Thursday, March 28

ANALYSIS

Bengaluru Most Hospitable to Tech Startups; NCR Next Best
ANALYSIS

Bengaluru Most Hospitable to Tech Startups; NCR Next Best

(ANI): Bengaluru is host to the largest share of technology driven start-ups, followed by the Delhi NCR and Mumbai while Hyderabad and Chennai are also quite popular among the techies who are budding entrepreneurs, according to an ASSOCHAM study. The study done in association with the thought arbitrage found that in the technology driven start-ups, India has moved up to third position with the US occupying the top position with more than 47,000 and UK with over 4,500. India's tech start-ups number around 4,200 up to 2015. In terms of total number of start-ups, comprising tech and non-tech areas, India again figured among the five largest hosts in the world along with China. The number of start-ups in both India and China was 10,000 each. The US is at the number one position among...
Indian Homes Have Rs 78,300 Cr Worth of Used Goods: OLX Report
ANALYSIS

Indian Homes Have Rs 78,300 Cr Worth of Used Goods: OLX Report

Indian homes are estimated to have over Rs 78,300 crore worth of used goods like clothing, utensils and books, a study by used goods marketplace OLX said today. According to the third edition of Consumer Research on Used Goods and Selling Trends (CRUST) Survey 2015-16, the estimated market for used goods was about Rs 56,200 crore. In its first survey in 2013-14, OLX had coined the term Brown Money to represent the value locked in unused goods gathering dust in homes. The report prepared by OLX and market research firm IMRB found that on an average, every Indian household is stocking 12 clothing items, 14 kitchen utensils, 11 books, 7 kitchen appliances, 2 mobile phones and 3 watches. South India leads other regions on stocking, while among cities, Chandigarh and Kochi at 98 per cent le...
Retailers Earn More From Online Than Offline Sales: Study
ANALYSIS

Retailers Earn More From Online Than Offline Sales: Study

Retailers offering customers an option to buy products online earn more revenue than those who only sell their goods offline, according to a new study. The study suggests that customers spend more online because it is easier to locate items through the search function. Junzhao Ma, a lecturer at Monash University in Australia studied how a larger selection of products available online affects consumer spending, using data from a large US retailer that specialises in apparel and offers both printed catalogue and internet shopping. In particular, he examined the effect on the retailer's main products, offered in the catalogues and for which there was high demand and the less-popular niche items that were available on the retailer's website but hard to find in its catalogues. Ma found ...
Decoding: Venture Capital Investments Globally
ANALYSIS

Decoding: Venture Capital Investments Globally

Venture capital investments in startups rebounded in the second quarter, as a general stock market recovery helped restore confidence, according to a new report published on Friday. Investors plowed $15.3 billion into venture-backed startups in the second quarter of this year, a 20.5 percent increase over the $12.7 billion invested in the first quarter, according to the MoneyTree Report by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association. The report's conclusions are based on data from Thomson Reuters. "There was a bit of a pause in the first quarter when the public markets took a beating," said Sean Cunningham, managing director of Trident Capital Cybersecurity. "The public markets are back. Everyone is bullish." Ride-hailing company Uber Technologies Inc and mes...
Only 3% Mobile App Users in India Spend Money on In-App Purchases
ANALYSIS

Only 3% Mobile App Users in India Spend Money on In-App Purchases

Just about 3.1 per cent of mobile app users in India spend money on in-app purchases compared to 5.2 per cent globally, according to a new report. However, Indian users spend almost as much as global average for in-app buys. "Only 5.2 per cent of users spend money on in-app purchases globally and in India it is 3.1 per cent. The average paying user however spends USD 9.60 in monthly transactions per app with purchase activity globally -- and USD 8.78 in India," said the State of In-App Spending report by AppsFlyer, a mobile marketing attribution analytics company. The report based on In-app Purchase (IAP) behaviors of more than 100 million mobile app users across over 1,000 apps - found that, overall, Asian users spend 40 per cent more on in-app purchases than the rest of the world wh...
How Financially Ready Are You For Retirement?
ANALYSIS

How Financially Ready Are You For Retirement?

How will your retirement life look like? Have you thought anything about it? Most of us would give the answer in No. Most of us believe the idea of living in the present time and therefore, we end up ignoring the future. We splurge on things, and retirement planning is most often left for people above 45 or 50 years. According to the United Nations World Population Prospects, the 60-year segment in India is expected to reach 323 million by 2050. With increasing life expectancy and inflation rates, it becomes imperative to support one’s sunset years. Ensuring that your life remains comfortable, and all your family expenses are covered in the absence of regular earnings are the primary reasons saving for retirement is so essential. Here are the steps you need to follow to help y...
Over $8 Billion Funding in Mobile-Based Startups in 5yrs: Report
ANALYSIS

Over $8 Billion Funding in Mobile-Based Startups in 5yrs: Report

With mobile phones contributing 40 per cent of all e-commerce sales in India in 2015, startups in m-commerce, video streaming, gaming and m-payment segments attracted USD 8,053 million worth of funding through 394 early stage deals in the last five years, a report said. The highlights of the Annual Indian Mobile Ecosystem Report, by News Corp VCCircle showed startups in these four segments are identified as major contributors to driving mobile data consumption. M-commerce and mobile payments attracted investment deals of USD 7,930 million cumulatively, in the last five years, it said. Across the four segments, 2015 saw a surge in terms of deal volumes with 115 early stage funding deals amounting to USD 2,857.73 million against 87 deals worth USD 3,285 million in 2014. "With a m...
Rs 10k Smartphone Segment in India to Grow 44% in 2016: Report
ANALYSIS

Rs 10k Smartphone Segment in India to Grow 44% in 2016: Report

The under Rs 10,000-smartphone segment is expected to grow 44 per cent this year, constituting 70 per cent of the market, a CMR report said. According to the research firm, smartphone shipment in the country is expected to grow to about 130 million handsets this year from 97 million last year by 163 brands. "The entry-level or sub-Rs 10,000 accounted for 75 per cent of the market in calendar year 2015 with 153 brands shipping in the price bracket," it said. For 2016, the segment is forecast to constitute about 70 per cent of the estimated 130 million shipment (91 million), it added. "The sub-Rs 10,000 segment is expected to grow at 44 per cent, driven by consumers upgrading from feature phones to smartphones," the report said. The mid-tier segment (Rs 10,000-20,000 bracket) is e...
Online Companies are Focusing on Unit Economics, Customers: Report
ANALYSIS

Online Companies are Focusing on Unit Economics, Customers: Report

E-Retailers Focusing on turning unit economics positive and customer retention as opposed to the prior focus on gross merchandise value, a recent report said. "We believe this may be a function of limited availability of capital, leading companies to focus on cash generation. Post government regulations that curtailed discounts, companies seem to have done away with the same; most discounts being seen online are being offered by sellers or brands themselves," a study by Kotak Institutional Equities said. Gross merchandise value is the total sales value of goods sold through a marketplace. Most companies surveyed are also evaluating other revenue streams such as advertising and online content to better leverage their platform, it added. Customer retention, recall and loy...
ANALYSIS

Boring, Dirty Workplace May Affect Your Brain Function: Study

Bosses, take note! A lack of stimulation in the workplace and a dirty working environment can have a long-term cognitive effect on employees, a new study has warned. "Psychologists say that the brain is a muscle, while industrial hygienists point to chemicals in the work environment that may cause decline," said Joseph Grzywacz from Florida State University in the US. "There are real things in the workplace that can shape cognitive function: some that you can see or touch and others you cannot. We showed that both matter to cognitive health in adulthood," said Grzywacz. In the past, researchers had been divided on whether it was working in an unclean workplace?facing exposure to agents such as mold, lead or loud noises - or working in an unstimulating environment that took the biggest...
Decoding: Tips on How to Use Facebook For Your Small Business
ANALYSIS

Decoding: Tips on How to Use Facebook For Your Small Business

Using social media is an affordable option for small businesses that are looking to productively engage with their audience and generate buzz for their products and services. However, staying informed about changes to existing platforms presents a serious challenge to marketing professionals as even the savviest of Facebook users might be unaware of new features that could benefit their efforts. People are spending 50 minutes on Facebook each day according to a recent New York Times article. It’s more critical than ever to make your Facebook Page work for you. Facebook is constantly changing, meaning your strategies must also. Whether you want to build your Facebook following, or simply boost your engagement, here’s a look at the hottest Facebook features and trends.   Facebook Live...
Majority of Employees Prefer to Work From Home: Survey
ANALYSIS

Majority of Employees Prefer to Work From Home: Survey

New Delhi: A substantial number of employees are interested in working from home with the preference more prevalent among those aged above 45 years, says a survey. HR services provider Randstad today said that almost equal number of men and women opined that they would like telecommuting. "53 per cent of the respondents from India said they prefer telecommuting, while 47 per cent prefer to work from the office every day," it said citing the results of a survey on workplace flexibility. The findings are based on a survey of around 7,500 employees from India. "Almost equivalent number of male (52 per cent) and female (54 per cent) respondents mentioned that they would prefer telecommuting and this preference was high among those aged 45 years and above," it noted. As much as 58 ...