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EaseMyTrip Appoints Rikant Pittie as CEO, Eyes Industry Innovation

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EaseMyTrip Appoints Rikant Pittie as CEO, Eyes Industry Innovation

EaseMyTrip.com, one of India’s leading online travel platforms, has announced Rikant Pittie as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). 

As a co-founder of the company, Pittie steps into this role with a vision to propel EaseMyTrip to greater heights through innovation, enhanced customer service, and a stronger foothold in the competitive travel market.

New CEO Shares his Thoughts on New Appointment 

Pittie takes over the reins following the resignation of Nishant Pitti, who cited personal reasons for stepping down. In a letter to the board, Nishant expressed gratitude for his journey with the company and requested to be relieved of his duties. Reports suggest that Nishant may also sell his remaining 14.21% stake in EaseMyTrip, potentially fetching around ₹780 crore through a block deal.

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Rikant Pittie, who co-founded EaseMyTrip in 2008, brings nearly 15 years of experience spanning travel, tourism, human resources, and technology. His prior role as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Executive Director has been instrumental in shaping the company’s success. Under his leadership, EaseMyTrip has grown into a major player in India’s travel sector, known for its customer-centric approach and tech-driven solutions.

Revolutionising the Travel Industry 

Speaking about his new role, Pittie said, “The travel industry is evolving rapidly, with technology playing a key role in reshaping how people experience the world. At EaseMyTrip, we’re not just focused on improving travel services—we’re dedicated to redefining the industry through innovative solutions and customer empowerment. It’s a privilege to lead this journey, and I’m excited about the opportunities ahead.”

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This leadership change comes at a critical time for EaseMyTrip, as the company seeks to capitalize on its momentum and further establish itself as a trailblazer in the travel technology space.

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Leadership Shift at CARS24: Himanshu Ratnoo Promoted to CEO

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Leadership Shift at CARS24: Himanshu Ratnoo Promoted to CEO

CARS24, a leading platform for buying and selling pre-owned vehicles, has named Himanshu Ratnoo as the CEO of its Used Cars India division. The announcement was made by Vikram Chopra, CARS24’s founder and global CEO, in an internal communication to the team.

Himanshu Ratnoo Joined as VP

Ratnoo, who joined CARS24 in 2020 as vice president of the wholesale business, will now oversee the company’s customer-to-business (C2B) and retail operations. His primary focus will be on driving growth, scaling key initiatives, and introducing innovative strategies to enhance the platform’s services.

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In his new role, Ratnoo will spearhead efforts to expand franchise operations and introduce new models for luxury car sales. Additionally, he will work on monetizing customer leads and enhancing value-added services to improve the overall experience for buyers and sellers alike.

About CARS24’s Unique Business 

CARS24 has built a comprehensive ecosystem for vehicle transactions, offering services such as buying, selling, financing, insurance, FASTag issuance, and vehicle scrapping. Through its NBFC arm, CARS24 Financial Services, the company also provides a range of vehicle financing options, operating under the approval of the Reserve Bank of India.

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Founded in 2015, CARS24 operates in India, Australia, and the UAE, leveraging AI-powered pricing tools and rigorous quality checks to ensure fair and transparent deals. Despite reporting net losses of ₹498.4 crore in the fiscal year ending March 2024, the company showed significant progress with a 25% jump in gross revenue, reaching ₹6,917 crore. Adjusted EBITDA also improved to ₹318.8 crore, reflecting better control over operational expenses.

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Blinkit’s Latest Update Lets You Clean Up Your Order History

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Blinkit’s Latest Update Lets You Clean Up Your Order History

Blinkit, the quick-commerce platform under Zomato’s umbrella, has rolled out a new feature that lets users delete orders from their purchase history.

Albinder Dhindsa, Blinkit’s co-founder and CEO, shared that over 1,04,924 orders have already been wiped from the system since the feature launched just last week. He emphasized that this move aims to enhance user privacy, giving customers control over what appears in their order history, particularly for those who prefer to keep certain purchases discreet.

Key Details of this New Feature 

Once an order is deleted, it cannot be retrieved, and Blinkit’s customer support team will not be able to assist with any questions regarding the removed transaction. However, if someone else placed the order on the same account, the details will still show up in their history.

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This new feature is just one of several recent updates Blinkit has rolled out. Over the past year, the platform has introduced services like Bistro for speedy food deliveries, along with specialized fleets to manage bulk orders. It also launched the Blinkit Seller Hub, enabling sellers to upload their own product listings.

Blinkit Looking to Diversify 

In its bid to diversify, Blinkit has expanded offerings like returns for clothing and footwear and the ability to quickly deliver passport-sized photos. The company also pushed into new areas, with its services now reaching Jammu, a move aligned with Zomato’s strategy to target more Tier II cities.

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In terms of growth, Blinkit reported impressive results for Q2 of fiscal year 2025, bringing in ₹1,156 crore in revenue, more than double the ₹505 crore from the same quarter last year. Its adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed significantly, dropping to ₹8 crore from ₹125 crore the previous year.

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Ola Electric Appoints Experienced Corporate Lawyer Pritam Das Mohapatra to Top Governance Role

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Ola Electric Appoints Experienced Corporate Lawyer Pritam Das Mohapatra to Top Governance Role

Ola Electric, the Bengaluru-based leader in electric vehicles, has announced the appointment of Pritam Das Mohapatra as the new company secretary and compliance officer, effective December 30, 2024.

Pritam Das Mohapatra Appointed as the new Company Secretary and Compliance Officer

This decision, approved by the company’s board of directors on the same day, follows the resignation of the previous compliance officer two months ago. 

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Ola Electric’s founder and CEO, Bhavish Aggarwal, expressed his enthusiasm for Mohapatra’s appointment, noting the importance of strong corporate governance as the company continues to grow and expand its reach in the market.

About the new Top Executive

Mohapatra, an associate member of the Institute of Company Secretaries of India, holds both a law degree and a bachelor’s degree in commerce. With over 14 years of experience in corporate law, regulatory compliance, and governance, he is well-equipped for this role. His prior work experience includes positions at companies such as Merabo Labs, ANI Technologies, Ola Fleet Technologies, and Zuari InfraWorld India. Additionally, he has no family ties or other relationships with Ola Electric’s board members, which ensures his independence in the role.

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In his new position, Mohapatra will oversee Ola Electric’s compliance with regulations set by bodies like the Securities and Exchange Board of India. His expertise in corporate governance and IPO listings is expected to strengthen the company’s adherence to legal and regulatory standards.

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Xiaomi India Names Sandeep Singh Arora as CBO to Accelerate Market Expansion

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Xiaomi India Names Sandeep Singh Arora as CBO to Accelerate Market Expansion

Xiaomi India has appointed Sandeep Singh Arora as its new Chief Business Officer. In this pivotal role, Arora will spearhead efforts to drive business expansion, forge new strategic partnerships, and explore new avenues for revenue growth.

Sandeep Singh Arora is a Corporate Titan 

With an impressive background spanning product marketing, category management, retail operations, and brand strategy, Arora is well-positioned to help Xiaomi navigate India’s dynamic and ever-changing market. His leadership will be key to the company’s upcoming phase of growth, where the focus will be on advancing innovation and market reach.

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“I’ve always admired Xiaomi’s mission to bring cutting-edge technology to millions of Indians. The company’s culture, values, and commitment to innovation align closely with my own. Our priority will be to offer top-tier products to meet the needs of today’s aspirational Indian consumers. I’m excited to embark on this new chapter and contribute to Xiaomi’s continued success in India,” said Sandeep Singh Arora.

A Huge Shot in the Arm for Xiaomi!

Arora brings more than 30 years of experience in growing consumer brands. Prior to joining Xiaomi, he was with Samsung India, leading the Consumer Electronics division’s online business and marketing communications efforts. His career also includes key roles as VP of Marketing at Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. (The Times of India Group), EVP of Marketing at PepsiCo India, and senior leadership positions at Unilever.

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Arora holds a PGDM in Business Management and Marketing from IIM Ahmedabad, making him a seasoned expert in business strategy and brand growth.

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InstaAstro’s Complaint Against Astrotalk Gets the Cold Shoulder from CCI

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InstaAstro’s Complaint Against Astrotalk Gets the Cold Shoulder from CCI

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has rejected a complaint filed by InstaAstro, accusing Astrotalk, an online astrology platform, of dominating the market unfairly.

CCI Passes a Significant Ruling

In its ruling, the CCI noted that InstaAstro had failed to provide any solid data or evidence to back up its claims. The Commission also highlighted that Astrotalk faces significant competition from various other established players in the market, making it unlikely for the platform to be engaging in anti-competitive practices.

The CCI panel, consisting of chairperson Ravneet Kaur and members Anil Agrawal, Shweta Kakkad, and Deepak Anurag, pointed out that allegations based solely on media reports were insufficient to establish a case of market dominance.

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CCI Finds No Merit in Allegations

In its original complaint, InstaAstro had accused Astrotalk of practices that supposedly harmed competition, including allegedly luring away one of its consultants by offering a higher salary—up to INR 5 lakh a month. InstaAstro further claimed that Astrotalk forced these consultants into restrictive contracts that prevented them from returning to InstaAstro or joining other competitors. Additionally, the complaint accused Astrotalk of spreading misleading information to encourage consultants to break ties with rival platforms.

InstaAstro also referenced statements made by Astrotalk’s CEO, Puneet Gupta, on social media, where he mentioned that the company held a dominant 80% market share. InstaAstro argued that such comments indicated Astrotalk’s abuse of its market position.

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The CCI, however, dismissed these allegations, stating that no sufficient proof had been provided to support claims of anti-competitive behavior.

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From Office Chairs to Motorbikes: Magicpin’s Leadership Delivers Smiles This New Year’s Eve

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From Office Chairs to Motorbikes: Magicpin’s Leadership Delivers Smiles This New Year’s Eve

On New Year’s Eve, the leadership team at Magicpin, led by CEO Anshoo Sharma, swapped their usual office attire for helmets and leather jackets, hitting the streets on bikes to deliver food orders to customers across Delhi NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

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Magicpin Comes Up With a Fascinating Event

In a post on social media, Magicpin shared the excitement of their team’s hands-on approach: “While some are behind closed doors in warm offices or strategy rooms, we’re out there on the ground, delivering smiles from 2024 straight into 2025! It’s the busiest night of the year, and our leadership is joining our delivery partners for the hustle.”

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A photo posted by the company showed CEO Anshoo Sharma alongside key team members, including Naman Mawandia, Suyash Jaiswal, Vinod Jain, Indrajit Nair, and Tarun Kumar, as they geared up for their unique night of delivery.

Magicpin Ventures into Fresh Sectors 

In addition to their festive spirit, Magicpin recently expanded into quick commerce with the launch of magicNow, a new food delivery service. Initially teaming up with over 2,000 food brands and 1,000 merchants, magicNow benefits from Magicpin’s logistics arm, Velocity, which consolidates third-party services like Shadowfax, Dunzo, Rapido, and OLA under one roof. This move is designed to streamline logistics for the company and its partners.

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Who Needs a Date When You Have Zomato? 4,940 Search for ‘Girlfriend’ in 2024”

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Who Needs a Date When You Have Zomato? 4,940 Search for ‘Girlfriend’ in 2024”

Zomato’s annual customer insights report for 2024 brought to light some quirky yet fascinating trends, revealing the diversity of its users’ searches and ordering habits. 

Among the unexpected findings, nearly 5,000 people typed “girlfriend” into the search bar, while just 40 users searched for “dulhan” — a surprising glimpse into the varied reasons behind food orders.

Delhi NCR Comes on Top

Delhi-NCR dominates, but Mumbai’s spending edges ahead

In terms of sheer volume, Delhi-NCR emerged as the leader, with a massive 12.4 crore orders in 2024, outpacing the combined total of Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan, which together accounted for around 10 crore orders. Bengaluru showed impressive numbers, placing 30 lakh more orders than Mumbai. However, it was Mumbai that outspent Bengaluru, tipping an additional Rs 3 crore.

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Busiest and slowest days

May 12 proved to be Zomato’s busiest day, with an astounding 34.8 lakh orders flooding in. In contrast, January 29 saw the fewest orders, with just 16.8 lakh placed, offering a glimpse into the seasonal fluctuations in food delivery demand.

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A New Year’s Eve boom

New Year’s Eve marked a peak in demand across quick-commerce platforms like Zomato, Blinkit, Swiggy Instamart, and Zepto. Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa took to X to announce that they had already surpassed their total orders from the previous NYE by 5 p.m. that day, noting record-high orders, tips, and delivery speed, showcasing the skyrocketing demand for on-demand deliveries during the holiday season.

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Ather’s IPO: Ola, Your Electric Competition Just Got Stronger!

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Ather’s IPO: Ola, Your Electric Competition Just Got Stronger!

Ather Energy, a leading name in India’s electric two-wheeler market, has received the go-ahead from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to move forward with its highly anticipated Initial Public Offering (IPO). 

This marks a significant milestone for the company, positioning it to become the second major electric vehicle manufacturer to list on Indian stock exchanges, following in the footsteps of Ola Electric earlier this year.

Company Poised to Raise a Huge Amount 

The company’s IPO is expected to raise around ₹4,500 crore, with ₹3,100 crore from the issuance of new equity shares and the remaining portion coming from the sale of 2.2 crore shares by existing stakeholders, including promoters and investors.

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Ather is targeting a valuation of approximately $2.5 billion, nearly double its worth from August, when it secured $71 million in a funding round led by the National Investment and Infrastructure Fund (NIIF).

Where Would the IPO Money be Invested? 

Proceeds from the IPO will be used to establish a new electric vehicle manufacturing facility in Maharashtra, reduce the company’s debt, and fund further research, development, and marketing efforts. 

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Despite a slight dip in revenue—around 1.7% year-on-year, with ₹1,753 crore in consolidated revenue for the 2024 financial year—Ather remains optimistic about India’s rapidly expanding electric vehicle market and its future growth prospects.

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Kunal Kamra vs Blinkit CEO: The Fight Over Gig Worker Wages

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Kunal Kamra vs Blinkit CEO: The Fight Over Gig Worker Wages

Comedian Kunal Kamra has taken aim at the rapid-growth quick-commerce industry in India, accusing its leaders of exploiting gig workers for profit. 

On December 31, Kamra called out Blinkit CEO Albinder Dhindsa on X (formerly Twitter), pressing him for transparency about the wages paid to delivery workers in 2024. “Could you share data on the average wages you paid your delivery partners this year?” Kamra wrote.

Kamra Asks Tough Questions 

His comment came in response to Dhindsa’s celebratory post showcasing Blinkit’s New Year’s Eve sales figures, which included items like 122,356 packs of condoms, 45,531 bottles of water, and 22,322 units of Partysmart—highlighting the scale of deliveries made during the festivities.

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Starting 2025 on a provocative note, Kamra chose to critique what he sees as the exploitative practices underlying the quick-commerce boom. “As we enjoy the ease of quick deliveries, my first tweet of the year is about their darker realities,” he wrote. According to Kamra, the industry doesn’t create meaningful jobs but instead thrives on the labor of underpaid gig workers.

Kamra’s Dig at Blinkit and Other Like Platforms

He likened platform founders to “landlords without land,” accusing them of masking worker exploitation as freedom while failing to pay fair wages. “There’s no creativity or real innovation here,” Kamra claimed. “They sell the illusion of freedom to people who can’t afford it, all while offering wages that don’t match their dreams.”

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Kamra also raised concerns about how these companies profit from the vast amounts of data generated by workers, likening the practice to extracting oil without compensating those who produce it. “They’re profiting off data as if it’s oil, but they refuse to pay for the oil fields,” he wrote, warning that regulatory action could eventually bring them to account.

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