Image Credits - Fasal Fresh Precision farming-based agritech startup Fasal has entered the farming output business under the brand, Fasal Fresh, at a time when agritech startups record growth on the back of rising demand for quality food, supported by macro tailwinds like climate change and food security concerns. Fasal Fresh, which has been in the works since last year, is a B2B (business-to-business) brand that will bring the produce grown through precision farming to consumers through retailers, e-commerce players, wholesalers, and exporters, the company said on February 28. “We will have lesser wastage because we are directly harvesting from the farm based on demand from such players, not harvesting and then finding a customer for that produce,” Fasal founder, Shailendra Tiwari told Moneycontrol on a virtual interaction. Fasal said this move will also help the agritech player remove intermediaries in the sales process of agricultural commodities, reducing touch … [Read more...] about Fasal forays into farm output business, in talks to raise funds
Pallavi singhal
GDP Data: Momentum maintained, but downside risks persist
GDP growth estimate is at 6.0 percent amidst a slowing global economy, an anticipated moderation in urban leveraged consumption and a cutback in real revenue spending by the central government. (File image) The moderation in Q3 FY23 GDP growth to 4.4 percent YoY is reminiscent of growth ‘normalising’ and mean reverting to its immediate pre-pandemic trend. Coincidently, it matches exactly the average growth over a four-quarter period in the run-up to the COVID-19 outbreak. Compared to Q2 FY23 growth of 6.3 percent, a base-led deceleration in Q3 was widely anticipated. But, to simply state that growth was slower than market consensus pegged at 4.7 percent (and QuantEco Research estimate of 5.0 percent) may be a naïve and oversimplified conclusion, especially given the revisions to past data. Below we discuss some of the finer nuances of the Q3 FY23 GDP and second advance estimates (SAE) released for FY23 by the National Statistical Office (NSO). QoQ Momentum Was Healthy … [Read more...] about GDP Data: Momentum maintained, but downside risks persist
Nexus Venture closes $700 million funding for India, US-based startups
Nexus Venture Partners, which has backed unicorns like Unacademy, Postman and Delhivery, has closed $700 million in a new fund - Nexus Ventures VII - becoming the latest VC firm to raise a large corpus at a time when startup funding has dried up in the face of macroeconomic headwinds. Through the fund, Nexus Venture Partners will invest in India and US-based startups and in sectors like artificial intelligence (AI), SaaS (software-as-a-service), fintech and commerce, the company has said in a blog post. “There has been no better time for technology innovation. The pandemic has accelerated digital adoption worldwide across enterprises and consumers. Remote workforces have enabled startups to flourish by leveraging talent independent of geography. The recent breakthroughs in AI is enabling technologies to disrupt every sector faster than ever before,” the VC said in the blog. “With one of the largest developer bases in the world, India is emerging as a key innovation and … [Read more...] about Nexus Venture closes $700 million funding for India, US-based startups
IT may have bottomed out; watch out for cement, rail stocks | The Week on Dalal Street
Tune in to the podcast to know all about markets. stocks and investing On IT, Singhal feels that valuations have moderated somewhat and given the strong order pipeline, the worst may be behind for the sector. He is bullish on mid-IT stocks in particular, and also on midcap cement shares and railway companies. The reason for the sharp sell off in L&T Technology Services is that shareholders fear that dividends could reduce going forward as the company has forked out a third of its cash to acquire parent L&T’s Smart World and Communication (SWC) business. High gold prices are hurting Titan, but at the same time the rally in precious metals is working to the advantage of MCX. … [Read more...] about IT may have bottomed out; watch out for cement, rail stocks | The Week on Dalal Street
The Week on Dalal Street: Weekly wrap of market trends, stock moves & what to look out for!
Tune in to the podcast to know all about markets. stocks and investing Singhal says that bulls are biding time till the Union Budget is out of the way. Also, it is a good thing that the market is headed into the Budget without high expectations. On individual stocks, he says HUL could lose points on corporate governance despite a strong set of operating numbers for the latest quarter, because of the royalty issue. He says that HDFC Bank may be well poised to regain its leadership position as the market is now willing to look beyond the near term headwinds from the merger of HDFC with itself. … [Read more...] about The Week on Dalal Street: Weekly wrap of market trends, stock moves & what to look out for!
Viral video shows Dr Kiran Patel’s palatial Florida estate, 10 years in the making
An aerial rendering of Dr Kiran Patel's estate in Florida (Image credit: ROJO Architecture) Construction at Surya Estates, the sprawling residential compound of Dr Kiran Patel in Florida, is nearly complete after almost 10 years. The palatial estate, with its archways, turrets and domes, is decidedly incongruous in the Florida neighbourhood where it is located – a fact that has inspired several viral videos on social media. According to Tampa Bay Times, Dr Kiran Patel’s estate covers an enormous 17 acres in Hillsborough County, where it is the largest residential compound ever built. The property houses a 32,000 square feet mansion which has two multibedroom wings. Each wing has its own entrance and separate courtyards. While Dr Kiran Patel and his wife, Pallavi, will occupy one wing, their son, daughter-in-law and their children will reside in the other. The family will share a kitchen. Space has also been allocated within the estate for the future homes of Dr Patel’s two … [Read more...] about Viral video shows Dr Kiran Patel’s palatial Florida estate, 10 years in the making
How Indian women cinematographers carved a niche in a male-dominated field
BR Vijayalakshmi, India’s and Asia’s first woman director of photography, hoisted herself with her camera on to the roots of a banyan tree for the shoot of the 1988 Tamil film 'Therkathi Kallan'. (Photo courtesy BR Vijayalakshmi) When BR Vijayalakshmi hoisted herself and an Arriflex 2C on to the roots of a banyan tree in 1988, the young cinematographer was also rising above stereotypes about a woman’s place on the movie set. The 1988 Tamil film Therkathi Kallan ’s lead stars were going to oscillate Tarzan and Jane -style in rural Tamil Nadu for a song, and the film’s makers wanted Vijayalakshmi to be tree-borne, too. There were many ways to execute that shot, but the dance director had his heart set on filming from the rope-like roots. “A cinematographer has to translate the director’s vision on the screen. You can’t say no to risks. Especially if you are a woman, or they will say you are refusing because you are a woman,” the cinematographer says over the phone from Chennai. … [Read more...] about How Indian women cinematographers carved a niche in a male-dominated field
Birlas to invest Rs 1,500 cr to set up law school at BITS Pilani Mumbai campus
The law school will offer two popular five-year integrated degree programmes -- LLB (Hons) and BBA-LLB (Hons). (File image of BITS Pilani campus) The Aditya Birla Group has announced a Rs 1,500-crore investment to make a foray into the law school segment, which will come at its premier engineering institute BITS Pilani's Mumbai campus from the next academic session. The proposed law school will move within a 63-acre university campus in the Mumbai metropolitan area, for which Rs 1,500 crore investment is being made, Birla group chairman and the chancellor of BITS Pilani Kumar Mangalam Birla said in a statement on Friday. BITS Pilani is among the first private sector universities to be awarded the status of 'institute of eminence' by the Centre. The move marks its foray into legal education with the BITS Law School in Greater Mumbai. The law school will cover all aspects of legal education, including a flexible and interdisciplinary curriculum, emphasis on creative … [Read more...] about Birlas to invest Rs 1,500 cr to set up law school at BITS Pilani Mumbai campus
New Travel Insurance Includes Lots Of Extra Perks. Here They Are.
Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin Travel insurance ain't what it used to be. The newest policies include concierge services, airline lounge access, and faster reimbursement systems. Take INF Visitor Care's newest travel insurance policies, Elite and Premier. They offer coverage of pre-existing, access to a medical concierge and a Priority Pass airport lounge membership so you can relax in the lounge before your flight. "It also comes with an option for VIP airport assistance, where we arrange for someone to meet you at the gate, fast track you through immigration, get your bags, and help you to the curbside or to your connecting flight," says PK Rao, CEO of INF Visitor Care. Travel insurance used to be a policy that covered you when things went wrong. It still is, but lately, travel insurance providers have been adding features to increase the appeal of their coverage. And they are not alone. Travel membership programs are also adding a "plus" … [Read more...] about New Travel Insurance Includes Lots Of Extra Perks. Here They Are.