News Roundup: 9 Startup Stories That You Don’t Want To Miss This Week [10 October – 15 October]

Chinese smartphone maker OnePlus has announced the launch of its exclusive ecommerce website in India. The move on OnePlus’ part appears to create a personalised shopping experience for its Indian user-base.

Important Developments Of The Week

The Indian Express Launches InUth.com

The Indian Express Group has launched its video content platform InUth.com in beta. The new content format will be the key differentiator. This will include gifs, memes, audio stories, timeline formats, Instagram stories, and Snapchat stories.

Reliance Jio Sets World Record

Reliance Jio has claimed a world record by crossing the 16 Mn subscriber mark in its first month of operations, i.e September. Jio achieved this growth faster than any other telecom operator or startup in the world, including the likes of Facebook, Whatsapp, and Skype.

MobiKwik Launches UPI

Gurugram-based mobile wallet company MobiKwik has launched Unified Payments Interface (UPI) on its platform. The new payment option will allow Mobikwik’s users to access online payments via the UPI with added services like net banking, wallets, and credit/debit cards as well. It has entered into a partnership with ICICI bank to allow its users to load money into their wallet with the UPI.

FoodCloud Marks Entry To Startup India Programme

New Delhi-based foodtech startup FoodCloud has been inducted into the Startup India Programme by the Government of India and the Ministry of Commerce & Industry. Earlier in April 2016, FoodCloud was accepted in the Fb Start programme too.

Essel Group Launches Gorb

Living Enterprises Pvt. Ltd, run by Mumbai-based Essel Group has forayed into online food delivery segment, with the launch of its platform Gorb. It offers a ‘daily menu’ that is prepared by home chefs and curated by ‘in-house experts’. The chefs associated with the company will also be provided with an opportunity to host their own cooking show on Essel group’s TV channel Living Foodz.

Festive Season Sale Fuels Ecommerce War

Last week’s mega festive sale was full of marketing gimmicks and word wars in the ecommerce space. While Flipkart claimed the number one position with high ticket size items for Big Billion Days, Amazon called the metrics bogus. Meanwhile, Snapdeal extended its pre-Diwali sale for three more days.

Uber to Launch Uber Everything; Partners With Standard Chartered Bank

Uber is reportedly planning to launch a new service called Uber Everything. It will be a ride-hailing service for buses and mini-vans. The company plans to introduce Uber Pool in buses and mini-vans.

On the other hand, the unique partnership with Standard Chartered will offer bank cardholders in six markets up to 25% cash-back for global Uber rides. The list includes Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, India and the United Arab Emirates.

Amazon Launches A Global Store

Amazon India has launched a global store which will facilitate Indian customers to buy selected products from Amazon.com, the company’s American website. Users can proceed with their payments via net banking for the same. The global store will offer a selection from brands that are otherwise not available in India. The products bought will come equipped with local customer care services and delivery. The prices would be inclusive of import duties and other taxes, and Cash-on-delivery (COD) option would not be provided for the same.

CCAvenue Announces UPI Integration

CCAvenue has announced the integration of Unified Payments Interface (UPI), a platform launched by RBI-backed National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) built upon the IMPS system. This integration aims at detangling payment complexities for consumers and delivers a smooth and seamless transactional experience.

Other Developments Of The Week

Tonbo Imaging Inks $100 Mn Deal

Bengaluru-based imaging-design startup, Tonbo Imaging has entered into a $100 Mn contract with the Peruvian army. Tonbo Imaging will manufacture and export ‘night-vision sights’ for the army’s weapons. A similar deal will be offered by Tonbo Imaging to the Indian army as well.

GoIbibo Launches Live Flight Tracking

Online travel platform Goibibo has introduced live flight tracking for 1,824 daily flight schedules. The service is available for both domestic and international flights. As claimed by the company, tracking by friends and families is a first of its kind feature launched by Goibibo wherein the passenger can define which of his contacts can receive live updates of their journey.

Airtel Unveils A New Version Of MyAirtel App

MyAirtel App will now have an ‘Airtel Apps’ section that will have a collection of top apps under a single interface. One can access music, movies, games, Live TV, e-books; chats and much more in one place. Also, it offers free 2GB cloud backup with the new airtel cloud app and free calling with Airtel Dialer

Raw Pressery Gets Associated With LogiNext

Cold-pressed juice delivery company, Raw Pressery, has partnered with logistics management LogiNext for its last-mile delivery solution, Mile™. The software provided automated delivery schedules, route optimisation, and resource capacity, hence cutting costs by reducing the number of kilometers travelled and optimising the time of delivery boys. The software also provided real-time tracking and notifications via its mobile app and cloud computing, providing better visibility to the supervisors.

Carnation Forms An Alliance With PolicyBazaar

Carnation Auto, an aftermarket player in the automotive workshop and certified pre-owned cars space, has entered into an exclusive partnership with Policybazaar.com. Under the “Clicks & Bricks” alliance, Carnation Auto will offer motor insurance cover through PolicyBazaar to all its customers across more than 85 outlets in the country and also provide them with cashless claims, priority processing, and delivery.

Simplilearn Presents Twitter-Powered Educational Content

Simplilearn has launched an initiative aimed at creating a larger ecosystem of Twitter advertising-aware professionals. It is now presenting educational content, powered by Twitter, as the core of its certification in Twitter Advertising. The objective is to educate marketers on how to leverage Twitter successfully for their business’s digital and social media marketing efforts.

Flock Launches Mailcast

Flock, the team messenger, has launched Mailcast, an app that integrates mailing list functionality directly into Flock. With Mailcast, every group created on Flock is automatically converted to an email list, making group mailing convenient and hassle-free.

EatTreat Launches EatTreat Shoppe

EatTreat has launched an online gourmet marketplace for desserts and cakes. It will serve as a platform for small businesses and home-sellers, who aren’t traditionally available online. EatTreat has associated with 30 unique home bakers so far, each showcasing their products, and a lot of modest bakeries and confectioners, who make unique cakes, alcoholic goodies, and gluten-free treats.