Category: Stay Fit

FUNDING RUNDOWN: Open to turn unicorn, Hasura enters billion-dollar club, Prime Venture Partners closes 4th fund at $120M, MediBuddy raises $125M & Shipsy gets $25M.

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Here are the top deals from the startup space.

Neo-bank, Open to turn unicorn; to raise $100-$150 M in funding

Neo-bank, Open is likely to raise a new funding round and is expected to turn unicorn with the latest round.

Sources tell CNBC-TV18 that Open has raised between $100 to $150 million at a valuation of $1.1 to $1.2 billion. The round is said to be co-led by existing investors, Tiger Global and Temasek. Other existing investors have also participated in the round while some early investors have taken a partial exit.

The announcement is expected from the company in the next ten days. We at CNBC-TV18 broke the story on Monday that one of the early backers of Open, Unicorn India Ventures, has taken a partial exit by selling their 20% stake for $10 million.

Remember, Open raised $100 million in Series C funding in October last year from Temasek, with participation from Google and Japan’s SBI investments as per the company statement released at the time.

SaaS startup Hasura turns unicorn afters raising $100M in Series C round

SaaS startup Hasura enters the unicorn club after raising $100 million in its Series C funding round at a valuation of $1 billion. This brings the total capital raised by Hasura to $136.5 million.

The funding round was led by Greenoaks, with participation from existing investors Nexus Venture Partners, Lightspeed Venture Partners and Vertex Ventures.

The company will use the fresh capital to accelerate research and development and expand go-to-market activities globally for the company’s GraphQL engine, which makes it fast and easy for even those with zero GraphQL expertise to compose a GraphQL API from existing APIs and databases, it said in a statement.

IvyCap Ventures marks first close of third fund at Rs 1608 Cr

Early stage startup investor IvyCap Ventures has marked the first close of its third fund at Rs 1,608 crore ($214 million).

The firm is targeting the final close of the third fund at Rs 2,000 crore and may even increase the size to Rs 2,500 crore due to huge demand, IvyCap said in a statement.

Two-thirds of the third fund has been raised from existing investors, or Limited Partners, it added. Few new institutional investors including banks, insurance companies, the government departments and many family offices have also invested.

Prime Venture Partners closes fourth fund at $120M, to invest in new areas like EVs, B2B, Web3

Early-stage VC fund Prime Venture Partners has marked the final close of its fourth fund at $120 million. According to the venture firm, the fund was oversubscribed and has exceeded its target of $100 million in commitments. With this, the total capital raised by all of Prime Venture’s funds has risen to over $250 million.

From the new fund, the company aims to invest in disruptive technology startups across sectors like Fintech, Edtech, Healthtech, Consumer Internet and SaaS. In addition to this, the company will also invest into new areas such as EVs, Web3 and Gaming infrastructure platforms.

Prime Venture’s fourth fund was backed by International Finance Corporation (IFC), part of the World Bank Group, a top-tier university endowment, a top tier Fund of Funds and several global technology entrepreneurs, along with its existing investors.

Digital healthcare company MediBuddy raises $125M in Series C Funding

End-to-end digital healthcare platform, MediBuddy has raised $125 million in Series C funding from Quadria Capital and Lightrock India. Others who participated in the round included existing investors Bessemer Venture Partners, India Life Sciences Fund III, Rebright Partners, JAFCO Asia, TEAMFund LP, FinSight Ventures, InnoVen Capital, Stride Ventures, and Alteria Capital.

The venture claims it is the largest funding round in the Digital Healthcare services space. Avendus Capital was the exclusive financial advisor to MediBuddy on this transaction.

Warburg Pincus-backed Princeton Digital raises $500M led by Mubadala

Asian data centre operator Princeton Digital Group, has raised $500 million in an equity funding round led by Abu Dhabi state fund Mubadala, underscoring the sector’s appeal as demand from global cloud providers fuels its growth.

While Mubadala led the round with a $350 million cheque, existing shareholders Warburg Pincus and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board accounted for the rest.

PDG, formed by the company’s chairman Rangu Salgame and Chief Operating Officer Varoon Raghavan with Warburg Pincus in 2017, will deepen its presence in its operating markets in Singapore, India, China, Japan and Indonesia, the Singapore-based firm said in a statement.

Dream Capital to invests $100M in NFT platform?

Dream Capital, the corporate venture capital arm of Dream Sports, is in advanced talks to lead a $100 million funding round in cricket-focused NFT startup Rario, the Economic Times reported, citing sources.

If the deal goes through, it would be one of the largest investments in the NFT sector in India and Dream Capital’s maiden bet in the Web3 space, the report added.

Rario and Dream Sports are exploring more partnerships, the report said.

Niyo raises $100M Series C funding led by Accel & Lightrock India

Neo-banking startup Niyo, has raised $100 million in its Series C round of funding led by Accel & Lightrock India with participation from Beams Fintech Fund.

Existing investors Prime Venture Partners, JS Capital along with others, also participated in the funding round. Avendus Capital was the exclusive financial advisor to Niyo on the transaction.

The company said it will utilize the funds for product innovation, marketing and branding, increasing its distribution footprint, and hiring top talent across functions. Niyo is also looking to provide comprehensive financial services to over 30 million users through both organic and inorganic expansion, it added.

Facilio raises $35M in Series B funding to transform Real Estate operations with AI

Facilio, a leading property operations software platform has raised $35 million in Series B financing led by Dragoneer Investment Group with participation from Brookfield Growth and existing investors Accel India and Tiger Global Management.

“This investment will allow us to extend our market leadership, expand sales and marketing, and enable more companies to reach success through a predictive, connected model of real estate operations,” said Prabhu Ramachandran, Founder & CEO, Facilio.

Xoxoday raises $30M from Giift and Apis Partners

B2B company for rewards, incentives, and payouts, Xoxoday, has raised $30 million from Giift and Apis Partners. The deal was mix of primary and secondary capital components.

The collaboration will enable both Giift and Xoxoday to enlarge their service offerings and collectively accelerate growth globally, the firm said in a statement.

According to Xoxoday, the fresh capital will be used to fuel the next stage of growth in international markets and upgrade the technology infrastructure required to serve the next set of billion users.

SaaS-based logistics startup Shipsy raises $25M in Series B round

SaaS-based logistics management platform Shipsy has raised $25 million in a Series B round co-led by A91 Partners and Z3 Partners.

Existing investors Info Edge and Sequoia Capital India’s Surge also participated in the funding round.

The company plans to use the funding to continue growing its stronghold in the Middle East, India and Southeast Asian markets while also entering into new markets such as Europe and US. The startup said it will also use the capital to drive rapid technological innovation with a greater focus on enhancing sustainability outcomes in the global logistics industry and their platform’s AI, Machine Learning and Blockchain capabilities.

Vymo raises $22M in Series C funding round to empower remote sales teams

Vymo, an Intelligent Sales Engagement platform for Financial Institutions, has raised $22 million in Series C funding round led by Bertelsmann India Investments.

Existing investors Emergence Capital and Sequoia Capital participating. As part of the financing, BII’s Rohit Sood, will be joining the company’s board.

“2021 was a momentous year for us: 20%+ quarterly growth, 142% NRR, zero logo churn, entry into the US with wins like Berkshire Hathaway, and onboarding some of the largest Insurers in Japan. Sales tech is a $10B+ opportunity in just these two countries and this fundraise will help us accelerate our growth plans for these markets,” said Yamini Bhat, Co-founder and CEO.

Sistema.bio secures $15.6M to scale climate-smart clean energy technology for farmers

Cleantech startup Sistema.bio has secured $15.6 million in its Series B round that includes a mix of equity, debt and non-dilutive capital. The round was led by an equity investment from KawiSafi Ventures and matched by AXA IM Alts. Existing investors Engie RDE, EU ElectriFI fund, Chroma Impact, Blink CV and Co Capital also participated in the round, and Triodos Bank provided additional working capital financing.

The fresh funds will be used to support the growth and scale of the company’s waste-to-energy technology and business model. The financing will also strengthen partnerships and distribution, carbon reduction activities, R&D efforts and overall operations in LATAM, Africa, and Asia-Pacific, the firm added.

Arrivae gets $10M from Think investments and Havells

Rakesh Jhunjhunwala-backed made-to-order furniture manufacturer and home improvement company, Arrivae has received $10 million (Rs 75 Crores) in its Series B funding round led by Think Investments and Havells Group.

Emerge Capital and current investors participated in this round. Apart from investing, Emerge Capital’s Sahil Jain served as a transaction advisor, the firm said.

The startup intendes to use the fresh funds to expand its “Made By You” design process, as well as its digitally linked supply chain, intelligent 4.0 manufacturing process, onsite refurbishment platform, and private label creation.

WestBridge Capital invests $9M in Upekkha’s SaaS-focused UP Funds

WestBridge Capital, has invested of $9 million in SaaS accelerator Upekkha’s UP funds.

With this investment, WestBridge joins hands with Upekkha to help Indian SaaS companies expand their global footprint, it said in a statement. The investment will enable Indian SaaS startups to go global and scale up.

The UP fund also aims to invest in 60 startups across 3 different cohorts of the Upekkha accelerator program in the near future. It invested $100K-$200K in 10 startups last year, including cloud security automation startup Kloudle, video-based engagement startup, VideoForm, engagement solutions startup EnrichVideo, among others.

Wholsum Foods secures $7M; aim to reach Rs 500 Cr in revenue by 2025

Millet-based food startup Wholsum Foods, which is the maker of children’s food brand Slurrp Farm has raised $7 million in a fresh round of fundraising led by Investment Corporation of Dubai and existing investor Fireside Ventures.

The fundraise comes a year after Fireside Ventures’ initial investment of $2 million in the company.

The startup plans to use the fresh capital for developing millet-based products with zero junk ingredients. The funds will also be deployed towards product innovation, marketing as well as increasing global footprint.

Agritech startup Krishify bags $6.2M in pre-Series A round from Omnivore

Agritech platform Krishify has raised $6.2 million in a pre-Series A round led by venture capital fund Omnivore. Existing investors Ankur Capital, Omidyar Network India, and Orios Venture Partners, also participated in the funding round.

Prior to this, the startup had already $2.7 million in August 2021, and has now closed the Pre-Series A round with an additional USD 3.5 million in funding.

The rural social network plans to use the funds for accelerating pan-India growth and to further refine the technology for an enhanced user experience in the agriverse. It is also accelerating monetization on the network via advertising, lead generation, and marketing services for companies targeting rural consumers, the startup said in a statement.

Global VCs invest $5M in Invact Metaversity

Former Twitter India head Manish Maheshwari’s edtech platform Invact Metaversity has received seed round investment of $5 million from global VCs which includes Arkam Ventures and Antler from India, Picus Capital from Germany, M Venture Partners from Singapore, BECO Capital from Dubai and 2am VC from the US among others.

The startup has also raised capital from over 70 entrepreneurs such as Balaji Srinivasan, former chief technology officer at Coinbase; Nithin Kamath, cofounder of Zerodha; and Kunal Bahl, founder of Snapdeal, among others. This brings the current valuation of the company at $33 million.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

The pilates methods, myths debunked and an immunity builder

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Pilates is a rehabilitative practice that was founded by German Anatomist Joseph Pilates in the early 20th Century. A few of Joseph Pilates’s protégé’s preserved his work and carried his original teachings to create the Classical method. While the Contemporary method of Pilates borrowed fundamentals and elements from the Classical method to create a newer version of the same exercises with variations by modernizing them. This method of Pilates is also heavily influenced by bio-mechanics.

The Classical method follows a set order and level to the exercises. The chronology in which the exercises are performed and taught builds intelligently with foundational exercises at the starting and more complex ones as the Practitioner gains strength and control. The Classical equipment is built with heavier springs and is designed to help the Practitioner perform the exercises with a flow. There is a lot of stress on transitions between exercises which creates an extra challenge to the practice and is also built around the Pilates Principles of (Breath, Concentration, Control, Centering, Focus, Precision and Flow).

The Contemporary method does not follow a set order of exercises. However, the Instructor will make sure that every class is designed to challenge the body in different planes and range of movement from lying to sitting to being on fours to standing positions, while also incorporating exercises that aid spinal flexion, extension, lateral flexion and rotation. Most of the original exercises are modified with modern movement patterns and physiotherapy techniques. The Contemporary equipment is built with lighter springs and a lot of newer exercise props and apparatus are used to offer resistance and support to perform the exercises.

Whichever form of Pilates one chooses to practice, both the Classical and Contemporary methods are aimed at healing and helping people live fully in their bodies.

Myths surrounding the Pilates practice:

Pilates is all about the Core

Pilates has an extensive list of benefits that goes beyond just core strength. It aims at the steady development of the body: it improves posture, flexibility, muscle endurance, coordination, balance and strength. Exercises are designed to integrate and teach the body to use every tiny little muscle to perform a movement. This makes the movement more efficient and creates a system of functional strength to all other movements in the human body and just not while exercising.

Pilates is only for Women

This is a very common misbelief that Pilates is only for women. In reality, not many know that this exercise regime was originally intended for men. Joseph Pilates rehabilitated prisoners of war and assisted many soldiers to recuperate from their injuries using his method which was earlier known as ‘Contrology’.

Men usually engage in high impact exercise methods, which largely activates one’s dominant muscle groups, which creates muscle imbalances. The non-dominant muscles are likely to become tight, weak and prone to injuries. Practising Pilates regularly helps in lengthening and strengthening the muscles correctly, increases the range of motion in the joints and promotes the overall development of the body.

 Pilates is an effortless exercise regime

One tends to find Pilates effortless if they are not doing the exercises the way it is meant to be done. It requires one to engage both the dominant and non-dominant muscles to be able to do Pilates in good form. Pilates is not a casual form of exercise; the work is extremely deep and incorporating all of the Principles including the breathing mechanism while exercising is challenging enough to make the practice extremely invigorating.

Pilates solely can help one lose weight

Pilates is a conditioning program with a lot of health benefits and complements any other fitness regime one chooses to practice to lose weight. Doing Pilates with a focus to lose weight might not help. Shedding excess weight requires an adequate amount of cardiovascular activity combined with a healthy diet and lifestyle.

As an immunity building practice, we are all aware that COVID-19 attacks the respiratory system, which depletes the oxygen supply to the body. Pilates promotes deep lateral breathing which improves lung capacity. This in turn improves circulation which is vital to a healthy respiratory system. Exercises are done rhythmically which stimulates the blood flow and in turn the lymph flow. This helps to flush out toxins and return the lymph to our bloodstream clean and healthy. Which in turn contributes to building immunity and maintaining a healthier body.

During World War 1 between 1914 -1918 when the Influenza Pandemic broke out, Joseph Pilates was placed at an internment camp where he was teaching this practice to the Prisoners of War and it is believed that not one internee who practised this regime contracted the flu.

-by Kavita Prakash, Founder and Principal Instructor, Pilates for Wellbeing

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Redmi Watch online sale from May 25 in India; here are the specs and pricing details

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Xiaomi has unveiled its first smartwatch in India, alongside its Redmi Note 10S. The Redmi Watch, priced at Rs 3,999, will go on sale from May 25 on the official website of Xiaomi India and online retail store Flipkart.

The Redmi Watch will compete with budget smartwatches from Amazfit, Noise and Realme in India.

Here is a look at the specifications of the first smartwatch from the popular Chinese phone manufacturer.

Display

The Redmi Watch comes with a 1.4-inch TFT colour display with support for a maximum 350 nits peak brightness and a resolution of 320×320 pixels. Its intuitive auto-brightness feature understands the environment and adjusts itself.

Design

It features a 2.5D curved glass cover and a single button on the right side. There are over 200 watch face options in three kinds of cases. The straps are skin-friendly and ultra-soft, available in four colours – ivory, blue, black and olive. With these, Mi claims there could be over 2,400 customised combinations.

Navigation

The smartwatch has GLONASS and GPS support, besides Bluetooth 5.1 for connectivity. The company claims that equipped with this dual satellite positioning system and multiple smart sensors, the watch can accurately track the user’s trajectory, speed, distance and calories burnt precisely.

According to Telecom Talk, the Redmi Watch supports a number of sensors, including a three-axis acceleration sensor, PPG heart-rate sensor, barometer, geomagnetic sensor, ambient light sensor and a gyroscope. The smartwatch has 11 fitness modes, including indoor cycling, walking, swimming, trail running and hiking.

The users can also monitor their sleep and heartbeat rate, besides getting guided breathing support, step count and air pressure detection.

Performance

The company claims that the Redmi Watch has up to 10 days of battery life on a single charge. Since the watch doesn’t support speed charging, it will take around 2 hours for a full charge. Besides, it has 5 ATM water-resistance certification.

Integration

Users can also integrate the Redmi Watch with their smartphone and check notifications, receive calls and set alarms among doing many other things.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

View: Virtual Fitness, the next normal in 2021

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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As we near the end of what could go down as the most disruptive year in modern times, most industries would have already begun to take stock of the momentous changes witnessed in just a span of a few months. For consumers, life changed almost overnight. And for businesses, it was a defining moment of being able to pivot or perish.

However, as we look back, we’re faced with the realization that while this year may have been challenging, it’s also been a harbinger for change. At the epicentre of that change are technology and its core proposition of connectivity.

Whether it’s person-to-person or just being able to bridge a gaping hole in the demand and supply ecosystem, tech and innovation have been the saving grace for the year that was 2020. And this couldn’t be more evident than it was for the fitness industry.

The dawn of the virtual experience

While the initial days of lockdown impositions and work-from-home realities created an immense opportunity for the fitness space, the traditional ecosystem was faced with an almost paradoxical dilemma. People were actively seeking ways to stay healthy, but gyms and brick-and-mortar establishments could no longer function to meet this demand. Whether it was the everyday gym buff or the new-age clientele who suddenly had the time to invest in their fitness – the boom in demand was unequivocal. Enter the digital age of fitness.

Resilience has always been a staple for this sector, and almost overnight independent and multi-national establishments quickly made a move to go digital. Platforms like Zoom and Google Meet were no longer just for the ‘9 to 5’ but were now being used for early morning Yoga sessions and late-night HIIT workouts. Social media portals like Instagram, YouTube, and even TikTok gave people access to celebrity trainers, fitness influencers, and those ‘Goal-worthy’ workouts. Now that accessibility was taken care of, and people had gotten a taste of what the virtual experience could be like, engagement was the next move.

Apps and the Rules of Engagement

With access to literally what the world of fitness could offer, the key ingredient of motivation and engagement that in-person training offered needed to be addressed. However, it wasn’t long before apps came along to elevate the entire experience. From tracking apps to app-enabled work-out sessions, these pocket-friendly virtual companions weren’t just restricted to high-intensity workouts but also, basic physical activities like walking and running. At their core, the capability to set individual goals, track progress on those goals, and in some cases (like StepSetGo) reward every accomplishment added personal touch. While to the untrained eye, these additions to the virtual workout experience may have seemed minor, but in reality, it had a tremendous impact on the future of the ecosystem.

Now, users have the option of anywhere-anytime fitness and had a companion who showed a vested interest in their progress and could help them achieve their goals.

Looking to 2021

As restrictions ease and traditional establishments begin to open up, the virtual fitness experience will not just slip into the background. In fact, it will play a leading role alongside the traditional infrastructure in the years to come. The convenience and accessibility of this new concept introduced is its ace in the hole and will play an integral part in the future of fitness. Because of the dynamic evolution that has been witnessed in 2020, more radical concepts like augmented reality and immersive experiences within the ecosystem have become a possibility. Although, maybe not in the immediate future.

We will see hybrid models where traditional and digital join forces provide a holistic fitness experience. This experience will give the end-user a plethora of options to choose from, i.e. in-gym, outdoors, at home, etc. while enabling tracking and gratification of goals and achievements through virtual assistants. These alliances will not only establish an invested interest in the end user’s fitness journey. Still, they will also prove beneficial in terms of engagement and acquisition at both sides of the collaboration.

On the topic of engagement and acquisition, the fitness space will always be plagued by its first and foremost challenge, which is keeping people committed to their fitness journey. In that regard, while this year saw a few players dabble in gamification and social interaction-based motivation, 2021 is the year the industry will take this up a notch. Each platform and outlet will do everything they can to keep current customers and incentivise potential ones.

2021 will be yet another defining moment for the fitness ecosystem. It will be the true test of the sustainability of the demand seen in 2020 and the potential cohesive partnership with new and old players within the landscape. Either way, our users and customers will be the deciding factor to propel the industry forward and scale it to new heights.

— Shivjeet Ghatge is the CEO and Co-founder at StepSetGo. The views expressed are personal.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Swiggy launches ‘Jumpstart Package’ to assist restaurants resuming operations

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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On-demand delivery platform Swiggy has launched a ‘Jumpstart Package’ for all its restaurant partners who are either already operational for delivery or restarting business operations with the implementation of Unlock 1.0.

This package will focus on easing key aspects involved in resuming operations and reducing the overall investment required to bring back customers. Important elements such as safety kits required for implementing hygiene protocols and business booster programs that improve visibility and drive orders volumes will be offered at heavily subsidised rates. Since the launch of this initiative late last week, over 40,000 restaurant partners have already availed this package.

Also read: After Swiggy, Zomato starts home delivery of alcohol in Jharkhand

The ‘Jumpstart Package’ has been crafted by recognising business revival, continuity and growth as the three key pillars. To resume operations, restaurant partners will be supported with establishing safety and hygiene protocols.

Swiggy will share training content on the best practices to be followed at restaurant premises. Safety grade packaging material and safety kits will be made available at up to 40 percent off directly through Swiggy.

Restaurants will have an option to regularly upload videos and images of the safety practices followed by them, on the restaurant’s menu page on the Swiggy customer app to help build trust among customers.

Also read: COVID-19 Impact: Swiggy sacks 1,100 employees, to pare cloud kitchens business

‘Business Booster’ pack will offer efficient investment options to drive sales. To enable smooth cash flows for partners, Swiggy has activated bi-weekly payments options.

Restaurants will also have access to subsidised financing through the Swiggy Capital Assist Program. Regular updates and new initiatives on the restaurant partner app, along with the expedited onboarding process is being implemented to drive ease of doing business.

Pranav from Tiny Tuscan, Gurgaon said, “The aggregators and cafes need to work in tandem as a team to stay afloat. So, any relief for a month or two would go a long way in helping the industry. The aggregators act as a medium between customers and restaurants, so anything they do to get the customers back to ordering and restaurants to not shut down would help.”

Kanwaljit Singh from Amrit Sweets, Chandigarh said, “Launch of Best Safety Tag has been significant in steps towards ensuring to safety measures taken by an outlet and hence reducing fear of online ordering. It has also helped us to document the necessary steps taken by us on a daily basis.”

Also read: Lockdown got people falling out of love with restaurant food? This survey says so

Step Out Cafe from Jaipur said, “Jumpstart Package offers very good elements for restaurants. The “Best Safety Standard” carousel is helping one to build customer trust. The pay-out twice a week is also a good step which will help in smooth cash flow.”

Paul Varghese, vice president, supply, Swiggy, said, “Ensuring business revival, continuity and growth for restaurant partners will be absolutely crucial to enabling Swiggy and the industry overcome this challenging phase. Swiggy’s Jumpstart Package has been strategically devised to achieve this by combining our learnings with clear insights from our research on present consumer needs. This initiative will catalyse our efforts to drive focused execution in enabling quick wins for our restaurant partners while catering to evolving consumer needs.”

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

More demand for slippers due to WFH, ‘Power’ sports shoes, says Bata CEO

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Bata has reopened 1000 of its 1400 stores across the country and it is now in “revival,” Chief Executive Officer, Sandeep Kataria said in an interview with CNBC-TV18.

In the stores that are operational, the company is seeing divergent trends. Sales in some stores in Tier II towns are almost 70-75 percent pre-COVID levels, but sales in some stores in the metro cities and malls are just a third of what they were a year ago.

Bata is on course to open their factory in Batanagar, West Bengal this week. Kataria said low demand was a bigger issue at this point in time, than production or supply chain management.

He said the company was looking at various ways to save on costs. It has managed to renegotiate rentals for its stores with nearly 65 percent of the landlords.

On demand, Kataria said lower priced products like slippers were selling more as more people are working out of their homes. An interesting trend, was a spike in sales of the ‘Power’ brand of sports shoes, as many people seemed to be taking to fitness, Kataria said.

Bata is going slow on new store openings but will continue expanding into newer towns via the franchise route, Kataria said.

The company has also increased focus on e-commerce channels and its own website as well. Additionally, Bata is using services like WhatsApp to stay in touch with consumers and enable omnichannel sales

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Socially distant salon: A 132-km drive for my first post-COVID haircut

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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If the last couple of months of COVID-19 have taught us anything at all, austerity and frugality would rank high on the list. For the first time since 2008, big companies learnt to cut costs (often at the expense of jobs and salaries), small businesses went digital, e-commerce firms learnt to survive on deliveries of face masks and hand sanitizers, and a world reliant on app-based transit solutions saw cabs and cab aggregators come to a grinding halt.

As men, we learnt a couple of things too: the necessary art of washing our hands, and the ways and means to survive without a haircut. The latter tested our patience and perspiration. It also taught us to tuck unruly locks of overgrown hair behind our ears while asking ourselves, “shouldn’t haircuts be declared an essential service?”

So, when salons were allowed to re-open in Tamil Nadu’s smaller towns — and not in Chennai, thanks to the ever-escalating number of COVID-19 cases — a friend and I set out to do something bordering along the lines of amusing but necessary. We drove 132 kilometres for a haircut.

I never planned on going to Vellore to get my hair cut. It was the weekend; I had taken the day off; restaurants, pubs and cinemas were still shut; and a long drive with takeaway McDonald’s seemed like the only form of entertainment at hand. We figured we would drive along the Chennai-Bengaluru Highway and capitalize on the delightfully vacant four-lane roads. Just when we began taking a U-turn to get back to Chennai, we saw it: a Lakme Unisex Salon. It had been three months since I last cut my hair. I knew it was time.

Socially Distant Salons

After walking in and getting done with the now-familiar formalities — sanitizer on hands, a mandatory temperature check, and mineral-water served in sealed disposable bottles — I got down to finding out just how much haircuts were set to change in the post-COVID World.

“It comes to 350 rupees for a haircut, and an additional 100 rupees for a safety kit, sir,” the receptionist told me when I inquired about how much this would set me back by.

“So, the safety kit means I get to keep the stuff in it?” I asked her, with an opportunistic smile. “Oh no, that’s how much you pay for getting your scissors, comb and razor properly sanitized,” she replied. On turning around, I saw an autoclave plugged in. So, a hundred bucks for heating metal, I thought to myself. “Let’s do this,” I said.

My stylist began by spraying sanitizer all over my salon recliner. The adjacent one had duct tape plastered over it in the shape of an X. Social distancing, obviously. This was the case with the two recliners on the opposite side too. This meant that post-re-opening, this salon’s capacity was halved. Given that these establishments are allowed to stay open for a limited period, according to Tamil Nadu’s restart guidelines, business is significantly hit.

No sooner was my sanitizer sprayed I sat down, ready for my haircut. My stylist said he’d like to wash my hair first, but that I’d have to wait since one washing station was already occupied by another customer. That’s when I noticed it: two washing stations but only one in use, thanks to social-distancing norms. My friend waited on a two-seater couch, which had one of its seats marked with the same X, social distancing the winner again.

Back to pedestal fans

In the heat of summer, Tamil Nadu’s rules state that commercial establishments must refrain from running air-conditioning so as to prevent spread of the Novel Coronavirus. This meant that underneath our already stuffy face masks, we must deal with the humidity of the buildings we visit. This salon had a pedestal fan that was mercifully turned towards me, and kept the perspiration away. The only problem: my snipped hair began flying off to all corners of the salon.

By the time my stylist got to work on my hair, I noticed that he looked more lab-technician than stylist, with his apron, gloves and a face-mask on. The metal of the scissors felt warm, straight out of the autoclave, as did the comb and the electric razor too. Half-an-hour in, I had a brand new haircut. A bit more sanitizer, a bill-less transaction, continued social distancing, and I was all done.

The weight of the hair off my head never felt better. Almost instantly, you couldn’t help but feel the road trip was worth it. We got back in the car, keyed in the ignition and got back home from the longest drive to get to a salon, and a socially distant haircut — one that I’ll remember for the ages.

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GOQii launches wrist band that helps detect COVID-19 symptoms

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Fitness and healthcare wearables startup GOQii today said it has achieved a major breakthrough in early COVID detection by launching a wearable which has sensors to flag COVID-19 symptoms.

The smart band, GOQii Vital 3.0, has an inbuilt temperature display and thermal sensor which can monitor temperature both continuously as well give an on-demand reading. The temperature range is 77°F to 113 °F with an accuracy of +/- 0.3 °F. the band will also track heart rate, blood pressure, sleep, step count and calories.

GOQii said it has partnered with German health tech startup Thryve to conduct a clinical study in India to detect COVID-19 infections earlier than testing.

“The combination of Thryve’s unique machine learning-based algorithms and GOQii’s Vital 3.0 Smart band will usher a breakthrough in technology advancement to address the current crisis in timely detection of COVID -19 that has engulfed the globe,” the company release said.

GOQii’s brand ambassador Akshay Kumar has donated 1,000 GOQii Vital 3.0 bands to Mumbai Police. The Mumbai Police department will be the first organisation in the world enabled to remotely track and manage the health of its personnel via the GOQii preventive health platform, the release said.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Work from home: Professionals complain of stress, insomnia, anxiety

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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Insomnia, backaches, restlessness, stress and anxiety are among the side effects people are facing from prolonged work from home as the country entered the fifth week of the lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Many companies and firms shut office operations after the nationwide lockdown was announced on March 25. Initially imposed for 21 days, the lockdown was extended to May 3 as the number of COVID-19 cases increased in the country.

Suresh Sharma, a Delhi-based techie, said he spends most of his time either in front of his laptop screen or on his mobile phone, sometimes hours at a stretch.

“I was initially enjoying working from home. However, with the passage of time, I realised it had taken a toll on my health. While working in my office space, I would be attending meetings and interacting with people. But, now, absolutely everything is online,” he said.

Sharma says back problems have cropped up and headaches have become frequent.

For Geeta Malhotra, a techie based in Bengaluru, work from home has not only blurred the line separating her personal and professional life, but has also made her insomniac.

“I am eating whenever I want. Sometimes two meals a day, sometimes four times a day. The little walking I used to do has also stopped. I have put on four kgs of weight since the lockdown and I am having trouble sleeping at night so much that I have been sleeping for less than four hours,” she said.

Like Sharma, she too complained of suffering from headaches frequently.

Several large IT companies, according to estimates, has 90 to 95 per cent of its employees working from home.

Health experts have advised people to practice meditation and do physical exercises to keep the mind and body fit.

People should also use this opportunity to pursue their hobbies to de-stress, they said.

Clinical psychologist at the Paras Hospital in Gurgaon, Preeti Singh, said people might be experiencing these issues as they are not getting enough opportunity for physical activity. This is also sometimes due to lack of motivation or anxiety, she said.

“Work load has increased along with responsibilities at home, this has left people exhausted. Insomnia might have become a problem as many are tensed over job security,” Singh said.

Shailaja S, who works in Bengaluru as an architect, said she has been having “anxiety attacks and nightmares”.

“When at work, I would see my colleagues, go on coffee or lunch breaks, but now I am sitting at home the whole day working,” she said.

“I am always restless, I keep checking my phone assuming there is a message from office. There is no respite even after working hours are over, as I keep getting work messages,” said Shailaja.

Rahul Kumar, a consultant with a Gurgaon-based multi-national company, said his body posture has worsened and he is suffering from severe back pain, restlessness and anxiety.

“In the first two weeks, I was relaxed but as time passed, I have been restless and anxious. My diet and exercise routine have all been hit. Now all I do is sit in front of the computer and work in my room,” Kumar said.

Some health experts also said that distressing news on the novel coronavirus pandemic is also taking a toll on the mental health of people.

Pankaj Gupta, president, Indian Institute of Health Management Research University, in Jaipur, said distressing information related to the coronavirus is making people scared and worried about their and their family’s health.

“We know that good mental health promotes good physical health, therefore involve yourself in dancing, yoga, gardening that brings in positive thoughts and happiness,” he said.

“Practising meditation early in the morning, and devoting time to reading and spiritual activities will generate positive vibes around you and your loved ones. Keeping the house clean and bright with lights, walking on the roof will help them stay mentally healthy during this tough time,” Gupta said.

Shanu Srivastava, a senior psychologist at Indian Spinal Injuries Centre advised people to limit news consumption on COVID-19.

He said frequent updates on the pandemic is creating anxiety and insomnia in many people.

The government has launched a toll-free helpline number – 08046110007 — for people who may face any mental health issue due to the ongoing countrywide lockdown to contain the spread of coronavirus.

In a document ‘Minding our minds during the COVID-19 pandemic’, the Union Health Ministry said staying at home can be quite nice for some time, but can also be boring and restricting.

It advised people to stay busy and distract themselves from negative emotions by listening to music, reading, watching an entertaining programme on television, pursuing hobbies and doing simple indoor exercises.

The deadly coronavirus disease has claimed 934 lives in the country and currently, there are 21,632 active cases, according to the health ministry. On the bright side, 6868 people have been cured of the infection.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow