Is this you? As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.
Claim your profile
Articles by John Sarkar
What A Mainstream Retail Boost Can Do For Speciality Mithaiwalas Across India
Nothing much seemed to have changed in the bylanes of Nasirabad, a small cantonment town in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Tailoring shops dating back to the British Raj brushed shoulders with feral cattle while anxious men on plump scooters ran their daily errands, squirming through tight corners like goldfish on steroids.
Edible oil cos set to slash prices Original
NEW DELHI: In a major relief to consumers suffering from high inflation, edible oil companies in India are set to slash prices following a readjustment of global supply chains and relaxation of export curbs in markets such as Indonesia. Price of sunflower oil has dipped by Rs 15 per kg, while those of palm and soya oil have decreased by around Rs 8 and Rs 6, respectively, Sudhakar Rao Desai, president at Indian Vegetable Oil Producers Association (IVPA) told TOI.
ShareChat closes $520 million round at $5 billion valuation
NEW DELHI: In a multi-tranched funding round, ShareChat has raised $255 million from Google, Times Group and existing investors at $5 billion valuation, adding to the $266M raised earlier in December 2021. Since 2021, ShareChat has cumulatively raised $1.2 billion and acquired MX TakaTak. In the first part of the round, ShareChat had raised US$266 million in December from Alkeon Capital, Temasek, HarbourVest, Moore Strategic Ventures, and India Quotient.
Ex-Zivame CEO Amisha Jain to lead Levi Strauss in India
AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Denim maker Levi Strauss & Co. on Wednesday announced the appointment of Amisha Jain as the company’s new senior VP and MD of South Asia-Middle East and Africa (SAMEA). Jain replaces Sanjeev Mohanty, who has moved as senior VP and MD of the company in the US and Canada. Before joining Levi Strauss, Jain was the CEO at Zivame, an intimate-wear brand and platform which was acquired by Reliance Industries in 2020.
Amazon likely to challenge NCLAT order in Supreme Court Original
NEW DELHI: Amazon is likely to move the Supreme Court against the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) order which rejected its plea challenging the Competition Commission of India’s (CCI) suspension of approval of the US e-tailer’s investment in Future Coupons (FCPL).
Another high profile exit at BharatPe
AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Fintech unicorn BharatPe, which has been rocked by a string of controversies, has recently witnessed its latest high-profile exit, with founding member Satyam Nathani putting in his papers. Nathani’s exit follows that of Nishit Sharma, chief revenue officer at BharatPe and Chandrima Dhar, head of institutional debt partnerships at BharatPe, who quit the Tiger Global and Sequoia-backed company.
Delay ban on plastic straws: Beverage companies to government
NEW DELHI: Fearing a major impact on sales, beverage companies, led by Amul and Parle Agro, have petitioned the government to delay the ban on plastic straws that is set to take effect next month. Dairy giant Amul, which needs around 12 lakh plastic straws every day for its Rs-10 products that are sold in tetrapaks, has even proposed setting up its own factories to manufacture paper straws. "There is no infrastructure in India currently to manufacture that kind of volume.
diageo: Diageo eyes blockchain tech to check pilferage - Times of India
John Sarkar / TNN / Updated: Jun 6, 2022, 07:19 IST AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Spirits maker Diageo is turning to technology to check pilferage of liquor and counterfeits as it focuses on premiumisation to drive growth.
Have to keep guests, workers happy: Restaurateurs split over service charge | India News - Times of India
News India News Have to keep guests, workers happy: Restaurateurs split over service charge AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Restaurateurs are divided over the issue of service charge even as the government is set to come up with a framework to check the levy of the add-on cost by hotels and restaurants.
FMCG companies see slowdown in consumption on price hikes
AA Text Size Small Medium Large Price rise continues to impact small manufacturers. NEW DELHI: India’s fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector is witnessing a slowdown in consumption as companies hike prices across categories to adjust for high input costs. While the sector clocked 6% growth in the JanuaryMarch quarter over last year due to price increases, sales volumes dipped by 4% — the highest in the last three quarters — due to consumers tightening their purse strings.
Reliance Brands to buy 40% in Italian companies India toy manufacturing business Original
AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Reliance Brands (RBL), the retail brand licensing arm of Reliance Industries (RIL), is set to acquire 40% stake in Italy-headquartered Plastic Legno’s toy manufacturing business in India — Pune-based Dream Plast — for an undisclosed sum. The deal will help Reliance Brands, which bought British toy retailer Hamleys in 2019 for Rs 620 crore, strengthen its toy production in the country. Apart from Hamleys, RBL owns home-grown toy brand Rowan.
zepto: 10-minute delivery company Zepto may enter online pharmacy business - Times of India Original
NEW DELHI: Instant grocery startup Zepto may foray into the online pharmacy space, which would pit the ninemonth old company against the likes of Tata’s 1mg, Reliance’s Netmeds and Pharmeasy. The development comes even as the Mumbai-headquartered 10-minute delivery app is planning to scale up the pilot of its “cafe” business that allows Zepto users to order hot tea and coffee along with snacks.
Ice cream sale rises as mercury soars, industry sees 45% spike
Ice cream sale rises as mercury soars, industry sees 45% spike Yogesh Kabirdoss & John Sarkar / TNN / May 23, 2022, 01:26 IST AA Text Size Small Medium Large CHENNAI/NEW DELHI: Unprecedented demand for ice cream this summer has led to major supply shortages, forcing companies to crank up production by over 30%.
Filet-o-fish off McD menu as war hits ingredient flow
Filet-o-fish off McD menu as war hits ingredient flow AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: The Russia-Ukraine war has had an unlikely casualty: McDonald’s filet-o-fish burger. From Mumbai to Delhi, the sudden disappearance of this popular dish from the burger chain’s menu has left consumers flummoxed. “It’s my go-to burger every time I visit McDonald’s,” said Shruti Guha, a Mumbai-based advertising professional.
metropolis: Metropolis Healthcare in talks with Amazon, Flipkart & Apollo Hospitals to sell stake - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Metropolis Healthcare, a medical diagnostics chain with operations in India, Africa and the Middle East has held initial discussions with several companies including Flipkart, Amazon and Chennai-headquartered Apollo Hospitals to sell a significant minority stake. The Mumbai-headquartered company led by Ameera Shah, promoter and MD at Metropolis Healthcare is looking to raise funds at a valuation of around $1 billion, said people briefed on the matter.
Top executives may get 9% hike: Survey
Top executives may get 9% hike: Survey AA Text Size Small Medium Large NEW DELHI: Top executives in India are expected to receive an increment of 8. 9% this year, the highest in six years, according to a survey. The meatiest hikes are expected to be witnessed in sectors such as manufacturing, technology and ITeS, followed by life sciences and finance. Senior executives in India Inc witnessed a salary hike of 7. 9% in 2021, 5. 1% in 2020 and 8. 1% in 2019. A high of 9. 3% was witnessed in 2016.
phonepe: Flipkart’s PhonePe to step into wealth management with acquisition of WealthDesk & OpenQ - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Marking its foray into the wealth management space, Flipkart-owned digital payments and fintech company PhonePe is set to acquire two wealth tech platforms, WealthDesk and Quantech Capital Investment Advisors (OpenQ) for $70-80 million. The deal will help the Bengaluru-headquartered e-commerce giant square up against rivals such as Amazon and Paytm by helping it widen its offerings.
No option to redeem vouchers of Big Bazaar
NEW DELHI: Customers of Big Bazaar who are holding vouchers have been left high and dry after a majority of outlets of the hypermarket chain's parent Future Retail (FRL) were taken over by Reliance Industries. Several Big Bazaar regulars told TOI that they have been left with no option to redeem the vouchers as Big Bazaar branded stores have ceased to exist in most cities.
gunjan jain: Per capita consumption of nuts and dry fruits in India is still very low: Gunjan Jain - Times of India
Per capita consumption of nuts and dry fruits in India is still very low: Gunjan Jain Top Searches AA Text Size Small Medium Large Growth in the sales of dry fruits and nuts have shown a direct correlation to the pandemic, similar to sales of other better-for-you or good-for-you products in the market. Gunjan Jain, MD at VKC Nuts, a traditional player in the Indian dry fruits and nuts industry, grabbed the opportunity to transform the nearly 100-year-old company into a modern omni-channel player.
biyani: Kishore Biyani plans to sell some assets, repay debt partly - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Future Group promoter Kishore Biyani is plotting a comeback in retail space by selling some assets and repaying part of debt even as his flagship company Future Retail (FRL) faces bankruptcy proceedings in the wake of the Rs 25,000-crore Future-Reliance deal falling through.
frl: Amazon urges RBI to conduct audit of FRL - Times of India
NEW DELHI: US e-tailer Amazon has urged RBI to conduct a forensic audit of Future Retail (FRL) for the past three financial years, alleging that the promoters and directors of Big Bazaar parent have committed fraud by letting Reliance take over around 800 stores of the debt-laden company. The 14-page letter that TOI has reviewed comes in the wake of the Rs 25,000 crore Reliance-Future deal falling through on account of a majority of FRL’s secured creditors voting against the proposed transaction.
amazon: Amazon top sellers Cloudtail, Appario Retail face CCI raid - Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has conducted raids on premises of top sellers on Amazon, including Cloudtail and Appario Retail, over complaints of alleged anti-competitive practices on these online marketplaces, said three people briefed on the matter. CCI has also raided some sellers of Flipkart, sources said. The investigations by the CCI come against the backdrop of complaints made in 2020 by local trader bodies.
CCI raids offices of top sellers on Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart
NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has conducted raids at offices of top sellers on Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart over complaints of alleged anti-competitive practices on these e-commerce marketplaces, said people briefed on the matter. The development comes even as Amazon is shutting down operations of its largest seller Cloudtail after acquiring Catamaran Ventures’ 76% stake in it.
ril: Future could face bankruptcy issue after RIL deal failure - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Reliance Industries ( RIL ) said on Saturday that it has called off the proposed deal to acquire Future Retail’s ( FRL ) assets for Rs 24,700 crore. At meetings of shareholders and creditors of Future Group companies comprising FRL and other listed entities involved in the scheme held on April 20 and 21, the companies intimated the results of the voting.
reliance: Future creditors vote against Reliance deal - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Bankers have rejected Big Bazaar parent Future’s Group’s proposal to sell its retail and logistics assets to Reliance Retail, signalling that the Rs 24,700-crore deal between Kishore Biyani and Mukesh Ambani may have fallen through. To go through, the proposed deal required 75% of Future’s flagship company Future Retail’s (FRL) secured lenders to vote for the scheme. But around 69% voted against it, FRL said in a regulatory filing on Friday.
‘Progressive portrayal of women boosts impact of ads’
NEW DELHI: Progressive portrayals of women result in advertising that is more effective for companies. Indian advertisements that depicted progressive gender roles had a positive impact of as much as 32% in short-term product sales and improved a brand’s equity by 51%, showed a study.Women in real life, however, consider themselves more progressive than their depictions in mainstream advertising, signalling that brands and advertisers have their work cut out for them.
nykaa: Nykaa to launch salons with Estee Lauder brand - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Beauty and wellness retailer Nykaa has forayed into the salon business by partnering with Estee Lauder ’s hair care brand Aveda . While the contour of the deal was not disclosed, Nykaa has opened a Nykaa-Aveda branded salon in Bengaluru and will follow it up by opening two more in Mumbai and Delhi to start with. Aveda, too, will use Nykaa’s distribution network to expand its presence in the domestic market.
reliance: Reliance picks up majority stake in homegrown designer label Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Continuing its shopping spree of Indian designer brands, Reliance Brands has picked up 51% stake in 35-year-old desi couture house Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla (AJSK). The development comes close on the heels of Reliance announcing a 60:40 joint venture with Indian designer Rahul Mishra in January.
armour: Under Armour's India MD takes over the brand's domestic operations - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Tushar Goculdas , former MD of Under Armour India has taken over the US sportswear giant’s domestic operations. The development comes three years after the Baltimore-based brand entered the Indian market. Goculdas, a former Adidas veteran, has created Underdog Athletics which on Tuesday said it has been appointed as the exclusive distributor and licensee for the Under Armour brand in India.
Ghee roast to kadhi, startups cater to nostalgia
India’s delectable love story with food has pushed a nostalgic bunch of young entrepreneurs to create modern avatars of traditional recipes. From hawking local delicacies, ranging from Dilli wale chhole and Himachali rajma to Chettinad chukka and original Kolhapuri jhatka, these startups are leaving no stone unturned to tickle consumers’ taste buds. Malaki, for instance, is a modern beverage brand looking to retell the story of India’s functional beverage ecosystem.
Companies, startups come to the rescue of fired Unacademy employees - ETHRWorld
Large enterprises, too, were quick to reach out.New Delhi: A host of companies including startups have started offering roles to former Unacademy employees who were fired by the edtech unicorn last week in a massive cost-cutting exercise.
reliance: Future Retail claims shareholders' meet for Reliance deal is legal, in response to Amazon's allegations - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Big Bazaar-parent Future Retail (FRL) on Friday said the meetings of its shareholders and creditors that are scheduled to be held on April 20 and 21 for the approval of its proposed deal with Reliance Retail are “legal” and conform to the directions issued by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT). The regulatory filing by the Kishore Biyani-led entity comes in the wake of a warning by Amazon which wants to block the deal.
amazon: Future Retail's shareholders' meet to approve Reliance deal is 'illegal': Amazon - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Amazon has written to Big Bazaar-parent Future Retail alleging that the upcoming meetings of its shareholders and creditors for the approval of the retailer’s proposed Rs 24,700-crore deal with Reliance Retail is “illegal”. Kishore Biyani-led FRL has convened shareholders’ and creditors’ meetings for the approval on April 20 and 21 in line with a February 29 order of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT).
ASCI targets rule-breaking ads
NEW DELHI: The Advertising Council of India ( ASCI ) has clamped down on commercials that have been found to be in violation of India’s advertising guidelines . The move comes with the latest edition of the Indian Premier League witnessing high decibel ads from gaming companies. Last month, 285 social media ads of online real-money gaming companies were found to be guilty of flouting norms.
Local soft drink players move to 160ml packs to offset higher GST
NEW DELHI: Local soft drink players who were slapped with a steep GST hike on fruit-based carbonated drinks last year have devised a novel way to stay afloat in the cutthroat Indian beverage market . In an industry first, most are moving to a pack size of 160ml from the standard 200ml bottle that bears a price tag of Rs 10. In addition, they have lightened the PET pre-form from 11.5 gm to 10gm that is expected to result in another round of cost savings of 15%.
meesho: Meesho sacks 150 employees - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Bengaluru-headquartered Meesho has sacked 150 full-time employees as part of a restructuring exercise of the Meesho Superstore When contacted by TOI, the Meesho spokesperson said the move will bring in efficiencies.The company said it is offering “severance packages and outplacement assistance to help those impacted secure new opportunities outside the company”.Bengaluru-headquartered Meesho, which is aiming to compete against Amazon and Flipkart, joins the likes of a host of...
Ashneer Grover questions BharatPe’s heady growth numbers
NEW DELHI: Ashneer Grover , ousted co-founder at BharatPe , questioned the fintech unicorn’s financials on Monday after its CEO Suhail Sameer said the company posted record growth for the year ended March 31 and is on track to break even. “He is happy thinking all of us are fools and he can pass off 10% bigger month as growth without giving any absolute numbers,” Grover told TOI, while furnishing numbers that BharatPe posted in December under his stewardship.
bharatpe: BharatPe rubbishes Ashneer Grover’s claims, says company registered strongest quarter in its history - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Fintech unicorn BharatPe on Friday rubbished former founder Ashneer Grover ’s claims that the company closed its first quarter of "degrowth" and "maximum cash burn". BharatPe registered the strongest quarter in its history, the company said in reply to Grover’s comments. "Thanks to the commitment and hard work by our world class team, BharatPe registered the strongest quarter in its history," said a BharatPe spokesperson.
Ashneer Grover threatens legal action for BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer’s defamatory remarks, seeks Rajnish Kumar’s resignation as independent director
NEW DELHI: Ashneer Grover , ousted co-founder of fintech unicorn BharatPe , has written to the board of the company calling for the resignation of Rajnish Kumar , former SBI chairman who currently serves as an independent director of the company. Grover has also threatened to initiate legal action against CEO Suhail Sameer , who on Thursday targeted the former co-founder’s sister, Aashima on Linkedin and accused her brother (Grover) of stealing money from the company.
bharatpe: BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer accuses former founder Ashneer Grover of stealing money from company - Times of India
NEW DELHI: BharatPe CEO Suhail Sameer on Thursday accused former founder Ashneer Grover of stealing money from the company as things took an ugly turn between the warring parties. Sameer posted the comment on Linkedin when Grover’s sister Aashima confronted the top management at the fintech firm after a BharatPe associate wrote, tagging the senior executives, that employees have not been receiving salaries. In reply, Sameer wrote, “Aashima Behen - tere bhai ne saara Paisa Chura liya.
SBI Cards warns about Big Bazaar vouchers
NEW DELHI : SBI Cards & Payment Services has started sending out text messages to its Fashion at Big Bazaar (FBB) co-branded credit card users that they may not be able to redeem FBB vouchers due to the “unforeseen closure of Future Group stores”. The development comes in the wake of a Rs 5,322-crore default by the retailer, which missed the due date for repayment to lenders as a result of the ongoing legal battle with US e-tailer Amazon , among other issues.
phonepe: PhonePe to hire 2,800 people by December - Times of India
NEW DELHI: Digital payments platform, PhonePe on Tuesday said it will hire 2,800 people by the end of December taking its total headcount to 5,400. The company plans to hire across levels and functions for engineering, product, analytics, business development and sales teams across Bangalore, Pune, Mumbai, Delhi and the rest of the country.
zomato: Swiggy, Zomato face probe for alleged anti-competitive practices - Times of India
NEW DELHI: The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has ordered an investigation into alleged anti-competitive trade practices by India’s largest food-ordering platforms, Zomato and Swiggy . The antitrust watchdog’s order on Monday comes against the backdrop of complaints made by the National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) against these food tech giants.
aye finance: Aye Finance reaches milestone of 4 lakh micro entrepreneurs - Times of India
NEW DELHI: MSME lender Aye Finance has serviced four lakh entrepreneurs disbursing around Rs 5,000 crore, said the company. The Gurgaon-headquartered lender that provides unsecured small-ticket business loans to the credit-starved micro-enterprise segment, has opened 100 new distribution points as senior executives at the company feel that the industry is on the verge of bouncing back. “The year that is to arrive is going to be a year of exceptional promise.
Swiggy offers managerial roles to delivery workers
NEW DELHI: Food delivery startup Swiggy has started offering its delivery executives managerial roles within the company, a move that is expected to set a precedent at a time when gig workers are in high demand. Swiggy, which is gunning for pole position in India’s booming quick commerce market, is currently allowing people, who have been working as delivery executives with the company for 5-6 years, to apply for the senior positions. “This is a pilot.
Future Retail defaults on Rs 5,322 crore debt repayment
NEW DELHI: Big Bazaar-parent Future Retail (FRL) on Friday said it has missed the due date for repayment of around Rs 5,322 crore to lenders due to the ongoing legal battle with US e-tailer Amazon among other issues. In 2021, Kishore Biyani-led FRL had entered into a one time restructuring (OTR) scheme for companies that were impacted by the pandemic, with a consortium of banks and was under obligation to raise Rs 3,900 crore before March 31, 2022 by way of equity contribution.
You can ride London black cabs as EVs in India - ET Auto
NEW DELHI: You can now ride the iconic London black cabs in India, albeit in an electric avatar. The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) brought the TX electric shuttle to India earlier this year for Rs 80 lakh-1 crore and so far has sold 8-10 of these iconic vehicles. The England-headquartered company, which has evolved into an e-vehicle maker, traces its roots to 1908, the year it started making the trademark shuttles.
Iconic London black cabs in India now in e-avtaar as MUVs
NEW DELHI: You can now ride in the iconic London black cab in India, albeit in an electric avataar. The London Electric Vehicle Company (LEVC) has brought the TX electric shuttle to India earlier this year for around Rs 80 lakh-1 crore and so far has sold 8-10 of these iconic vehicles. The England-headquartered company, which has evolved into an e-vehicle maker, traces its roots back to 1908, the year it started making the trademark shuttles.
Scotch whisky shaken, Indian single malts growing much faster | India News - Times of India
John Sarkar TIMESOFINDIA.COM Updated: Mar 31, 2022, 22:18 IST Desi single malt whisky brands are coming of age and seem to be giving tough competition to their Scottish ancestors. These indigenous single malt brands have grown nearly seven times in six years, now accounting for over one-third of the market. Just five years ago, it was at 15%, according to data collated by from industry bodies and companies. Move over Scotland, Indian single malts are the flavour of the season
Virat Kohli’s brand valuation plunges to $186 million, MS Dhoni’s jumps to $61 million
NEW DELHI: Indian cricketer, Virat Kohli ’s brand valuation has taken a pummeling, dipping from around $238 million in 2020 to $186 million in 2021. The star batter, however, retained his spot as India’s top celebrity endorser five years in a row. In contrast, MS Dhoni ’s brand valuation jumped to $61 million during the period as the former Indian skipper effortlessly slipped into the list of the top five celebrity brand endorsers in India.
Show More
loading
Actions
Is this you?
As a journalist, you can create a free Muck Rack account to customize your profile, list your contact preferences, and upload a portfolio of your best work.Get in touch with John
Contact John, search articles and posts on X, monitor coverage, and track replies from one place.
Learn more about Muck Rack