ADIF Seeks Interim Relief From CCI Against Google's Controversial New PlayStore Policy

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) has filed a petition before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) through their lawyers at Sarvada Legal seeking interim relief from Google’s new PlayStore policy which goes into effect from March 2022. The matter is already being looked into by the CCI for potential abuse of dominance by Google in the app market.  

This relief has been sought by ADIF on behalf of App developers as Google’s new policy will restrict certain categories of apps to use only Google Billing System (GBS) for accepting payments. This would be an issue for app developers because GBS charges 30% commission for all transactions on the Google Play Store, compared to 2% charged by other payment processing systems. There is a strong case for seeking such relief as this new policy, when it goes into effect next March, would have a destructive effect on the operating margins of a large number of startups and make their business models infeasible. 

The CCI had in November 2020 directed a probe by the Director General into the issue of mandatory use of Google Play Store’s payment system for paid apps & in-app purchases. The commission is of the prima facie view that such a policy is unfair as it restricts the ability of app developers to select a payment processing system of their choice. 

In its petition to the commission, ADIF, which represents the interests of various stakeholders such as startups, app developers, etc. and espouses the objective of improving the startup ecosystem of the country, has stated that the 30% commission charged by Google is extremely high and unfair. However, the organization said that the core issue is the mandatory imposition of the Google Play Billing system and the exclusion of other methods of payment. 

“This will have a disastrous effect on India’s digital ecosystem by reducing choices available in the hands of app developers and users as well as harming the country's innovation ecosystem by disrupting the cost structures and margins of multiple industries,” it said. 

While ADIF will support the ongoing inquiry by the Director General into the matter, it has been compelled to move the application for interim relief to protect the choice of app developers to use other payment systems with far more favorable terms of service. Google’s new policy will exclude competing payment service providers from the market for payments for digital goods consumed through Android devices.  

“ADIF foresees that barring an order passed by this Hon’ble Commission to maintain  status-quo until the completion of the ongoing inquiry, Google shall proceed to enforce its terms on the Play Store, thereby leading to adverse and irreversible consequences on India’s fledgling startup ecosystem,” said Sijo Kuruvilla George, Executive Director, Alliance of Digital India Foundation. 

Murugavel Janakiraman, the Founder and CEO of Matrimony.com, said: “The matter is not as much about the percentage of commission charged as it is about the anti-competitive practice of forcing a payment option as well as of forcing out other payment providers. If not kept in check, such anti-competitive policies and gatekeeper commissions will be imposed on more and more categories, causing a disastrous effect on competition and prices in India.” 

ADIF believes that if the status quo is not maintained pending the completion of the inquiry, Google will enforce its terms on the Play Store in March 2022, leading to irreversible consequences for India’s startup ecosystem. 

About Alliance of Digital India Foundation 

The Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF) is a think tank for India’s digital start-ups formed to fully capitalise on the sector’s promise with the objective of its long-term prosperity in mind. ADIF's mission is to transform the Indian startup ecosystem into among the best in the world while upholding the essence of the Indian startup playbook or the Indus Valley Playbook and ensuring that it emerges as a strong alternative to the dominant Silicon Valley Playbook. ADIF now is an alliance with more than 422 startups. 

Peak Performer Launches A Leadership Development App For Managers, To Help Them Scale In Their Organizations

* The iOS/Android app provides managers access to personal coaches and delivers comprehensive development insights on their smartphones.

Peak Performer is a tech-enabled leadership development platform that helps companies upskill managers at all levels. The platform integrates customized 1:1 coaching, continuous learning, assessment and behavioral growth. The startup recently raised a pre-seed round led by Antler India.

Peak Performer announced the launch of its new app that enables a more intelligent and automated coaching journey, with continuous learning embedded at its core. The app introduces Micro-tasks which breaks down leadership development goals into manageable micro tasks over topics such as strategic thinking, effective communication, managing difficult conversations amongst others. In addition, managers can also access “on-demand” coaching with behaviour psychologists, and receive  actionable frameworks for specific behavioral areas or organizational challenges. Currently the platform offers a curated marketplace of 150+ specialized coaches across various verticals.

By breaking down personal insights into detailed, manageable micro-tasks that are available and completed outside coaching hours, and inbuilt tools like Progress Measurement, Scheduling and Messaging, Peak Performer aims to turbo-charge 1:1 coaching for deeper impact and a continuous learning experience. The app also allows managers to measure performance as they execute on their goals, while helping align these to organization-level goals and outcomes.

To ensure the conversations between the coach and the learner remain confidential, the organizations receive anonymised and quantitative data to measure the efficacy of coaching while a comprehensive report is shared with the learners on the app.

Research shows that growth and development programs for executives are most effective when they are hyper-personalized to individual needs. Peak Performer seeks to close the skill gap in organizations by helping managers discover their strengths, as well as identify and grow out of their shortcomings.

Aishwarya Goel, Founder and CEO, PeakPerformer says, “We strongly believe coaching to be the core and starting point for all people development goals for an organization. We focus on an outcome-driven coaching approach, with learning pathways designed to deliver tangible outcomes. We’ve seen learners on the platform achieve 80% of their set goals. Within the first six months of the coaching journey, professionals are able to achieve a 12%-15% increase across skill sets like strategic thinking, shared vision, leadership and effective communication.”

Trusted by people leaders at Societe Generale, CRED, UrbanLadder, Wingify, Omnivation and other high-growth companies, the app is helping hundreds of people managers accelerate and future-proof their careers. Peak Performer is moving the needle from a need-based learning mindset to an interactive, holistic learning experience that boosts individual and team performance while radically reducing workforce burnout. In the near future, the startup plans to broaden its product portfolio, introduce more professional development modules and scale the use of AI in intelligent coach matching.

About Peak Performer:

Peak Performer is a tech-enabled leadership development platform that helps companies upskill leaders at all levels. A full-stack solution, Peakperformer uses 360 degree data to design a unique coaching journey for each manager, tying outcomes to both organizational and individual goals. Peak Performer’s pre-seed round was led by Antler India. Co-investors in the round include Gaurav Munjal (Co-Founder & CEO, Unacademy Group) and Saket Agarwal (Angel Investor & Founder, Onnivation).

About Antler:

Antler is a global early-stage venture capital firm that invests in the defining technology companies of tomorrow. The firm has offices globally across most major entrepreneurial hubs, including in London, Berlin, Stockholm, New York, Singapore and Sydney.

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler is on a mission to fundamentally improve the world by enabling and investing in the world's most exceptional people, by supporting the teams with deep business model validation and providing a global platform for scaling. To date, Antler has invested in over 350 companies globally across 30 different industries. Of these companies, 40% have at least one female co-founder, and the founders represent 70 nationalities.

Nitin Sharma and Rajiv Srivatsa are Partners at Antler India, and Co-founders for the Antler India Fund.

AU Shopping Dhamaka Offers More Savings On Festive Shopping Spends

* Exciting offers across 500+ brands at platforms like Amazon, Myntra, Yatra, Oppo, BigBasket, etc. 

* AU Bank festive deals are exclusively available on AU Bank Debit & Credit Cards 

* Attractive interest rates on Car Loans and Home Loans 

* 100 percent waiver on processing fees for Gold Loan 

AU Small Finance Bank, India’s largest Small Finance Bank, announces the mega festive offers for its customers across the nation. The AU Shopping Dhamaka offers till 7th November 2021. 

With offers across 500+ brands, AU Bank has partnered with leading brands across categories like Shopping, Electronics, Travel, Dining, Wellness etc. to offers discounts & cashback on AU Bank Debit & Credit Cards. These offers are available on Amazon, Myntra, Yatra, MakeMyTrip, JioMart, Domino’s, Ola, BigBasket, Oppo, Realme, Croma, EazyDiner, etc. along with over 700+ hyper-local merchants’ tie-ups. 

The month-long shopping carnival includes limited period loan offerings such as a 100 percent waiver on processing fees for gold loan (on the loan value of Rs 2 lakhs and above) and waivers on processing fees on an Agri loan by 0.20% and 0.50% on a secured business loan and 50% on the vehicle loan. The festive offer further comes with attractive interest rates on car and home loans as well. 

On the launch of the 3rd edition of AU Shopping Dhamaka, Mr. Uttam Tibrewal, Executive Director, AU Bank said, “We received an upbeat response to our previous editions of Shopping Dhamaka. Our brand partners also experienced a surge on their platforms as we help them reach the untapped customer base. I feel immense pride in mentioning the fact that our footprints in in deeper pockets have not just helped us but also our business partners to grow. With partnerships across major leading brands in India, we expect our customers to further enhance spending during the festive season this year too or to say ‘Celebrate Dil Kholke’.” 

Mr. Mayank Markanday, Chief of Credit Card Business, AU Small Finance Bank, added, “This year of AU Shopping Dhamaka is extra special as we have recently introduced AU Bank Credit Cards for our esteem customers. This is the first festive season for AU Bank Credit Card customers and to make something special we have come up with a lot of exciting offers and value propositions. We have curated the offers basis the spending pattern to ensure a healthy wallet share and amazing offers to customers across ecommerce and offline merchants.  

Considering there are big-ticket purchases during this period our customers can avail Instant EMI @POS at select large merchant outlets like Croma (A TATA Enterprise), Reliance Digital & Vijay sales, further customers can avail complimentary insurance to protect their big-ticket purchases. AU Credit Card customers can avail of offers across Travel, Jewelry, Apparel, Electronics & Appliances, Dining and Grocery categories. 

As most of our card’s users are first-time credit card holders, features on the card and the festive offers will empower our customers to LIVE LIMITLESS. Our offers are aligned with our recent marketing campaign ‘Badlaav Humse Hai’ stating “Credit Card for everyone”.” 

About AU Small Finance Bank:  

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU Bank) is a scheduled commercial bank and a Fortune India 500 Company. Starting its journey from the hinterlands of Rajasthan, today AU Bank is the largest Small Finance Bank with a deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets that has enabled it to build robust business model facilitating inclusive growth. With 25+ years legacy of being a retail focused and customer-centric institution, AU started its banking operations in April 2017 and as on 30th June 2021, it has established operations across 758 Banking Touchpoints while serving 20.2 Lakh customers in 15 States & 2 Union Territories with a employee base of 23,486 employees. The Bank has a net worth of ₹ 6,490 Cr, deposit base of ₹ 37,014 Cr and Loan AUM of ₹ 36,635 Cr. AU Bank enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed at both the leading stock exchanges viz. NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained a high external credit rating from all major rating agencies like CRISIL, ICRA, CARE and India Ratings. 

Peak Performer Launches A Leadership Development App For Managers, To Help Them Scale In Their Organizations

* The iOS/Android app provides managers access to personal coaches and delivers comprehensive development insights on their smartphones.

Peak Performer is a tech-enabled leadership development platform that helps companies upskill managers at all levels. The platform integrates customized 1:1 coaching, continuous learning, assessment and behavioral growth. The startup recently raised a pre-seed round led by Antler India.

Peak Performer announced the launch of its new app that enables a more intelligent and automated coaching journey, with continuous learning embedded at its core. The app introduces Micro-tasks which breaks down leadership development goals into manageable micro tasks over topics such as strategic thinking, effective communication, managing difficult conversations amongst others. In addition, managers can also access “on-demand” coaching with behaviour psychologists, and receive  actionable frameworks for specific behavioral areas or organizational challenges. Currently the platform offers a curated marketplace of 150+ specialized coaches across various verticals.

By breaking down personal insights into detailed, manageable micro-tasks that are available and completed outside coaching hours, and inbuilt tools like Progress Measurement, Scheduling and Messaging, Peak Performer aims to turbo-charge 1:1 coaching for deeper impact and a continuous learning experience. The app also allows managers to measure performance as they execute on their goals, while helping align these to organization-level goals and outcomes.

To ensure the conversations between the coach and the learner remain confidential, the organizations receive anonymised and quantitative data to measure the efficacy of coaching while a comprehensive report is shared with the learners on the app.

Research shows that growth and development programs for executives are most effective when they are hyper-personalized to individual needs. Peak Performer seeks to close the skill gap in organizations by helping managers discover their strengths, as well as identify and grow out of their shortcomings.

Aishwarya Goel, Founder and CEO, PeakPerformer says, “We strongly believe coaching to be the core and starting point for all people development goals for an organization. We focus on an outcome-driven coaching approach, with learning pathways designed to deliver tangible outcomes. We’ve seen learners on the platform achieve 80% of their set goals. Within the first six months of the coaching journey, professionals are able to achieve a 12%-15% increase across skill sets like strategic thinking, shared vision, leadership and effective communication.”

Trusted by people leaders at Societe Generale, CRED, UrbanLadder, Wingify, Omnivation and other high-growth companies, the app is helping hundreds of people managers accelerate and future-proof their careers. Peak Performer is moving the needle from a need-based learning mindset to an interactive, holistic learning experience that boosts individual and team performance while radically reducing workforce burnout. In the near future, the startup plans to broaden its product portfolio, introduce more professional development modules and scale the use of AI in intelligent coach matching.

About Peak Performer:

Peak Performer is a tech-enabled leadership development platform that helps companies upskill leaders at all levels. A full-stack solution, Peakperformer uses 360 degree data to design a unique coaching journey for each manager, tying outcomes to both organizational and individual goals. Peak Performer’s pre-seed round was led by Antler India. Co-investors in the round include Gaurav Munjal (Co-Founder & CEO, Unacademy Group) and Saket Agarwal (Angel Investor & Founder, Onnivation).

About Antler:

Antler is a global early-stage venture capital firm that invests in the defining technology companies of tomorrow. The firm has offices globally across most major entrepreneurial hubs, including in London, Berlin, Stockholm, New York, Singapore and Sydney.

Founded in Singapore in 2017, Antler is on a mission to fundamentally improve the world by enabling and investing in the world's most exceptional people, by supporting the teams with deep business model validation and providing a global platform for scaling. To date, Antler has invested in over 350 companies globally across 30 different industries. Of these companies, 40% have at least one female co-founder, and the founders represent 70 nationalities.

Nitin Sharma and Rajiv Srivatsa are Partners at Antler India, and Co-founders for the Antler India Fund.

TVS SCS Raises INR 590 Crore From A Fund Managed By Exor

* Funds to be used for future growth and for transformational initiatives

TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS), one of the World’s leading providers of Integrated Supply Chain Solutions which includes Global Forwarding and Last Mile, today announced that it had raised INR 590 cr from a fund managed by Exor, the Europe-based leading diversified holding company controlled by the Agnelli family (www.exor.com). 

TVS SCS will use the fund to grow its business, further strengthen its technology capability, and for other transformational initiatives. Earlier this year, Exor, through another fund managed by them, had invested in Ki Mobility Solutions – a subsidiary of TVS Automobile Solutions.

Mr. R. Dinesh, Managing Director, TVS Supply Chain Solutions, said, “The investment by Exor reiterates TVS SCS’ growth potential and our vision. Supply Chain as a sector in India is expected to grow in double digits and TVS SCS will leverage its tech-enabled Global solutions to outgrow the industry. I am confident that this investment will significantly add value to our business and provide the necessary impetus to achieve our growth potential.”

Rothschild & Co. partnered with TVS SCS on this transaction in line with the strategic vision of the organisation. Khaitan & Co. and Nishith Desai Associates acted as counsel to TVS SCS and Exor respectively for this deal.

About TVS Supply Chain Solutions

TVS Supply Chain Solutions (TVS SCS) is a leading Indian multi-national company, with the experience to address Supply Chain challenges for international organisations, Government departments, large and medium-sized businesses through its fully integrated service offerings. It provides a range of supply chain services from Integrated Supply Chain Solutions to Global Forwarding and Last Mile Solutions tailored to its customers’ needs.

TVS SCS has grown both organically and through strategic acquisitions to become a fully integrated Global Supply Chain solutions provider with over 18,000 dedicated employees. The organisation has been able to deliver value to its customers in every country of its presence, through continuous innovation, differentiation, and quality of service. It serves customers in over 50 countries covering India, UK & Europe, Americas, Asia Pacific and Oceania.

Pee Safe To Expand Offline Presence With 50 New Stores In 12 Months

* The brand has witnessed exponential growth since inception and managed to pivot to new categories even amidst the pandemic scenario

Pee Safe, India’s largest hygiene and wellness brand, has announced the launch of 50 offline stores in the 12 months ahead. The D2C digital-first brand has grown from strength-to-strength since inception and expanded into a multitude of product categories. As one of the first movers in the sexual hygiene and wellness products space in India, Pee Safe has witnessed exponential growth over the past 12 months.

From the time Pee Safe sold its first product, a first of its kind Toilet Seat Sanitizer Spray, the brand has carved a strong pan-India footprint in over 10,000+ and 100+ cities. It is now the 'House of Safe' offering complete health and wellness solutions that are transforming the ecosystem.

Pee Safe has witnessed around 80% year-on-year growth in its online business during FY 2020/21. Apart from eying a $10 million series B fundraise, Pee Safe is looking at expanding its retail presence from the current 10,000 stores to having a more franchise-owned brand exclusive stores (FOFO) to enhance customer experience across India. The brand has already expanded overseas and is building local production of toilet seat sanitizers in Europe.

Speaking about this, Vikas Bagaria, Founder, Pee Safe, said, “This is a very exciting time for Pee Safe as a company and the entire team. We started out with apprehensions from all quarters wherein people wondered why we would venture into products riddled with social stigmas. However, perseverance and the will to bring about a change in the status quo was what drove us further. Today, Pee Safe is a name to reckon with in the hygiene and wellness category. We are seeing an increased traction for our products in the sexual wellness and beauty categories under the brands Domina and Furr. Our customers trust our quality and love our packaging and relatable messaging. We hope to bring conversations around topics such as period care, hair removal and grooming, intimate hygiene and sexual pleasure out in the mainstream".

Adding further, Mr Bagaria, said, “The expansion into physical stores is a key element of our strategy to grow as a strong D2C brand with an omni-channel presence. 

However, we are still very much a digital-first brand that has now moved with the times to adopt a hybrid retail model integrating online and offline sales points.”

Pee Safe’s flagship product is currently the world's highest-selling toilet seat sanitizer spray. The brand has expanded into various personal hygiene categories including feminine hygiene (pads, tampons, cups, etc), men's intimate hygiene, beauty and grooming under the brand: FURR By Pee Safe, sexual wellness and pleasure products under the brand: DOMINA, face mask and mist under the brand: Pollution Safe  and affordable hygiene solutions under the Raho Safe brand (face masks including anti-dust, cloth, and innovatively designed children’s masks; multipurpose surface protectant, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, surface disinfectant spray, hand wash,  and affordable sanitary pads). 

AI-Powered Global Professional Networking Platform - Lunchclub - Launched In The Indian Market

* The startup plans to grow to over 100k users in the country by the end of 2021

Lunchclub, the world’s largest AI-powered super connector that uses machine learning algorithms to connect professionals with common interests, values, goals and objectives, is now open for Indian users. Backed by Lightspeed, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue and other strategic investors, Lunchclub aims to use technology to unlock human potential and enable the future of work where making new connections is easy and meaningful while being fun.

India is a high priority for the next-generation networking app that is planning to onboard over 100K users by the end of the year. After testing out the beta version, Lunchclub has now officially launched operations in the country.

Chelsea Cain Maclin, who served as Director and Vice President of Marketing for Bumble, driving global marketing and engagement initiatives and brand and culture strategy, is the Chief Marketing Officer. For its offshore efforts in India, the start-up has onboarded Pritish Nair as the India lead, aiming to replicate the success he has had at Prodigy Finance, Indian Business and GrabOn.

Founded in the United States and valued at over $100 million, Lunchclub is a smarter, more dynamic version of in-person networking with an extremely sophisticated AI at its heart. Lunchclub optimizes the professional matchmaking experience, leveraging AI to facilitate connection based on shared interests and goals to create deeper, more meaningful conversations – regardless of geographic location, industry, or generation.

Launched in 2017 as an invite-only concierge service for in-person introductions, the company pivoted to video calls when the pandemic hit last March. The platform is accessible through a mobile app or the web browser.

Speaking about the launch, Vladimir Novakovski, Co-Founder and CEO, Lunchclub, said, “India is a key global destination when it comes to professional networking. In the post-pandemic scenario, while the need to establish quality professional connections is intact, there was a need for a channel which could help form meaningful conversations without sifting through hordes of people. Being a digital AI-led platform, we are able to offer access to the most relevant professionals all over the world. We have seen great success and growth in the US market and are now confident of replicating the same in India. Your network is your most valuable asset and should offer the potential to grow opportunities. With the kind of audience we have in India, we believe this will be a breakthrough moment.”

Elaborating further, Chelsea Maclin, Chief Marketing Officer, Lunchclub, said, “At Lunchclub, we are breaking down barriers and eliminating the routine challenges faced by people on existing business networking platforms. Lunchclub’s personalization filters enable us to understand the unique needs of a person and automatically match members with extreme relevance - “engineering serendipity.”

Pritish Nair, India Lead, Lunchclub added “We are stoked to be unveiling Lunchclub’s services in India. The sheer diversity of connections that the platform can offer the sub-continent from all over the world will write a story of growth and opportunities for the emerging start-up hub. Already third on the global list of countries with the highest number of unicorns there lies the immense potential to speed things up with the networking tools Lunchclub provides - from building teams, raising investment, onboarding service providers or anything in between. ”

The brainchild of Vladimir Novakovski and co-founder Scott Wu, the start-up landed a $100 million valuation with a $24.2 million Series A round led by Lightspeed Venture Partners. It has raised a total of $30 million that includes investors from Lightspeed, Andreessen Horowitz, Coatue, and other strategic investors. Lunchclub has created 1 million connections and achieved 15x growth in 2020 alone.

About Lunchclub:

At Lunchclub, we connect you to the people you should know, powered by AI. We're the world's first AI superconnector and we've already inspired millions of connections between our members that led to great conversations, companies being started, new friendships, and so much more. We believe that by removing the limitations of geography and existing connections, people can build deeper, more meaningful professional relationships and a better network. Based on common interests, values, and goals, we connect a diverse community of members from around the world to unlock opportunities - because with the right network, anything is possible.