<ul><li>The expenses of living have increased across the country due to inflation, white-collar jobs and people are looking for ways to go back to their hometowns.</li><li>According to a report by Nasscom and Boston Consulting Group, 65% of the employees in India want to shift to tier 2 or tier 3 cities.</li><li>Top tech majors like <keyword id="6354512" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="infosys" source="Orion">Infosys</keyword>, Wipro and <keyword id="6357150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tcs" source="Orion">TCS</keyword> have opened offices in Tier-2 and Tier-3 locations like Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Jamshedpur.</li></ul>After a long hiatus, software engineer Jatin Sharma moved back to Gurugram from his hometown Jaipur. His company has called him back to the office - and he has to be present at least twice a week. Since it’s too far for him to make the trip from home, he shifted back to the city and has been living there for the last six months. “I’ve realized that my monthly expenses have increased at least by 20-30% in the last six months. It was comparatively lesser before Covid. I am unable to save anything like earlier,” Sharma told Business Insider India. The expenses of living have grown across the country in the last four months due to food and fuel inflation. Moreso, urban areas are tighter on the pocket, making him look for ways and means to go back home. “If I had the option I would want to move back to my hometown. My expenses over there are quite low,” Sharma further added. He is not the only one who thinks so. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Surat vs Mumbai, Kochi vs Chennai" comment="subhead" text="Surat vs Mumbai, Kochi vs Chennai">Surat vs Mumbai, Kochi vs Chennai</cmsannotation> According to a report by Nasscom and Boston Consulting Group, 65% of the employees in India want to shift to tier-2 or tier-3 cities. The cost of living in Surat is 50% lower than Mumbai, while in Jaipur it is 35% lower than the national capital city. Similarly, the cost of living in Kochi is 30% lower than the cost of living in Chennai, says the report titled Shaping the Future of Work in India's Tech Industry. Urban migration of white collar workers is very prevalent in India as a significant portion of employees are from tier-2 or tier-3 cities. Since most of them moved back to their hometowns during the pandemic and enjoyed the comfort of their homes and near and dear, they’re reluctant to come back to hefty rents, lonely life and also miss the pleasures of living at home. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="The reverse migration of tech cos" comment="subhead" text="The reverse migration of tech cos">The reverse migration of tech cos</cmsannotation> As the saying goes, – if Mohammed doesn’t come to the mountain, the mountain will come to Mohammed. To cater to this trend, top tech majors like Infosys, Wipro and TCS have opened offices in tier-2 and tier-3 locations like Guwahati, Bhubaneswar and Jamshedpur. In the last 18 months, this expansion has intensified. “A large number of our people are working from hometowns. We have looked at it and (want to) ensure that they have opportunities to work closer home. These are not satellite offices. It is at least 1,000 seaters and we will expand them as we go forward. In the next quarter-end, all these offices will be ready,” Krishnamurthy Shankar, group head of human resource development of Infosys told ET. Infosys is <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/information-tech/infosys-sets-up-four-new-offices-in-tier-ii-cities-in-a-bid-to-get-closer-to-talent-pool/articleshow/92186996.cms">setting up new offices</a> in Coimbatore and Vizag, to access the talent pool. Opening offices in tier-2 or tier-3 cities is also beneficial for organizations too. These companies which have been struggling with increased salary hikes, can receive access to a wide talent pool at salaries that are at least 20-30% lower. As of <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/blogs/voices/tier-2-and-tier-3-cities-the-sunrise-destination-of-indian-it-industry/">now</a>, about 976 MNCs have set up 1,257 Global In-house Centres (GICs) in India. Of this, only 68 GICs are in tier-2 locations, by Zinnov, a management consultancy. There are more towns which can be tapped, across the length and breadth of this vast country. “Indore, Chandigarh, Warangal, Kochi are some of the tier-2 cities of high potential for the company and it expects to narrow down to two to three cities for launching new offices,” as per Nasscom report. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/environment/news/india-heads-into-the-thunderstorm-zone-right-after-the-heatwave-orange-alerts-issued/articleshow/92333863.cms">India heads into the thunderstorm zone right after the heatwave, orange alerts issued</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/indians-found-inner-peace-during-the-pandemic-but-now-they-seek-less-of-it/articleshow/92336707.cms">Indians found inner peace during the pandemic but now, they seek less of it</a>

India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading

<keyword id="118623" type="DOMAIN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Adani-Enterprises">Adani Enterprises</keyword> on Wednesday said it has incorporated a wholly-owned <keyword id="88592" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="subsidiary">subsidiary</keyword>, <keyword id="11028008" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vizag-Tech-Park">Vizag Tech Park</keyword> Ltd (<keyword id="801633" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="VTPL">VTPL</keyword>), with an authorised share capital of ₹5 lakh, to develop a data centre and business park. "VTPL is incorporated with the object to develop and establish an 'integrated data centre park and technology/business park'," the company said in a filing to the <keyword id="35140" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSE">BSE</keyword>. Vizag Tech Park is yet to commence its business operations, it said. In another filing, the company said it has also incorporated a wholly-owned subsidiary, Koddad Khammam Road Pvt Ltd, to carry out development and maintenance of a road project in Telangana. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/wipro-share-price-jumps-over-1-after-117-million-acquisition-of-australian-cybersecurity-firm-ampion/articleshow/81817928.cms">Wipro's share price jumps over 1% after $117 million acquisition of Australian cybersecurity firm Ampion</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/upi-crosses-5-lakh-crore-in-transaction-value-in-march/articleshow/81820799.cms">India’s digital payments soar – UPI crosses ₹5 lakh crore in transaction value in March</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/paytm-money-set-to-hire-250-engineers-for-its-new-technology-centre-in-pune/articleshow/81813092.cms">Paytm Money set to hire 250 engineers for its new technology centre in Pune</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/government-withdraws-interest-rate-cut-on-small-savings-schemes-in-a-bizarre-u-turn/articleshow/81813361.cms">Government withdraws interest rate cut on small savings schemes in a bizarre u-turn</a>

Adani Enterprises incorporates Vizag Tech Park and Koddad Khammam Road as wholly-owned subsidiaries

<ul><li>With this move, <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword> will become the first <keyword id="14266874" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wikimedia-customer" source="Orion">Wikimedia customer</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="196608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wikimedia" source="Orion">Wikimedia</keyword> Foundation is giving free trial accounts to companies for 30 days.</li><li>Google and the Wikimedia Foundation have already worked on number of projects and initiatives.</li></ul>Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit group behind <keyword id="71187" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wikipedia" source="Orion">Wikipedia</keyword>, has announced that Google is one of the first companies to buy its commercial Enterprise service. Wikimedia Enterprise is a commercial product designed for companies that reuse and source Wikipedia and Wikimedia projects at a high volume. Wikimedia Enterprise was recently launched by the Wikimedia Foundation as an opt-in product. It now offers a free trial account to new users who can self sign-up to better assess their needs with the product. "Wikimedia Enterprise is designed to meet a variety of content reuse and sourcing needs, and our first two customers are a key example of this. Google and Internet Archive leverage Wikimedia content in very distinct ways," Lane Becker, Senior Director of Earned Revenue at the Wikimedia Foundation, said in a statement late on Wednesday. Wikimedia Enterprise was designed to make it easier for companies to package and share Wikimedia content at scale in ways that best suit their needs. Interested companies can now sign up on the website for a free trial account which offers 10,000 on-demand requests and unlimited access to a 30-day Snapshot, the foundation announced. Google and the Wikimedia Foundation have worked together on a number of projects and initiatives to enhance knowledge distribution to the world. "Wikipedia is a unique and valuable resource, created freely for the world by its dedicated volunteer community. We have long supported the Wikimedia Foundation in pursuit of our shared goals of expanding knowledge and information access for people everywhere," said Tim Palmer, Managing Director, Search Partnerships at Google. Internet Archive is also a long-standing partner to the Wikimedia Foundation and the broader free knowledge movement. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/5g-in-india-does-the-aam-aadmi-even-need-it/articleshow/92382529.cms">5G in India – does the aam aadmi even need it?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a>

Google becomes one of the first companies to pay Wikimedia - the group behind Wikipedia

India’s <keyword id="20312255" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Business-Process-Management" source="keywords">Business Process Management</keyword> (<keyword id="700088" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bpm" source="Orion">BPM</keyword>) industry is defying predictions that generative artificial intelligence (Gen-<keyword id="6355999" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ai" source="Orion">AI</keyword>) could pose challenges for them. Instead, the sector is making a bold bet on AI and skilled talent to fuel its resurgence. With significant investments underway, industry leaders are confident that these efforts will show results within the next 3-5 years. “All of us are investing. And, the ROI will start coming in the next 3-5 years,” Harita Gupta, Head of Global Experience, SVP Global Business Operations Solutions and Support at Sutherland and the chairperson of <keyword id="19955786" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nasscom" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Nasscom" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Nasscom">Nasscom</keyword> BPM Council. She shared these insights during a panel discussion on “Data, Technology, Skill and Customers – The New Value Levers for BPM in India,” hosted by Business Insider India. Leaders in the <keyword id="21482461" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BPM-industry" source="keywords">BPM industry</keyword> are confident about <keyword id="19985355" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gen-AI" source="keywords">Gen-AI</keyword>’s potential to create markets that have never existed before, help them do what they have already been doing for a decade more efficiently, and transform their companies into AI-driven enterprises. The Indian BPM industry generated $48.9 billion revenue as of FY24. <div type="Youtube" id="utbJS9i9RgA" title="Unlocking New Value Levers For BPM In India: The Role Of Data, Tech, Skill And Customers" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/utbJS9i9RgA/mqdefault.jpg"><url><![CDATA[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utbJS9i9RgA]]></url></div> <h2>Tapping into emerging <keyword id="21859797" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="talent-hubs" source="keywords">talent hubs</keyword></h2> Traditionally, it is present in India’s metro cities, like Delhi, Bombay, Bombay and Pune. In its second innings, the BPM industry has shifted its focus to Tier-II and Tier-III cities, which offer a wealth of talent, lower operational costs and more accommodative regulations. “The industry has started to take jobs to where the talent is rather than the other way around,” remarked Sapna Bhambani, the Senior VP of Operations and Geo Leader at TaskUs. She highlighted that over half of TaskUs’ business is now based out of Tier-II cities with Indore and Mohali leading the way. “The states where the government is extending a helping hand are the most successful emerging hubs,” Bhambani added. Nasscom too is keen on Tier-II and Tier-III cities for the expansion of the BPM industry, identifying Lucknow, Kanpur, Coimbatore, Trichy, Indore, Bhopal, Vizag and Vijayawada as notable emerging hubs. Gupta emphasised that the industry body will be working hand-in-hand with the universities and institutions in the area to build talent pipelines and garner support. And hiring from Tier-II cities is not just about tapping into new talent pools; it’s also improving employee retention, which has been a pain point for the industry in recent years. Tech Mahindra has tried to counter this by hiring for non-frontline roles from within the company, rather than hiring new talent. However, as Venkatesh Korla, the CEO of Americas at Hinduja Global Solutions (HGS) pointed out, a cultural shift is still needed to rebrand BPM jobs. “It’s changing. It’s not 100 percent there yet… They’ve realised there’s a lot more stickiness and a lot more opportunity in the BPM space, and we see talent also want to take on these jobs,” Korla explained. <h2>Creating new markets</h2>Most AI processes are trained using large language models (LLMs). Many, GPT-Neo and BERT, are open-source, which means they’re free for anyone to use. However, enterprises are looking to build their own LLMs in-house to train their AI products primarily to maintain control over proprietary data – a move that opens up new opportunities for BPM firms. “Large SAS companies want to integrate their own LLM in their products and they require the same BPM services to actually train their models. That’s a huge opportunity,” Birendra Sen, the President of Business Process Services at Tech Mahindra, told Business Insider. <h2>The need for experimentation</h2>While the use of Gen-AI in the BPM industry is widespread, many initiatives are still in the Proof of Concept (POC) stage. This implies that while there is investment, both in terms of money and manpower, directed at creating more Gen-AI led solutions, they may not necessarily succeed. “If something fails, we just fail fast and move,” Gupta told Business Insider. Moreover, leaders like Venkatesh Korla view AI as a transformative tool that complements human expertise rather than replacing it. “AI is going to help in coaching, compliance, and in quality control. I call this the Iron Man's suit or the J.A.R.V.I.S. for Iron Man because it never replaces the human inside the suit. So, that's really how we need to look at it,” Korla remarked. India’s BPM sector has demonstrated resilience and adaptability in the face of previous challenges, such as the rise of automation and the shift towards digital services. It is now poised to reinvent itself, this time by integrating AI with human expertise and expanding into new talent hubs. With a strong focus on innovation and upskilling, industry leaders are optimistic about the future, anticipating that these strategic moves will secure India’s position as a global leader in the BPM landscape over the next few years. This article is part of a four-part webinar series in partnership with Nasscom. These monthly webinars aim to delve deep and offer insights into the evolving BPM landscape. You can watch the full video of the first session <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=utbJS9i9RgA">here</a>. Disclaimer: This article is generated and published by the Insider Studios team. You can get in touch with them on insiderstudios@businessinsider.in

The future of BPM in India: AI, talent hubs and a new growth strategy

<ul><li>As many as 35 major retail brands set up shop in 14 tier-2 cities between Jan-Sep 2023.</li><li>E-commerce boom, tech-savvy consumers, growing aspirations drive growth in tier-2 cities.</li><li>The total retail stock in top tier-2 cities stood at 29 million square feet, as of September 2023. </li></ul>Last year, H&amp;M opened its store in Ranchi, GAP too opened its doors to Guwahati; and Rare Rabbit did the same in Kochi. It’s not just top apparel chains that are going deeper into Bharat, fine dining restaurants like Royal Train Cuisine too have set up shop in Lucknow and Wow chain is wooing Chandigarh. In summation, as many as 35 major retail brands expanded their footprint to 14 tier-2 cities between January to September 2023, says a report by real estate services and investment firm CBRE. This flurry of activity has triggered a retail space boom in 14 cities that include Chandigarh, Jaipur, Indore, Goa, Mangalore, Kochi, Lucknow, Patna, Ranchi, Guwahati, Bhubaneshwar, Vizag, Mysore, and Coimbatore. Chains like Armani Exchange, Malabar Gold &amp; Diamonds, Tanishq, Marks &amp; Spencer, Starbucks, Pizza Express, Under Armour are now catering to a growing set of consumers in these cities. “Domestic and international fashion brands are looking to expand in non-metro cities, fueled by a well-aware and well-travelled consumer set,” said <keyword id="20208672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ram-chandnani" source="keywords">Ram Chandnani</keyword>, MD, advisory &amp; transactions services of CBRE India. Changing consumption patterns are affecting the retail dynamics in these cities, the report says. E-commerce trends also point to a highly-aspiring consumer base in these cities, which has brought in an influx of quality retail supply. “A striking example of evolving consumer patterns in these cities is the fact that 50% of online urban shoppers were residing in these tier-2 and tier-3 cities. A percentage that’s projected to reach nearly 60% by 2030,” the report adds. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><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;">City </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;">New retail brand entrants in Jan-Sep 2023 </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;">Chandigarh </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;">Dayal Opticals, Khan Chacha, Wow Momos, Wow China, Rare Rabbit </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;">Jaipur </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;">Tasva, Under Armour, Mango, Rare Rabbit </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;">Lucknow </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;">The Sleep Company, Pizza Express, Theobroma, Royal Train Cuisine </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;">Patna </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;">Croma </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;">Indore </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;">Tasva, Style Up </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;">Goa </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;">Armani Exchange </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;">Kochi </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;">Campus, La Pino’z Pizza, Bluestone, Tasva, Rare Rabbit </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;">Coimbatore </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;">Taneira, The Sleep Company, Style Union </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;">Visakhapatnam </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;">Starbucks, Taco Bell, Being Human </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;">Mysore </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;">Croma, Tanishq, Fashion Factory, Bluestone </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;">Mangalore </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;">Reliance Smart, Malabar Gold &amp; Diamonds, BlueStone, Tasva, R&amp;B </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;">Guwahati </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;">GAP, Zudio, Croma, Forever 21 </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;">Ranchi </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;">H&amp;M, Marks &amp; Spencer, Max, Homecentre </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;">Bhubaneswar </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;">Zudio, Marks &amp; Spencer </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source: CBRE The mall &amp; high-street boom As high-end retailers make a beeline for tier-2 city business, the retail developments in the cities also picked up pace. The total retail stock in these 14 cities stood at 29 million square feet, as of September 2023. Amongst them, Jaipur, Lucknow, and Chandigarh each boast retail stock ranging between 3-7 million square feet. In the three months between July and September 2023, around 2.4 million square feet was added in the 14 cities. Most of it was added in Chandigarh, Jaipur and Lucknow. Also, a similar amount – again 2.4 million square feet – was absorbed across these cities, led by Kochi, Jaipur, and Goa. “The e-commerce boom, tech-savvy consumer base, growing aspirations and surge in discretionary purchasing are defining the retail growth in tier-II cities. Most non-metro cities are established trade and business hubs and are now witnessing multinational corporations and start-ups setting up offices as well,” said Anshuman Magazine, chairman &amp; CEO, India, Southeast Asia, Middle East &amp; Africa of CBRE. The retail developments have a healthy mix of malls and high streets. But, they too are evolving from vanilla stores in high-streets to malls by top-end developers. A lot of high-end malls have also come up in recent times like Nexus Elante Mall in Chandigarh; World Trade Park Mall in Jaipur; DLF Mall in Panjim and more. “Investment-grade developers are setting up large-sized contemporary malls in these cities, which are seen as an entertainment destination and not just as a place to shop,” adds Magazine. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/the-rising-affluence-of-small-town-consumers-driving-demand-for-premium-products/articleshow/103918026.cms">The rising affluence of small town consumers driving demand for premium products</a>

Big brands, chain stores boost retail developments in tier-2 cities

India are all set to host the South Africa team for the five <keyword id="7389867" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="t20-match-series" source="Orion">T20 match series</keyword>, which will be played across the country in June, shortly after the completion of IPL 2022. The BCCI has already confirmed that the IPL will be held in Mumbai and Pune from March 26 to May 29 and just about 10 days later, the <keyword id="18238" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="t20" source="Orion">T20</keyword> series against Proteas will begin. The Apex Council of the BCCI, which met on Wednesday decided on the schedule for the South Africa series and matches are likely to be held from June 9 to 19. During the meeting, the venues were also finalised and Cuttack, Vizag, Delhi, Rajkot and Chennai will host the matches, an Cricbuzz report said. The report also stated that Bengaluru and Nagpur were to get the games in the series but Cuttack and Vizag have been allotted the matches instead, presumably because the two centres missed out on the T20 matches during recent West Indies series. Notably, the BCCI conducted the six matches against West Indies in only two centres -- Ahmedabad and Kolkata -- with an aim to cut down on travel and Covid-19 threat. The Apex Council has also factored in the weather conditions in the country around June and according to information gathered by the board managers (placed before the meeting), there may be slight rain for the first game in Cuttack (as is the seasonal norm in that part of the world at that time of the year). For the second game in Vizag, there is less chance of rain while warm conditions are expected in the other three centres - Delhi, Rajkot and Chennai - during those games. After the South Africa series, Team India will fly to England for an unfinished Test and six white-ball matches. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/amazon-and-future-agree-to-discuss-an-out-of-court-settlement-after-nearly-2-years-of-legal-battle/articleshow/89968120.cms">Amazon and Future agree to discuss an out of court settlement after nearly 2 years of legal battle</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/mukesh-ambanis-reliance-announced-a-partnership-with-sanmina-a-us-based-electronics-manufacturer/articleshow/89960792.cms">Reliance teams up with US-based Sanmina to create a high-tech electronics manufacturing hub in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/mobikwiks-upasana-taku-says-all-the-companies-that-made-their-grand-entry-into-bnpl-will-have-a-grand-exit-too/articleshow/89960652.cms">INTERVIEW: Mobikwik’s Upasana Taku says all the companies that made their grand entry into BNPL will have a grand exit too</a>

India to host South Africa for five T20Is in June, and all venues have been finalised

<ul><li>Pune has the lowest office vacancy at 8.5% as compared to other cities in India, as per <keyword id="7746659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ANAROCK-research" source="Orion">ANAROCK research</keyword> report.</li><li>As tech companies are choosing to adopt a hybrid work model, it is clear that IT-driven cities are now restricting their new office stock.</li><li>In comparison to non-IT cities, Delhi-NCR has the highest vacancy of <keyword id="181150" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="office-space" source="Orion">office space</keyword> at 28.5%.</li></ul>The information technology (IT) sector remained the least affected industry during the COVID-19 pandemic, however, due to hybrid work model requirements for office space went down. The latest ANAROCK research indicates that the IT hubs of India — Pune, Bengaluru, <keyword id="12864" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="chennai" source="Orion">Chennai</keyword> and Hyderabad — currently have lower Grade A office vacancies. Pune currently has the lowest vacant office spaces at 8.5%, followed by Chennai with 10.35%, Bengaluru with 11.25% and Hyderabad with over 15%. As tech companies are choosing to adopt hybrid work models, it is clear that IT-driven cities are now restricting their new office stock. “Many large and mid-size occupiers continued or renewed their leases during the pandemic because their business either saw no major impact or even grew during COVID-19. The cost of re-establishing or taking up new office space is costlier than holding on to existing leased spaces. Also, real estate costs are largely factored in IT companies' billing rates, so letting spaces go can lead to a significant change in top-line projections,” the report says. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><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;">Cities </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;">No. of Grade A office </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;">Vacant office space </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;">Delhi-NCR </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;">128 </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;">28.50% </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;">Kolkata </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;">25 </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;">23.50% </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;">Mumbai Metropolitan Region </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;">108 </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;">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;">Hyderabad </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;">80 </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;">15% </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;">Bengaluru </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;">168 </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;">11.25% </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;">Chennai </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;">55 </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;">10.35% </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;">Pune </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;">60 </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;">8.50% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Anarock Research report In comparison to non-IT cities, Delhi-NCR has the highest number of vacancies at 28.5%, followed by Kolkata with 23.50% and Mumbai Metropolitan Region with 16%. “The IT/ITeS sectors boomed during the pandemic. While most companies operated in <keyword id="9487588" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wfh-mode" source="Orion">WFH mode</keyword>, many large and mid-sized corporates decided to hold on to their office spaces. At between ₹58 and ₹78 per sq. ft. per month, the average monthly office rentals in all four IT/ITeS driven cities are comparatively lower than in NCR and MMR, where they hover between ₹80 and ₹126 per sq. ft./month,” said Anuj Puri, Chairman at Anarock Group. According to the data, Bengaluru has the maximum office stock of about 168 million square feet, followed by Delhi-NCR at 128 million square feet, and MMR at 108 million square feet. SEE Also: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/international-yoga-day-2022-here-are-five-yoga-asanas-for-covid-affected-people/articleshow/92355705.cms">International Yoga Day: Five yoga asanas that help cope with Covid</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/recession-in-the-us-could-drop-oil-prices-and-benefit-indian-economy-as-per-economists/articleshow/92361936.cms">A US recession could provide Indian economy the relief it needs</a>

IT cities have the least number of vacant office spaces whereas metros like Delhi and Mumbai have the most

<ul><li>Today, Dell launched its new G15 gaming laptops in India.</li><li>The laptop features, Dolby audio and game shift technology.</li><li>The top variant of the Dell G15 is powered by the Ryzen 7 6800H CPU and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 GPU.</li></ul>Dell Technologies on Tuesday launched its new G15 budget gaming laptops -- powered by the AMD Ryzen 6000 H series processors for Indian consumers. With a starting price of ₹83,990, the G15 5525 comes in five different configurations that are best suited for a gamer's needs. It features the Dolby Audio for Gamers and Game Shift technology engineered to elevate every gaming experience. "The Dell G15 AMD edition is conceived and designed in line with the unique needs of a gamer that wants to advance their skills," Anand Subramanya, Director, Product Marketing, Consumer and Small Business, Dell Technologies, India, said in a statement. "From cutting-edge CPUs to powerful discrete graphics cards and sophisticated thermals, we aim to create an immersive and lifelike gaming experience, every time!" Subramanya added. The company said that the new range encompasses all the necessary I/O ports, innovative thermal systems, the latest NVIDIA GeForce RTX GPUs, and a chassis that exudes stylish gaming. With discrete graphics up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 and a new optional FHD 165Hz display panel with a 2-sided narrow bezel, users get smooth, uninterrupted gameplay and vivid visuals, making it easy to fully immerse in the game. Players can also choose from up to 6GB GDDR6 of dedicated memory which results in faster loading times and a quieter system. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/how-to-check-availability-of-jio-fiber-in-my-city/articleshow/70891160.cms">How to check availability of Jio fiber in my area</a>

Dell unveils new AMD-powered G15 laptops in India at starting price of ₹83,990

Homegrown local language technology provider <keyword id="2519202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="verse-innovation" source="Orion">VerSe Innovation</keyword> on Tuesday announced the launch of its vernacular content platform <keyword id="2995316" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="dailyhunt" source="Orion">Dailyhunt</keyword> in the Middle East region. Dailyhunt has rolled out its offering in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait with its headquarters in Dubai, with over 5,000 content partners. Umang Bedi, Co-founder, VerSe Innovation, told IANS that there is a growing opportunity in the local language content globally that they aim to tap. "We have been successful in cracking the code of engagement of local language content in India and plan to replicate this success globally as we aim to meet the unmet local language content needs of users' world over," said Bedi. Going ahead, the company plans to roll out Dailyhunt to other countries in the MENA region, such as Iraq, Iran, Israel and Egypt, and support languages like Hebrew, Farsi, and Arabic. Media veteran Shekhar Iyer has been appointed as Director and General Manager of VerSe Innovation, MENA. Dailyhunt offers more than 1 million new content every day in 15 languages, licensed and sourced from a creator ecosystem of over 50,000 content partners and a deep pool of over 50,000 creators. It currently serves over 350 million monthly active users (MAUs) every month. "The relevance and demand for local language content is not only increasing in India but globally as well," Bedi told IANS. "We are seeing tremendous demand for local languages in each continent across MENA, LATAM, Europe and Eastern Europe, SEA and Central Asia and we aim to serve their unmet content needs," he added. In April, VerSe Innovation raised $805 million from global investors, taking its valuation to $5 billion. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ril-vedanta-tata-steel-yes-bank-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-june-21/slidelist/92349563.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">RIL, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Yes Bank among stocks to watch out for on June 21 </a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-2t-smartphone-india-pricing-and-launch-date-leaked/articleshow/92352401.cms">OnePlus Nord 2T India pricing and launch date leaked – here’s everything you need to know</a>

Dailyhunt launches in Middle East, North African market is next in line

<ul><li><keyword id="2933867" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="leadsquared" source="Orion">LeadSquared</keyword> has raised $153 million from WestBridge Capital in a Series C round.</li><li>It is the sixth Indian unicorn this year and sixteenth startup to do so overall.</li><li>The company now plans to expand to the Middle East, Africa and Europe.</li></ul>Bengaluru-based sales automation startup LeadSquared is the latest software-as-a-service (SaaS) company to enter the unicorn club. The company raised $153 million from WestBridge Capital in a Series C round. A unicorn, in startup parlance, is a company valued at over a billion dollars. “With this financing, we will double down on growth investments in India and North America, start building in APAC [Asia-Pacific] and EMEA [Europe, the Middle East and Africa], add new offerings to our product portfolio, and fund acquisitions. To support our growth, we plan to double our headcount in the next 18 months,” Nilesh Patel, CEO and Founder of LeadSquared, said. LeadSquared is the sixth Indian startup to enter this elite club this year and the sixteenth startup to do so overall. The list also includes MuSigma, Druva, Icertis, Postman, Zenoti and now publicly-listed company Freshworks. Sridhar Vembu-led Zoho Corp is not a part of India’s unicorn list as the company is still bootstrapped and has not disclosed its valuation publicly. Zoho is one of the oldest SaaS companies in India and is estimated to have a higher valuation than $1 billion. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><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;">Company </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;">Unicorn List Entry Year </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;">Current Valuation </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;">Mu Sigma </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;">2013 </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 billion+ </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;">Freshworks* </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;">2018 </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;">$3.2 billion* </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;">Druva </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;">2019 </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;">$2 billion </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;">Icertis </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;">2019 </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;">$2.8 billion </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;">Postman </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;">2020 </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;">$5.6 billion </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;">Zenoti </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;">2020 </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 billion </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;">Innovaccer </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;">2021 </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;">$3.2 billion </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;">ChargeBee </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;">2021 </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;">$3.5 billion </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;">BrowserStack </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;">2021 </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 billion </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;">MindTickle </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;">2021 </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;">$1.2 billion </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;">Fractal </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;">2022 </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 billion </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;">DarwinBox </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;">2022 </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 billion </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;">Uniphore </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;">2022 </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;">$2.5 billion </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;">Hasura </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;">2022 </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 billion </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;">Amagi Media </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;">2022 </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 billion </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;">LeadSquared </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;">2022 </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 billion </td></tr></tbody></table>*Freshworks is a publicly listed entity Source: Venture Intelligence LeadSquared is a sales automation platform, which helps more than 2000 organization globally to drive sales efficiency. The company — founded by Nilesh Patel, Prashant Singh, and Sudhakar Gorti in 2011 — claims to have clients from different industries like edtech, financial services, healthcare, marketplaces and more. A quick survey of its website reveals that Amity University, NIIT, Byju’s, Unacademy, Clear, Aditya Birla Capital and Angel Broking are its clients. The company has raised $188 million to date, with $32 million raised in 2020 and $3 million in 2019. Sumir Chadha, co-founder and Managing Director at WestBridge Capital said, "LeadSquared has shown a remarkable ability to scale and grow efficiently. Its core SaaS metrics are unique and best-in-class in the industry. Its focus on building an easy-to-use platform that transforms sales processes through automation delivering unparalleled efficiency has significant potential for growth in the global market.” SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ril-vedanta-tata-steel-yes-bank-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-june-21/slidelist/92349563.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">RIL, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Yes Bank among stocks to watch out for on June 21</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-2t-smartphone-india-pricing-and-launch-date-leaked/articleshow/92352401.cms">OnePlus Nord 2T India pricing and launch date leaked – here’s everything you need to know</a>

LeadSquared is the sixth Indian SaaS unicorn of 2022

<ul><li>Digital payments transactions in India are expected to cross the 200 million mark in the next three years.</li><li>The Indian digital payments ecosystem grew at an annual rate of 49% in the past six years to 72 billion in FY2022.</li><li>RBI's Payments Vision 2025 could have a pivotal role to play in the digital payments growth in India.</li></ul>Digital payments transactions in India are expected to cross the 200 million mark in the next three years, Emkay Research’s recent report has revealed. The Reserve Bank of India’s recently released ‘Payments Vision 2025’ is not only going to boost digital payments in India but make them a strong ecosystem too, the report added. The brokerage firm’s research shows that the digital payments transactions in India are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (GAGR) of 44% to reach 216 billion by fiscal year 2025. <div type="image" title="Digital payments are on track to cross the 200 billion mark, but fintechs are yet to ‘earn’ from them" msid="92357933" hostid="261" sizebytes="96807"></div> The Indian digital payments ecosystem grew at an annual rate of 49% in the past six years. The online transactions — through <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword>, credit cards, IMPS and other payment mechanisms — grew from 9.7 billion in FY2017 to 72 billion in FY2022. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="This is where RBI’s payments vision documents comes into play" comment="subhead" text="This is where RBI’s payments vision documents comes into play">This is where RBI’s payments vision documents comes into play</cmsannotation> Emkay Research believes that the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) special focus on digital payments and the regulation of fintech companies — under the Payment Vision 2025 — is going to play a big role in the higher adoption of these new-age payments solutions. The core theme of the vision document, released by the central bank of India last weekend, is based on four Es — e-payments for everyone, everywhere and everytime. “To promote innovation, the RBI aims to explore a UPI-like system for cards, enable networks for IOT-based payments and interoperability for contactless transit card payments in the offline mode, and create payment systems for merchants. With the new initiatives, the RBI expects to increase digital payment transactions by 3x,” Emkay noted. RBI’s decision to revisit the merchant discount rate (MDR) as well as the regulation to link credit card and credit components to UPI will have a role to play. “Linking credit cards to UPI is another game changer as would globalization of India's Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs)," Avinash Godkhindi, MD and CEO of global digital bank Zaggle, added. Emkay Research believes that a comprehensive review of MDR — a charge paid by merchants to payments companies to accept online payments — could lead to relatively higher charges on credit card and wallet payments. This could also lead to introduction of MDR on UPI, which is currently prohibited and a long standing demand of players like<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/phonepe-is-citing-data-to-argue-that-merchants-should-pay-for-upi-transactions/articleshow/85863071.cms"> Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and others</a>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="UPI players too have the most to gain from it" comment="subhead" text="UPI players too have the most to gain from it">UPI players too have the most to gain from it</cmsannotation> <div type="image" title="Digital payments are on track to cross the 200 billion mark, but fintechs are yet to ‘earn’ from them" msid="92358008" hostid="261" sizebytes="103072"></div> “We believe linking credit cards to UPI is positive for spends growth, but without MDR, its acceptance in non-Rupay cards will be limited. Moreover, the reduction in MDR to improve affordability could be negative for card/wallet companies (SBIC, Paytm),” Emkay added. Sameer Nigam, the founder of <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/whatsapp-carried-out-only-17-million-upi-transactions-and-phonepe-was-at-20-billion-in-india-in-2021-22/articleshow/90726109.cms">India’s biggest digital payments company in terms of UPI </a>transactions, in September highlighted that currently<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/phonepe-is-citing-data-to-argue-that-merchants-should-pay-for-upi-transactions/articleshow/85863071.cms"> 85-90% of PhonePe transactions are carried out using UPI </a>that has "zero MDR". For perspective, PhonePe actually processed nearly <a href="https://www.phonepe.com/pulse/explore/transaction/2022/1/">7.6 billion transactions</a> in the January-March quarter of 2022. A 90% rate would mean that PhonePe did not earn any money over 6.8 billion transactions. Suhail Sameer, CEO of merchants payments platform BharatPe, noted that the Payments Vision 2025 shows the regulator’s intent and the roadmap to enhance the outreach of digital payments, instill customer centricity and ensure after and transparency in online payments. SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/indias-tech-talent-pool-is-from-vizag-indore-and-warangal-thats-where-infosys-tcs-and-others-are-heading/articleshow/92351346.cms">India’s tech talent pool is from Vizag, Indore and Warangal — that’s where Infosys, TCS and others are heading</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/ril-vedanta-tata-steel-yes-bank-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-june-21/slidelist/92349563.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">RIL, Vedanta, Tata Steel, Yes Bank among stocks to watch out for on June 21</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-2t-smartphone-india-pricing-and-launch-date-leaked/articleshow/92352401.cms">OnePlus Nord 2T India pricing and launch date leaked – here’s everything you need to know </a>

Digital payments are on track to cross the 200 billion mark, but fintechs are yet to ‘earn’ from them

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/48618929.cms" /> <keyword id="6357149" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="HDFC-bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> is undergoing a massive digital transformation. As Managing Director <keyword id="6406769" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aditya-Puri">Aditya Puri</keyword> trots across metros stitching up a digital weave to bind 75,000-odd employees of the bank, he's generously helped by his five key lieutenants— Ravi Narayanan, Nitin Chugh, Head-Digital Banking, Arvind Kapil, Head-Unsecured Loans, Parag Rao, Head-Cards, Payments Merchant Acquiring Business and Navin Puri, Head-Branch Banking. 

	While Puri's lowdown on digital banking is restricted to around nine metro cities, the quintet very much has the onus of spreading the drive to branches in other cities and towns of the country, and wherever possible, evangelize the end user too. 
 

	Twenty years back, such excitement was palpable around ATM machines that were being launched by banks. Today, for HDFC Bank, going digital is a necessity. "We should be able to galvanize the entire force of the bank across verticals and build confidence wherein the staff would be able to talk to customers at large....it should result in behavior transformation, a change in their DNA," says Narayanan before dashing off to Vijayawada and Vizag to address a fresh crop of bankers from teller operators to sales people to credit card managers, and what have you.
 

	In fact, the bank's digital march coincides with non-banking players like Paytm entering the turf. Besides, "growth has been sluggish for HDFC Bank, which is being weighed down by its sheer size....so going digital is the only way it can earn a higher fee income, which today sits at roughly 18% of their net income," says an executive at Reliance Securities Research, requesting anonymity. "They want to improve their fee income without impacting their loan book profile."
 The digital transformation of HDFC Bank is unmistakable the moment one sets foot in its Mumbai-based headquarters and sees a hoarding next to the reception claiming the bank is now on <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword>'s iWatch, slated to launch in India next month. 

	Over the years, the bank has developed multiple platforms to enhance convenience for the end user. In 2013, for instance, it launched 'missed-call' banking in the hinterland, wherein the account holder had to just make a missed call in order to get a statement or check book delivered. That could well be the start of a journey.
 

	Next, HDFC Bank targeted netbanking and transactions multiplied, so much so that there are 175 such options available today. Owing to screen size restrictions, it took out a lighter mobile version just last year, which today sits as an app with as much as 80 transactions. In the month of March 2015, HDFC Bank recorded transactions worth Rs 6,031 crore on mobile banking, while for the entire banking system, transaction value was Rs 16,914 crore, according to the RBI data. 
 

	Today, as the bank readies for virtual banking, it stares at 4G and beyond with even smoother pipelines, where account holders will be subjected to zero buffering and have immediate interaction with a live bank representative, 24/7. That's the future the six top honchos at HDFC Bank are entrusted to pan out and Narayanan claims about 40% of the workforce has already been converted. 
 

	For the process to take root, organization behavior needs to recast, which is already a given through three internal committees—marketing, technology and operations—comprising 9-12 people, meeting twice a month. But what stirs action and maintains the bank is in sync with the latest tech trends are skip level reps in such committees. That explains why all new ideas are coming from millennials. 
 

	Take the mobile to mobile payment app, Chillr, the bank launched. Sources claim it has notched up almost 5 crore transactions within two months of its launch. Again, the company's mobile wallet PayZapp allows the end user access to recharge elements as well as a holistic marketplace experience by the way of offers/deals and access to online retailers. Even in the B2B space, the bank's eNet platform has been enhanced. Finally, urban adoption notwithstanding, it is the smaller towns where the bank is seeing significant traction.

	 
	 
	(Image credits: Indiatimes)

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