>Real Estate continues to dominate India’s investment portfolios, shows <keyword id="23616651" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="FICCI-Report" source="keywords">FICCI report</keyword></h2> According to a FICCI report, real estate remains a favourite in Indian investment portfolios. High returns, capital appreciation, and stability make it a popular choice, even amid increased diversification. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/real-estate-continues-to-dominate-indias-investment-portfolios-shows-ficci-report/articleshow/114368582.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Did you experience wonky broadband service recently? A broken satellite in space might have something to do with it! </h2> Broadband disruptions across various areas may stem from a broken satellite, highlighting vulnerabilities in space-based infrastructure. This issue underscores how satellite failures impact daily internet access. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/article/did-you-experience-wonky-broadband-service-recently-a-broken-satellite-in-space-might-have-something-to-do-with-it/articleshow/114535180.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Bhavish Aggarwal's <keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Electric" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola Electric" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ola Electric">OLA Electric</keyword> says it has resolved 99% customer complaints after receiving CCPA show cause notice </h2> Two-wheeler manufacturer Ola Electric announced that it has successfully addressed 99.1% of the 10,644 complaints raised by the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA). This update came on the heels of a recent notice from the CCPA, which had accused the company of misleading advertisements, unfair trade practices, and potential consumer rights violations. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/bhavish-aggarwals-ola-electric-says-it-has-resolved-99-customer-complaints-after-receiving-ccpa-show-cause-notice/articleshow/114489333.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Job Hunting in 2024 has a modern dating element: Ghosting </h2> Job seekers in 2024 face an unexpected trend — “ghosting,” a phenomenon borrowed from dating. Recruiters and candidates alike are leaving communication abruptly, signalling changing norms in the hiring process. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/job-hunting-in-2024-has-a-modern-dating-element-ghosting/articleshow/114454697.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>I'm a software engineer at Amazon. Here's my step-by-step guide to nailing the <keyword id="23685264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Technical-Interview" source="keywords">technical interview</keyword> and breaking into tech </h2>An Amazon software engineer has shared tips for acing technical interviews. The guide includes key interview stages and actionable strategies for breaking into tech, providing valuable insights for job seekers. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/im-a-software-engineer-at-amazon-heres-my-step-by-step-guide-to-nailing-the-technical-interview-and-breaking-into-tech-/articleshow/114430281.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Web stories</h2> <h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/international/webstories/most-famous-tourist-spots-in-brics-nations/slidelist/114543399.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank"></a></h2><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/international/webstories/most-famous-tourist-spots-in-brics-nations/slidelist/114543399.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Most famous tourist spots in BRICS nations</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/webstories/cyclones-that-shook-india-a-history-of-devastation/slidelist/114514841.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Cyclones that shook India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/food/webstories/9-refreshing-drinks-that-reduce-high-blood-pressure-levels/slidelist/114426482.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">9 refreshing drinks that reduce high blood pressure</a>

Weekend wrap: Real estate dominates India's investment portfolios, interview tips from Amazon employee and more

<keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Electric" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola Electric" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ola Electric">Ola Electric</keyword> CEO <keyword id="19914967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="keywords">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> recently made headlines for engaging in a war of words with comedian <keyword id="20947562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kunal-Kamra" source="keywords">Kunal Kamra</keyword> on Twitter (X). The comedian had criticised Ola EV's customer service, sharing photos of Ola scooters gathering dust at a dealership. Aggarwal was quick to respond to his post, saying that he can pay him more for what he got for this "paid tweet." Now, a day after the spat, Ola Electric has been slapped with a show-cause notice by <keyword id="20127554" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CCPA" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CCPA" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CCPA">CCPA</keyword> (Central Consumer Protection Authority) for increased customer service complaints. <h2>CCPA issues show-cause notice to Ola Electric </h2> According to a report in ANI, the CCPA took official action against Ola Electric on October 8, issuing the notice to the company in response to a growing number of grievances from consumers regarding the its electric scooters. According to a filing made by Ola Electric, the company acknowledged receipt of the notice, confirming that it would respond to the CCPA within the 15-day timeline provided. The notice, which currently does not impose financial penalties, signals the government’s intent to address concerns over <keyword id="21054298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-rights" source="keywords">consumer rights</keyword> violations and misrepresentation. Ola Electric reassured stakeholders that this regulatory development would not affect its financial or operational activities in the immediate term. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114004646" title="'Pay your staff properly, solve the 80,000 complaints first': Internet reacts on Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal and Kunal Kamra feud" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Complaints against Ola Electric</h2> The notice from the CCPA comes amid a surge in consumer dissatisfaction regarding Ola Electric’s scooters, which has become increasingly evident both through official channels and on social media. The National Consumer Helpline has received over 10,000 complaints regarding issues such as delayed deliveries, service inefficiencies, and persistent mechanical problems with Ola scooters. Allegations of <keyword id="20610549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="misleading-advertisements" source="keywords">misleading advertisements</keyword> and unmet service promises have further eroded trust in the company, which initially captured consumer enthusiasm with its vision of accessible, eco-friendly transportation Specifically, many complaints have centered around recurring issues with vehicle components, delays in promised services, and unfulfilled refund requests following booking cancellations. This growing wave of discontent has pushed the regulatory spotlight onto the company, forcing it to confront its service shortcomings more directly. <h2>Kunal Kamra vs Bhavish Aggarwal </h2> The growing backlash against Ola Electric came into sharp public focus when comedian Kunal Kamra took to social media to criticize the company’s service failures. In a post on X, Kamra shared a photograph of an Ola dealership with several scooters gathering dust. He tagged prominent figures like Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways, questioning the state of EV adoption in India and calling on the Department of Consumer Affairs to weigh in on the matter. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113984574" title="‘Comedian ban na sake, Chaudhary banne chale’: Ola CEO Bhavish Aggarwal after Kunal Kamra criticises Ola EV service" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Kamra’s post quickly garnered attention, inviting frustrated consumers to share their experiences with Ola Electric in the comments. In response, Ola Electric CEO Bhavish Aggarwal fired back, accusing Kamra of engaging in a “paid tweet” to damage the company’s reputation. Aggarwal challenged Kamra to work with Ola to improve services, offering to pay him more than what he supposedly earned from his comedic career. The heated exchange between the two personalities quickly went viral and got people talking. <h2>Share Prices plummet </h2> The consumer dissatisfaction and negative publicity surrounding the company have had immediate repercussions in the financial markets. Following the social media spat between Kamra and Aggarwal, Ola Electric’s share prices took a significant hit, falling by 8% to Rs 90.82 on the BSE. This marks a 43% drop from the company’s all-time high of Rs 157.5, though the stock remains 18% above its IPO price of Rs 76.

Government takes action against Ola Electric for customer complaints, Bhavish Aggarwal’s company slapped with show-cause notice

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the <keyword id="19998949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unified-Payments-Interface" source="keywords">Unified Payments Interface</keyword> in the archipelago nation, which will have a "very positive" impact on its <keyword id="20260982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism-sector" source="keywords">tourism sector</keyword>, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (<keyword id="19998946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPCI" source="keywords">NPCI</keyword>), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions". Stressing that it has taken financial inclusion in India to new levels, he said "Today 40 per cent of the world's real-time digital payments take place in our country." "We see this revolution, every day in our lives. I am pleased to note that with the signing of the MoU today, we have taken the first step towards bringing this digital innovation to Maldives," he said. "I wish the very best to stakeholders on both sides and hope that we will soon see the first UPI transaction here. I should mention that it will have a very positive impact on tourism," he added. Tourism is the main source of economic activity for the Maldives, contributing nearly 30 per cent of the GDP and generating more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange. Jaishankar's visit aims to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives and is the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president, Mohamed Muizzu, assumed office last year. "India's partnership with the Maldives is based on our deep desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as witnessed in the past," Jaishankar said. "It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring tangible benefits to our people in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities," he said. In a post on X, Jaishankar also said, "Jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects in areas of street lighting, mental health, children speech therapy and special education." "Welcome renewal of MoU between National Centre for Good Governance and Civil Services Commission on (the) training of additional 1,000 civil services officers," he added. Addressing the joint press conference, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, "India has always been one of our closest friends and a vital development partner." He said the "enduring friendship" was built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect and has continued to flourish over the years. "High-level exchanges between our countries have deepened our dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest. We remain dedicated to strengthening and advancing this mutually beneficial partnership," he said. "Minister Dr Jaishankar and I agreed that much more needs to be done to promote trade and investment between the Maldives and India," he said, adding that both sides are committed to establishing "effective mechanisms to enhance economic cooperation, fostering a vibrant and prosperous partnership that will benefit both the nations." Zameer said he conveyed President Muizzu's proposal to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Maldives and India. "This agreement alongside other economic and trade-related agreements will facilitate trade liberalisation and ease the risks of doing business in both our countries," he said. Zameer said that India and Maldives have also mutually agreed to further strengthen their partnership by continuing joint exercises and expanding training opportunities for officers from both countries, asserting that this reflects "our commitment to working together to ensure the security of our nations as well as ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region." India's relations with the Maldives suffered a major setback last year when President Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date. "On regional and multilateral issues of importance, our countries have a common understanding and are united in our efforts to resolve them. We agreed to continue our cooperation on issues ranging from combating terrorism, violent extremism, drugs, human trafficking and to the promotion and protection of human rights," Zameer said. In his press statement, Jaishankar said that India and the Maldives "are not just close neighbours, we are also natural partners." "Today, we are mutually invested in each other's development and progress. In a globalised and interconnected world, we see a lot of volatility and global tensions. Even as the world is recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic, we have been confronted with new challenges arising from international conflicts," he said. In this tumultuous environment, India has been and will be, an anchor of stability for its friends, partners and neighbours. To the Maldives specifically, India has provided support to deal with economic challenges through financial assistance and budgetary support, and by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of critical items, he noted. India's actions have been and will continue to be guided by its firm commitment to the philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabke Vikas - which is- Together, we prosper', Jaishankar said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank">Brainbees Solutions (Firstcry) IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank">Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart</a>

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

Ride-hailing major <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> has started to lay off 200 employees from its <keyword id="6362049" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-cabs" source="Orion">Ola Cabs</keyword>, Ola Electric and <keyword id="7306214" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-financial-services" source="Orion">Ola Financial Services</keyword> verticals as part of the "restructuring" exercise. The layoffs, which were first announced in September last year, happened across the teams. The company told IANS that it is "centralising operations and is undertaking a restructuring exercise to minimise redundancy and build a strong lateral structure that strengthens relevant roles and functions". The layoffs constitute 10 per cent of its 2,000-strong engineer workforce "as part of a larger restructuring exercise towards its electric dream". "Currently, the company has around 2,000 engineers and aims to increase its engineering talent pool to 5,000 over the next 18 months," according to the ride-hailing company. The Bhavish Aggarwal-run company has nearly 1,100 employees in its core ride-hailing business. Earlier, restructuring exercises impacted employees across product, marketing, sales, supply, tech, business, and operations verticals at the company, affecting nearly 500 employees that "were a result of restructuring in the cars and dash businesses". The ride-hailing major last year shut down its used vehicle business <keyword id="3295694" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-cars" source="Orion">Ola Cars</keyword>, as well as its quick-commerce business, <keyword id="13052888" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-dash" source="Orion">Ola Dash</keyword>, as the company shifted to focus on its electric two-wheeler and car verticals. Ola said it plans to hire 5,000 engineers as it doubles down on new engineering verticals and strengthens capabilities across the vehicle, cell, battery, manufacturing and autonomous streams. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/fugitive-diamantaire-mehul-choksi-buying-protection-by-bribing-antigua-officials-says-an-expos-on-blogger/articleshow/96956166.cms">Fugitive diamantaire Mehul Choksi buying protection by bribing Antigua officials, says an exposé on Blogger</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-11-5g-launch-event-how-to-buy-event-tickets-price-benefits-and-more/articleshow/96956696.cms">OnePlus 11 5G launch event – how to buy event tickets, price, benefits, and more</a>

Layoffs begin at Ola, 200 employees to be impacted by restructuring exercise

Gurugram-based offline-to-online commerce platform <keyword id="8103952" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="dotpe" source="Orion">DotPe</keyword> on Monday said it has raised $58 million in its series B funding round led by Temasek. The platform, which "plans to foray into financial services", currently serves over 7.5 million brands across the country. The funding round saw participation from existing investors PayU, the payments and fintech business of Prosus, and InfoEdge Ventures while Mitsubishi &amp; Naya Capital joined as new investors. "As we keep democratising opportunities for business growth with our omni-channel solutions and making technology more affordable and accessible, we also plan to foray into financial services and further empower merchants with business loans &amp; credit lines to turbocharge their growth," said <keyword id="3204218" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shailaz-nag" source="Orion">Shailaz Nag</keyword>, Co-Founder and CEO, DotPe. Founded in 2020, DotPe's merchant-base has grown over 3 times since launch. In March, DotPe secured $27.5 million (around Rs 200 crore) in Series A funding as <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> joined PayU and Info Edge Ventures as investors. "We look forward to empowering more Indian businesses with the benefits of digitization and co-creating a brighter future for the country's merchant community," said <keyword id="15022820" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="vijay-agicha" source="Orion">Vijay Agicha</keyword>, Global Head of Strategy and Growth at PayU. Started by ex-PayU Founder <keyword id="25067" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nag" source="Orion">Nag</keyword> with Gyanesh Sharma and Anurag Gupta, DotPe has digitised enterprise as well as small and medium-sized business (SMB) merchants through a "full stack" solution. The company said that on the enterprise side, it has integration with over 10,000 restaurants and food courts, including leading global and domestic food and beverage brands. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/laying-off-200-engineers-to-centralise-operations-clarifies-ola-ld/articleshow/94296026.cms">Laying off 200 engineers to 'centralise' operations, clarifies Ola (Ld)</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ev-battery-can-charge-in-three-minutes-a-harvard-backed-company-claimed/articleshow/94295446.cms">Harvard-backed company makes an EV battery that fully charges in three minutes</a>

DotPe raises $58 mn, plans to foray into financial services

Leading US asset manager <keyword id="174755" type="General" weightage="70" keywordseo="vanguard" source="Orion">Vanguard</keyword> has further slashed its holding in ride-hailing major <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> by more than half, which takes the Bhavish Aggarwal-run company's valuation down to nearly $3.5 billion from $7.3 billion at the end of 2021. According to a TechCrunch report, citing Vanguard's filings, the investment firm has cut the worth of its shares in Ani Technologies, Ola's holding firm, by 51.6%. "The asset manager marked down the holding of its Ola shares to $25 million, from the $51.7 million purchase price years ago, the filings showed," according to the report. Vanguard had valued its Ola's shares at about $33.8 million in February this year. In May, Vanguard had slashed Ola's valuation by 35% amid global macroeconomic conditions, reducing its valuation to about $4.8 billion. Ola has raised more than $3.9 billion over the years, according to public data. IPO-bound Ola Electric has also recorded an operating loss of $136 million (roughly Rs 1,116 crore) and revenue of $335 million (roughly Rs 2,750 crore), missing its revenue goal disclosed publicly. The company reported sales of over 1,50,000 electric scooters for FY23, according to a Reuters report. In the first two months of FY23, Ola Electric claimed to have surpassed Rs 500 crore in revenue and was on track to surpass $1 billion by year's end. In January, Ola laid off 200 employees from its <keyword id="6362049" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ola-cabs" source="Orion">Ola Cabs</keyword>, Ola Electric and Ola Financial Services verticals as part of the "restructuring" exercise. Ola joins a growing list of Indian unicorns who have significantly lost their valuations. Invesco lowered Swiggy's valuation by almost half to $5.5 billion in earlier this year while leading US investment firm Fidelity reportedly slashed the estimated worth of its holding in homegrown conversational engagement platform Gupshup by over 20% in a month.

Ola's valuation slashed by more than half by Vanguard

Global technology brand <keyword id="874458" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="xiaomi" source="Orion">Xiaomi</keyword> on Friday said it has closed the <keyword id="15371102" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mi-financial-services" source="Orion">Mi Financial Services</keyword> in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> as part of its strategic assessment activity and to focus more on core business services in the country. The company launched <keyword id="3616221" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mi-pay" source="Orion">Mi Pay</keyword> in the country in 2019 which garnered more than 20 million users the country. The company also launched Mi Credit later. In a statement to IANS, <keyword id="2210169" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="xiaomi-india" source="Orion">Xiaomi India</keyword> said the move is "to enhance focus on our core business services". "We closed the Mi Financial Services in March 2022. In a short span of four years, we were able to connect and support thousands of customers. We are working with our partners and supporting our consumers during this process," the company spokesperson said. Xiaomi India said it will continue to bring the latest technology and innovation for all with "our products and services in the future". Initially launched in May 2018 and then relaunched on December 3 in 2019, Mi Credit was an online curated marketplace for lending, to offer personal loans to Mi Fans. According to the company, it disbursed personal loans of up to Rs 28 crore (or Rs 1 crore per day) during the pilot phase which ran through November 2019. It later informed that over Rs 125 crore worth of loans were disbursed via its digital lending solution in India till December 2019. The company led the Indian smartphone market in the third quarter of this year. According to a report by market research firm Canalys, Xiaomi held onto the first place with 9.2 million units as the brand gained traction from July's online sales ahead of the festival season. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-s1-air-vs-tvs-iqube-electric-scooter-price-specs-and-features-compared/slidelist/95143620.cms">Ola S1 Air vs TVS iQube – price, specs, and features compared</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/pm-modi-lauds-paytm-commends-reach-of-digital-payments-in-far-off-places/articleshow/95144686.cms">PM Modi lauds Paytm, commends reach of digital payments in far-off places</a>

Xiaomi shuts Mi Financial Services in India to focus on core biz services

<keyword id="4393078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="Orion">Ola Electric</keyword> and <keyword id="2622647" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ather" source="Orion">Ather</keyword> Energy on Thursday said they will reimburse the cost of chargers to buyers of electric scooters in the larger interest of the EV ecosystem. In a statement on Twitter, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> said the electric vehicle industry has witnessed unprecedented success in the last couple of years despite attempts from vested interest groups, like the recent narrative on <keyword id="6479784" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="charger" source="Orion">charger</keyword> pricing. "As a leader of the industry, we remain committed to putting our customers first. Therefore, setting aside the technicalities and as an example for others to follow, we have decided to reimburse the charger monies to all eligible customers," it stated. This move will not only demonstrate the company's commitment to the EV revolution but also serve to strengthen trust and add more value for the customers, the company noted. Ola did not provide the details regarding the amount it planned to reimburse. Reports citing government officials had pegged the amount to be around Rs 130 crore. In a separate statement on Twitter, Ather Energy said that over the last few weeks, the company has been in discussion with the Ministry of Heavy Industries on the topic of bundling chargers with the purchase of an EV scooter. "While there is no legal compliance requirement to bundle chargers, after discussions with MHI and in larger interest of the EV ecosystem we recently made the change to bundle the charger with the vehicle," it said. It further said: "In order to be fair to the customers who had bought the vehicle prior to this change, we have decided to refund the invoiced amount of the chargers for vehicles bought before April 12, 2023." On Wednesday, TVS Motor Company announced that it will refund around Rs 20 crore as a goodwill benefit scheme to customers who have paid over and above the threshold limit fixed under the FAME scheme. Last week, the government sent notices to Okinawa Autotech and Hero Electric for debarment from the FAME-II Scheme and sought the recovery of incentives claimed since FY20 after the two companies were found to be violating localisation norms under the scheme. Based on anonymous emails, the government has recently re-opened audits for 2020 and 2021 where all companies were importing certain components which weren't manufactured in India. The FAME II (Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of (Hybrid &amp;) Electric Vehicles in India) scheme commenced on April 1, 2019, for a period of three years, which was further extended for a period of two years up to March 31, 2024. The total outlay for FAME Scheme Phase II is Rs 10,000 crore. The scheme is exclusively for public and commercial transport in the segments of electric three-wheelers (e-3W), electric four-wheelers (e-4W), and electric buses. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/sensex-nifty50-rebound-to-close-nearly-1-higher-led-by-metal-psu-banks-and-financial-services-stocks/articleshow/99987043.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 rebound to close nearly 1% higher, led by metal, PSU banks and financial services stocks</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/amazon-sale-available-on-kindle-echo-speakers-and-fire-tv-sticks/articleshow/99987706.cms">Amazon Summer Sale 2023: Big discounts on Kindle, Echo speakers and Fire TV Stick</a>

Ola Electric, Ather to refund charger cost to e-scooter buyers

<ul><li>The tech industry has seen more than 200,000 <keyword id="6357067" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="layoffs" source="Orion">layoffs</keyword> since the start of 2022.</li><li>Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add a major value to the organization.</li><li>Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management.</li></ul>Bipin Singh, a business development manager at Byju’s with over 11 years experience in the EdTech industry was laid off last month after a stint of 1.5 years at the company. In his LinkedIn post he mentioned about the layoff and urged everyone to reach out to him with job offers or if not, like share and comment on his post to increase reach. Anil <keyword id="906861" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sahani" source="Orion">Sahani</keyword>, a software engineer, lost his job in Accenture recently .“I was one of the first ones to let go as I was a contract employee and also did not have any notice period. The layoffs are still on.” Singh and Sahani are among the thousands of employees who have been affected by tech layoffs in India. Google trend data, which reflects what people search for, shows that between January 22-28 this year, the term ‘layoff’ was at its peak popularity of 100, while between January 23 to January 29 last year, it was just at five. This is not surprising because layoffs are being reported majorly in the media and almost every other post on Linkedin is talking about layoffs. It all started with the news that the big tech giants like Amazon and Google parent Alphabet were laying off in large numbers. While Alphabet laid off 12,000 people, the Amazon layoffs affected more than 18,000 people. Microsoft said it will lay off 10,000 people by the end of the third quarter of 2023 and even SAP and IBM have started laying off employees. It seems it is almost like a contagion that is spreading rapidly like wildfire. The Indian situation: Which brings us to the question: Is the situation as bad in India? Layoffs are now a reality in India too. Reports suggest that around 21,000 techies have lost their jobs in the last three to four months. In the third week of January, Wipro fired more than 400 freshers for failing performance tests. While Amazon has laid off 1,000 of its employees in India, IBM and SAP are also laying off employees, affecting their employees in India as well. Very recently, Byju’s laid off 1,000 people, in a second round of layoffs in February. Sivaprasad N, vice president &amp; business head, TeamLease Digital, a staffing solutions company, puts the number of layoffs in the tech industry at more than 2,00,000 since 2022. Over 21,000 employees <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/70-plus-indian-startups-show-exit-door-to-21k-techies-more-pink-slips-coming/articleshow/97411761.cms?">have been laid off </a>by 70 startups in the past 3-4 months including from unicorns like BYJU'S, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>, MPL, Innovaccer, Unacademy, Vedantu, Cars24, OYO, Meesho, Udaan and many more. Anuj Gupta, who has over 10 years of experience in SEO, has lost his job in edtech company upGrad and is a part of the current tech and marketing layoff wave. The layoff situation in India is currently more of a spill-over effect of shake-ups in the West. Unlike the funding winter that hit the Indian funded tech startups cohort in 2022, the current layoffs by big labels are largely corrective talent adjustments. “Despite potential opportunities coming our way due to global shakeups, it is prudent for India Inc. to treat the current layoffs as a tip of the iceberg,” says <keyword id="138078" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kamal-karanth" source="Orion">Kamal Karanth</keyword>, CoFounder, Xpheno, a specialist staffing company. He adds that enterprises, especially in tech, will benefit from remaining alert and conservative on costs for at least two quarters. Agrees Sivaprasad, “Companies are battling a slowdown in demand after a hiring frenzy. No company is certain to avoid significant cutbacks in such an economic environment. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. It looks like the trend will continue for some time.” Many IT majors have announced mass layoffs in the last couple of months, quoting factors like overhiring, an impending recession and geopolitical conflicts. “We expect businesses to exhibit caution in hiring and workforce management through a major part of 2023,” <keyword id="13896318" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sachin-alug" source="Orion">Sachin Alug</keyword>, CEO, NLB Services - a global technology &amp; digital talent solutions company. Delhi-based Pankaj Kumar, laid off from a software company this month, says that one day he got a message saying that the company was restructuring and that it was his last day. “However, we were forced to resign and also we received very little in the name of assistance as promised.” Kumar feels that most startups today have no clue about manpower requirements and just hire to show their investors that they are doing well without having an idea of how they can sustain themselves in crucial times. Tech jobs have been the most affected: As discussed, tech companies, especially IT firms, are very vulnerable to an impending recession in the US. “The tech sector has always been highly sensitive to economic cycles, and the current economic downturn could have a significant impact on these companies. A recession could lead to decreased consumer spending, reduced corporate investment, and layoffs, which could all hit tech companies hard,” says <keyword id="328697" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sandeep-budhiraja" source="Orion">Sandeep Budhiraja</keyword>, Co-founder, Executive Director and Chief People Officer - BYLD Group which provides HR and Business productivity solutions, Additionally, the US market is a major source of revenue for many tech companies, so a recession here could have a widespread impact on global operations. Finally, any disruption to the global supply chain could further disrupt tech companies, as many rely on components and materials sourced from around the world. “The sectors that may be most affected, other than the technology, are telecommunications, financial services and retail. The telecommunications sector could be hit by reduced investment in infrastructure and lower customer demand. The financial services sector could be adversely affected by a decrease in credit availability and tightened lending standards, while the retail sector could suffer from decreased consumer spending,” adds Budhiraja. Everyone is vulnerable: “Instead of performance, the focus for layoffs is more on eliminating redundant roles that no longer add major value to the organization. Usually, mass layoffs affect employees invariably regardless of their performance but in organizations that choose to let go of a selected few, performers at a certain level tend to be the target,” says Alug. The primary causes of layoffs are the foreseeable recession and the geopolitical scenario which have led to inflation, impacting many industries. Prominent players in the IT and Technology domain are being cautious to ensure profitability and better predictability of business. Agrees Karanth, “The larger layoffs related to enterprise strategy and austerity are mostly across the ranks and ratings of performance. Such layoffs related to macroeconomic movements are typically steamrollers on entire divisions, geographies and business units. While each enterprise has their own pattern of priority on the layoffs, the high cost and high volume headcounts typically come under the lens faster.” Look out for red flags: “Layoffs in a situation like now are largely written on the wall. It is often the speed and style of a layoff that's a surprise to talent, and not the layoff by itself,” says Karanth. Some of the red flags an employee should look out for are a decrease in hiring, budget cuts and changes in management. “Additionally, if a company is reducing or eliminating certain departments or projects, it may be a sign that layoffs are coming. If there are rumours of layoffs or if employees are being asked to take unpaid leave, this could also be a sign that layoffs are imminent. Finally, if the company is not meeting its financial goals or is experiencing a downturn in business, layoffs may be a possibility,” says Alug. Hiring remains slow: “Many of those who lost their jobs are still looking for work, as nearly every major corporation has put a freeze on new hiring due to global macroeconomic conditions and recession fears. We are witnessing a significant drop in tech hiring unlike previous years as companies are only doing selective hiring for critical projects. Looks like the trend would continue for some time,” says Sivaprasad. However Karanth feels that while tech hiring has slowed down, there are opportunities for talent who are flexible and agile to look beyond their domain. The non-tech sector's talent demand has been compensating well for tech's hiring slowdown. <keyword id="2838370" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shraddha-jain" source="Orion">Shraddha Jain</keyword>, who is also known as 'Aiyyo Shraddha' on social media, posted a hilarious video on Instagram, where she slammed companies for laying off employees despite making a profit. "At the company offsite, we celebrated the company tripling its profit in a year. What happened? A month later we are so poor. Who robbed us?" she asked. While these are questions that reflect the grim reality of large scale layoffs, employees should brace themselves for tough times ahead. 2023 will be a turbulent ride.

Tech layoffs to continue for sometime thanks to a slowdown in demand and an uncertain economic environment

<ul><li>HR Director <keyword id="14299448" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ranjit-kondeshan" source="Orion">Ranjit Kondeshan</keyword> quits as a top executive.</li><li>Ola witnessed 31 top-level resignations and 40 new postings since 2020.</li><li>The high-profile exits come at a time when Ola is reportedly planning its IPO this year.</li></ul>The resignation drive of senior executives at <keyword id="4393078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="Orion">Ola Electric</keyword> continues and now, its Director HR Ranjit Kondeshan has decided to move on. According to sources, Kondeshan would depart from Bhavish Aggarwal-run electric mobility company on July 2, just 14 months after joining. According to his LinkedIn profile, Kondeshan joined Ola Electric Mobility from Visa where he worked for three years in Mumbai. Before Visa, he was Senior HR Manager at Bajaj Allianz Life. Ola Electric, facing a government probe in battery fires along with other EV players, has seen some high-profile exits in recent months. Nidhi Chaturvedi Jha quit Ola Electric as regional head in May and joined Amazon. In April, chief marketing officer Varun Dubey left the company due to "personal reasons". Earlier, Dinesh Radhakrishnan, who was the chief technology officer (CTO) at Ola Electric, moved on from the company. According to his LinkedIn profile, he was appointed CTO at Ola Electric in May last year. Meanwhile, Arun Sirdeshmukh who was head of Ola Cars, which is the used car commerce division of the company, announced his departure from the company. The high-profile exits come at a time when Ola is reportedly planning its IPO this year at a lower valuation than planned earlier as several startups' IPOs have proved to be a nightmare for the investors. Ride-hailing platform Ola this week shut down its used vehicle business Ola Cars as well as Ola Dash, its quick-commerce business, at a time when Indian companies are pouring money into the 10-15 minute grocery delivery market. The company shut Ola Cars within one years of its launch, as it focuses on its electric two-wheeler and car verticals. Ola has so far shut down Ola Cafe, food panda, Ola Foods, and now Ola Dash. Ola now aims to invest more towards its electric car, cell manufacturing, and financial services businesses. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/lays-kurkure-and-bingo-are-taking-over-indian-snacks-like-aloo-bhujia/articleshow/92508625.cms">Lay’s, Kurkure and Bingo are taking over Indian snacks like Aloo Bhujia, Murukku</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/how-it-works-internet-of-things-iot-for-manufacturing/articleshow/92509382.cms">How IT Works: Internet of Things (IoT) for manufacturing</a>

Ola Electric’s HR Director quits after fourteen months as top executives depart

Ride-hailing platform <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword> has shut down its used vehicle business <keyword id="3295694" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-cars" source="Orion">Ola Cars</keyword> as well as Ola Dash, its quick-commerce business, at a time when Indian companies are pouring money into the 10-15 minute grocery delivery market. The company shut Ola Cars within one years of its launch, as it focuses on its electric two-wheeler and car verticals. Ola has so far shut down <keyword id="2773874" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-cafe" source="Orion">Ola Cafe</keyword>, food panda, Ola Foods, and now Ola Dash. "Ola has reassessed its priorities and decided to shut down Ola Dash - its quick commerce business. Ola will also be reorienting its Ola Cars business to focus more on strengthening the go-to-market strategy for <keyword id="4393078" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="Orion">Ola Electric</keyword>," the company said in a statement. It added that Ola Cars' infra, technology and capabilities will be "repurposed towards growing Ola Electric's sales and service network". Ola now aims to invest more towards its electric car, cell manufacturing, and financial services businesses. Ola Dash shuts down at a time when India's quick commerce market is all set to witness 15 times growth by 2025, reaching a market size of nearly $5.5 billion. The total addressable market for quick commerce in India stands at $45 billion, and urban areas are driving this market on the back of mid-high-income households. <keyword id="830092" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="zomato" source="Orion">Zomato</keyword> on Friday poured Rs 4,447 crore into acquiring quick-commerce grocery delivery platform Blinkit. In December 2021, Swiggy announced to pour $700 million into Instamart. Last month, 10-minute delivery platform Zepto raised $200 million, taking its valuation to around $900 million. Ola Electric is also facing scrutiny over faulty batteries in its electric two-wheelers, among other EV players like Okinawa Autotech, Pure EV, Jitendra Electric Vehicles, and Boom Motors, by the government. The Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS), which comes under the Union Consumer Affairs Ministry, has published the "performance standards for electronic vehicle batteries" in a bid to keep a strict control over the manufacturing of EV batteries. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/india-might-be-used-as-a-back-door-for-russian-oil-say-media-reports/articleshow/92480791.cms">India might be used as a 'back door' for Russian oil, say media reports</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/netflix-confirms-an-ad-supported-tier-is-coming-to-its-streaming-service-by-year-end/articleshow/92438291.cms">Netflix confirms an ad supported tier is coming to its streaming service by year end</a>

Ola shuts it used car and quick commerce businesses

<ul><li>Aggarwal would now divert his focus on engineering, product and team building at the newly formed businesses such as EV and quick commerce.</li><li>Prior to this, <keyword id="6354720" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="Orion">Ola</keyword>’s cofounder Ankit Bhati was managing engineering as the chief technology officer (CTO) of the company.</li><li>Ola’s group CFO Arun GR would now be incharge of running the day-to-day business in the interim.</li></ul>ANI Technologies’ founder and chief executive officer (CEO) <keyword id="1543567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhavish-aggarwal" source="Orion">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> has reportedly decided to step away from the day-to-day functions at Ola. Aggarwal would now divert his focus on engineering, product and team building at the newly formed businesses such as electric vehicle (EV) arm <keyword id="4393078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="Orion">Ola Electric</keyword> and quick commerce delivery verticals. Prior to this, Ola’s cofounder Ankit Bhati was managing engineering as the chief technology officer (CTO) of the company. He <a href="https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/exclusive-ola-co-founder-ankit-bhati-launches-new-startup-amnic-with-former-colleagues-ropes-in-sequoia-as-investor-7911191.html">reportedly</a> left Ola to start his software-as-a-service (SaaS) company with some former colleagues Satya Nagarajan and Nimish Joshi. Ola’s group chief financial officer (CFO) Arun GR, who also heads Ola Financial Services, would now be incharge of running the day-to-day business in the interim. He has previously worked across many other businesses, including Ola Electric, auto retail as well as quick commerce. Arun joined Ola last May, prior to that he has worked with Vedanta Resources Plc and General Electric. “I’ll be spending more time with all engineering functions, team building, and on product. I’ll also be increasing my focus on our long-term strategic projects including new 2w [two wheeler] products, out car project, innovations in quick commerce, electrifying ride hailing, out [battery] cell R&amp;D and factory, international expansion, building out our Pune tech centre and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ola-electric-raises-another-200-million-this-time-at-a-valuation-of-5-billion/articleshow/89088739.cms">Futurefoundry, UK and more</a>,” Bhavish Aggarwal said in an email to Ola employees. The email was <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/ola-ceo-bhavish-aggarwal-to-step-away-from-day-to-day-management-of-company/articleshow/90794175.cms?from=mdr">accessed</a> by Economic Times. Business Insider has reached out to Ola seeking clarification on the same. The development comes only a few days after a few Ola Electric bikes, <keyword id="11908705" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-s1-pro" source="Orion">Ola S1 Pro</keyword>, started catching fire in several parts of the country. Ola wasn’t the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/electric-scooters-are-catching-fire-in-india-should-users-be-worried/articleshow/90496840.cms">only EV company to face such issues</a>. Even bikes from Jitendra EV, Pure EV and Okinawa Scooters caught fire across several parts of the country. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/how-sachin-tendulkar-backed-smaaash-is-making-a-comeback-with-45-stores-by-june-2022/articleshow/90795758.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">How Sachin Tendulkar-backed Smaaash is making a comeback with 45 stores by June 2022</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/peyush-bansals-lenskart-may-now-be-valued-at-over-4-billion/articleshow/90794848.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Peyush Bansal’s Lenskart may now be valued at over $4 billion</a> <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/facebook-backed-meesho-lays-off-150-employees-in-india/articleshow/90791826.cms">Facebook-backed Meesho lays off 150 employees in restructuring of grocery business</a>

You Searched For "ola financial service" and got 12 results

Weekend wrap: Real estate dominates India's investment portfolios, interview tips from Amazon employee and more

Divyanshi Sharma

Government takes action against Ola Electric for customer complaints, Bhavish Aggarwal’s company slapped with show-cause notice

Divyanshi Sharma

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

PTI

Layoffs begin at Ola, 200 employees to be impacted by restructuring exercise

IANS

DotPe raises $58 mn, plans to foray into financial services

IANS

Ola's valuation slashed by more than half by Vanguard

IANS

Xiaomi shuts Mi Financial Services in India to focus on core biz services

IANS

Ola Electric, Ather to refund charger cost to e-scooter buyers

PTI

Tech layoffs to continue for sometime thanks to a slowdown in demand and an uncertain economic environment

Anagh Pal

Ola Electric’s HR Director quits after fourteen months as top executives depart

IANS

Ola shuts it used car and quick commerce businesses

IANS

Bhavish Aggarwal is reportedly stepping away from day-to-day functions of Ola to focus more on tech

Kritti Bhalla

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