India

10 Aug

2023 Mercedes-Benz GLC launched in India at Rs 73.5 lakh

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness

Mercedes-Benz, India's largest German luxury car maker, on Wednesday, launched the second-generation GLC SUV priced at Rs 73.50 lakh for 300 4Matic petrol and Rs 74.50 lakh for 220d 4Matic diesel at pan India showrooms. Notably, the all-new GLC SUV has already received over 1,500 bookings since bookings opened on July 17. The GLC competes with BMW X3 (Rs 68.50 lakh-Rs 87.70 lakh), Volvo XC60 (Rs 67.50 lakh), Audi Q5 (Rs 62.35 lakh-Rs 68.22 lakh), Land Rover Discovery Sport (Rs 71.39 lakh) and Le. Rs.67.35 lakhs - Rs.74.24 lakhs). The GLC is the first Mercedes SUV to receive the latest…

09 Aug

Paytm Payment Services auditor PwC resigns

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

PwC has resigned as auditor of Paytm Payment Services (PPSL), a subsidiary of fintech major Paytm, effective August 7. The company has appointed SR Batliboi & Associates as its new auditor, Paytm owner One 97 Communications said in a note to the stock exchange filing on Monday. In its resignation letter to the board of directors of Paytm Payment Services dated August 7, PwC said there has been a change in auditors at the holding company level. "Consequently, keeping in mind your understandable practice of combining the auditors of PPSL with the auditors of the holding company as a material…

09 Aug

MPL slashes 350 employees after 28% GST imposed on online gaming

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

Mobile Premier League (MPL), a prominent domestic online gaming platform, has cut its workforce by around 50%, affecting around 350 jobs. The move comes as the 51st GST Council meeting maintained the 28% tax on the gross value collected from online gaming, prompting the MPL to take measures to address its financial challenges. The Bengaluru-based startup initially informed employees about the upcoming job layoffs last week, followed by an official communication. Sai Srinivas, founder and CEO of MPL, explained in an internal email that the primary variable cost as a digital company involves staff, server operations and office infrastructure. Downsizing…

08 Aug

Brainiacs roped in Ayushmann Khurrana as the brand ambassador

Priyanka BhowmickBUSINESS, Business, IndiaBusiness, india

Brainiacs, a hybrid schooling platform powered by Birla Open Minds (affiliated with University of Cambridge) has announced Ayushmann Khurrana as its brand ambassador. Brainiacs combines technology with experiential learning, supported by a teacher training academy. It is to stimulate collaborative learning through an interactive learning pedagogy for students from nursery to grade 12. "With over 150 hybrid centres and specialized home tutors across India, the platform's focus is not limited to the school curriculum; It also offers a unique mental wellness course called coding, communication skills, vlogging, financial literacy, and soul science. We provide students with the perfect mix of…

08 Aug

Indian origin Vaibhav Taneja appointed Tesla’s CFO

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, BUSINESS, IndiaBusiness, india

Tesla, an automotive and energy company, has appointed Indian-origin Vaibhav Taneja as its chief financial officer. In an August 7 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company said he will assume duties as CFO in addition to his current role as chief accounting officer. He succeeded Zachary Kirkhorn who resigned on August 4 after a thirteen-year term with the company. Taneja joined Texas-headquartered firm Tesla in 2018 as an assistant corporate controller. Taneja(45) previously worked in various finance and accounting roles at SolarCity Corporation and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in India and the US. He is a Chartered Accountant…

07 Aug

Man arrested for making objectionable remarks against Yogi Adityanath on WhatsApp group

Priyanka BhowmickIndia, Politicalindia, politics

A man who runs a WhatsApp group has been arrested here following an "insulting" comment against the Uttar Pradesh chief minister posted on social media, police said on Saturday. Kotwali police station SHO Ajay Kumar Seth said a comment against UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had gone viral on social media on August 4. The arrested person has been identified as Sahabuddin Ansari, while the person who posted the comment, identified as Muslim Ansari, is still absconding, he said. Seth said the police received a complaint in this regard through Twitter on August 4. He said a screenshot of the…

07 Aug

Vijay Shekhar Sharma to buy 10.3% stake in Paytm from Ant Financial

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

Paytm's top boss Vijay Shekhar Sharma has struck a deal with Ant Financial to buy its 10.30% stake in One97 Communications. After the transaction, Ant will cease to be the fintech payment platform's largest shareholder. Sharma, who is the founder and CEO of One97 Communications, will purchase 10.30% stake in Paytm from Antfin (Netherlands) Holding BV through its 100% owned foreign entity - Resilient Asset Management BV, the company said on Monday. Under the agreement, the OCD will be issued by Resilient Asset Management BV in consideration of the transfer to Antfin and to maintain economic value, the filing states.…

05 Aug

Three jawans injured in encounter with terrorists in Kulgam

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

Three Army personnel lost their lives tragically after they were injured during an encounter with terrorists in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district on Friday, officials said. "Three injured jawans succumbed to their injuries. Search operations are still on," an official army statement said. Before their unfortunate deaths, the jawans were undergoing treatment at a hospital, the Jammu and Kashmir Police said on the same day. On Friday, officials said the clash took place on the upper boundary of the Halan forest area in the Kulgam district."Both army and Kulgam police are actively conducting operations. Three jawans were injured and were…

05 Aug

Mamaearth collaborates with Snapchat

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

Beauty and personal care brand MamaArth announced a collaboration with Snapchat to promote an innovative AR lens in celebration of Lipstick Day on Friday, July 29. Leveraging Snapchat's augmented reality offerings, the campaign launched an AR try-on lens, creating an immersive beauty playground for Snapchat users. With this lens, Snapchat users can virtually try out Mamaarth's wide range of lipstick shades from their collection. "We are thrilled to collaborate with Snapchat, as the platform's Gen Z and millennial-focused users perfectly align with our target audience. The primary objective of this campaign is to provide viewers with a memorable and engaging…

04 Aug

Google Doodle pays stylish tribute to Altina Schinasi on her 116th birthday

Priyanka BhowmickBusiness, IndiaBusiness, india

The Google search engine is celebrating the life of Altine 'Tina' Shinasi, the American designer best known for designing the popular 'cat-eye' eyeglass frames, with her August 4 doodle to mark her 116th birthday. She was famous for her impressive work in textiles, ceramics and jewelry. Notably, Schinasi is credited with designing the iconic Harlequin Cat-Eye glasses in the 1940s. Inspired by Venetian masked masks, these glasses feature large, nut-shaped frames with inverted tips and have become symbols of glamour and sophistication. Schinasi's artwork was characterized by dark colors, geometric patterns, and abstract forms. She had an extraordinary ability to…