Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Hyperlocal model gets a new lease of lifeHyperlocal delivery of food and groceries is making a comeback. As India went into lockdown, e-commerce firms started forging partnerships with brick-and-mortar stores to cater to the spike in demand of essential goods. The modelHyperlocal delivery, which involved picking up goods from neighbourhood mom-and-pop stores […]
Archives for April 2020
BankBazaar raises Rs 29 crore from Amazon, other investors
Financial services marketplace BankBazaar has raised Rs 29 crore as part of its ongoing Series D round from existing investors including Amazon, Sequoia and Walden SKT Venture Fund, according to its filings with the Registrar of Companies. This funding comes more than two and a half years after the global credit rating agency Experian had […]
COVID-19: Latest News & Commentary for IT Leaders
Check here regularly for InformationWeek’s updates on the coronavirus pandemic and related issues like business continuity, remote working, IT operational challenges and other technology considerations. Image: Thaut Images – stock.adobe.com Week of 04/06/2020 Businesses Rewrite 2020 Budgets and Plans Amid COVID-19 A few new surveys of executives and business leaders provide some insight into shifting […]
Digital transformation peak: where the channel goes from here
The technology industry has come to a precarious position. Although businesses today understand the importance of technology for achieving their objectives, they are also experiencing ‘digital transformation’ fatigue, says Abel Smit, sales director, data solutions & IoT at Tech Data. Numerous organisations have grown tired of technology implementations that do not live up to the […]
AIoT: The powerful convergence of AI and the IoT
From fictional characters like Joey and Phoebe in Friends to the hamburger & fries combo for foodies, the greatest and most powerful duos have existed throughout the history of mankind. They may have a unique individuality but when clubbed together boom! Together, says Dinesh Soundararajan of Contus, they create an awesome and wonderful impact. Similarly, the perfect amalgamation of the […]
Naspers-backed Prosus commits Rs 100 crore to PM CARES Fund
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Naspers-backed Prosus, the global consumer internet-focused investor, has committed Rs 100 crore to the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM CARES) Fund, the disaster relief trust set up to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. The commitment by Prosus is possibly the largest by a single risk capital investor in […]
Availability of essential goods drops again in last 2 days
After showing a steady improvement since the start of the 21-day nationwide lockdown, the availability of essential goods at brick-and-mortar retailers and e-commerce platforms dipped in the two days ending April 10, according to a survey by community platform LocalCircles. The percentage of consumers able to buy essential goods at physical stores dropped to 65% […]
Airbnb’s $1 billion bargain is a sign of things to come
By Alex WebbPrivate equity has often found it tough to invest its $1.3 trillion of committed capital in technology companies. For all of their desire to get into the game, tech’s bubbly valuations meant private equity investors often couldn’t justify writing big checks, and some of the hottest startups’ lack of profitability made it hard […]
Allow full operations of e-commerce as first step to normalcy: IAMAI
Full operations of e-commerce companies should be opened up while moving towards normalcy as these services can help in supporting social distancing by delivering products at the door, industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) said on Thursday. IAMAI, whose members include Flipkart, Amazon Seller Services, eBay etc, said that e-commerce services can […]
Amazon begins making coronavirus testing lab for workforce
Amazon has started building a lab that will enable it to test employees for the Covid-19 virus, the latest step the online retailer is taking to try to protect its warehouse workers and delivery drivers who are getting essential products to customers sheltering at home. Amazon acknowledges its ad-hoc effort may not accomplish much during […]