<ul><li>WinZo, a vernacular Indian e-sports platforms, just invested $1.5 million to support local game developers in India. </li><li><keyword id="2774534" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Paavan-Nanda">Paavan Nanda</keyword>, former co-founder of <keyword id="2232457" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zostel">Zostel</keyword>, and <keyword id="3227125" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saumya-Singh">Saumya Singh</keyword>, a former member of the <keyword id="7888391" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="zorooms">ZORooms</keyword> team, are aiming to make WinZo a ‘household name' by the end of 2020.</li><li>The aim of the investment is to find independent game developers and partner with gaming studios to bring more original gaming content onto the e-sports platform.</li></ul>WinZo, India's largest gaming platform which is available in local languages, announced a $1.5 million fund to support game developers in India's gaming ecosystem. Founded by Paavan Nanda, former co-founder of ZORooms and Zostel, and Saumya Singh, a former member of the ZORooms team, WinZO is aiming to be a ‘household' name in India by the end of 2020 by targeting first time users in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. The Kalaari Capital-backed gaming platform wants to get the best of the talent with its new investment by "supporting and recognizing the small <keyword id="7888389" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="indian-game-developers">Indian game developers</keyword> who are sitting and making games in isolation," Singh told Business Insider India. So far, WinZo has 27 games on their platform — all made by game developers in India — but they're, more or less adaptations of existing games in the market. "Through this fund we are looking to partner with Gaming Studios as well as Independent Game Developers by offering them an infrastructure to develop top quality content and a powerful platform to monetize their games from day 1," adds Nanda. Monetizing gaming "We have a very strong emphasis on ensuring that the cost of developing a game gets compensated either through the platform or through the basic investment done by WinZO when it contracts a developer to make a game exclusively for the platform, " explains Singh. And, any game that gets pulled onto the platform, gets a share of the revenue. And, where does the revenue come from? As much as 20% of the users on WinZO are making their first online payment using the platform. "We aggregate the existing content and add an e-sports real money layer to it, so people are incentivised to make micro payments," says Singh. The incentive of winning combined, gives the user the thrill of playing with real money and WinZO a 10% platform commission.

A new $1.5 million fund is looking for good game developers in India

<ul><li><keyword id="74945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">Women entrepreneurs</keyword> are not far behind in founding the most valuable businesses of this millennium. </li><li>Ghazal Alagh of Mamaearth, and Saumya Singh Rathore of Winzo, aged 35, each is the youngest woman in the list. </li><li>Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, and Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, Amrita Sirohia, co-founder, INDmoney, at 41, are the eldest women in the list </li></ul>When it comes to founding valuable new businesses, women <keyword id="53533" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs" source="Orion">entrepreneurs</keyword> are giving men a run for their money. We take a look at top ten <keyword id="19669428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="youngest-women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">youngest women entrepreneurs</keyword> in India according to the first edition of ‘India's Top 200 Self-made Entrepreneurs of the Millennia 2023’ launched by I<a href="https://www.idfcfirstbank.com/personal-banking/wealth/First-Private#home">DFC FIRST Private</a> Banking and <a href="https://hurunindia.com/">Hurun India</a>. Ghazal Alagh, 35, Gurugram Ghazal Alagh is a self-made woman entrepreneur and the co-founder of Mamaearth, one of India's leading brands of natural and toxin-free skincare and baby care products. Alagh's journey started with a personal need – she was struggling to find safe and effective skincare products for her son. This inspired her to create her own brand, Mamaearth, which has since become a household name in India and recently went public. Saumya Singh Rathore, 35, New Delhi Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO, has contributed to building India's leading social gaming platform in local languages, boasting a user base exceeding 100 million. Since its inception in 2018, WinZO has secured funding surpassing $100 million, supported by key investors like Griffin Gaming Partners, Makers Fund, Courtside Ventures, and Steve Pagliuca. Rajoshi Ghosh, 36, Bengaluru Rajoshi Ghosh, a serial entrepreneur, serves as the COO and co-founder of Hasura, a software technology company based in San Francisco. Beyond her role at Hasura, she has initiated five other startups. She holds the title of a World Economic Forum Global Shaper and commenced her professional journey as a published bioinformatics researcher specialising in genomics at the Genome Institute of Singapore. Dr. Garima Sawhney, 37, Gurugram Dr. Garima Sawhney, a co-founder at Pristyn Care, is a leading figure in India's healthcare. Renowned for her expertise in gynaecology, she embarked on her career as a doctor, honing crucial life skills during her tenure at a government hospital. Her leadership, born from compassionate patient care, has steered Pristyn Care to a valuation of $1.4 billion. Kanika Gupta, 39, Gurugram Kanika Gupta Shori holds the position of co-founder and COO at Square Yards, an integrated real estate marketplace. With an educational background from Wharton Business School, she brings more than 11 years of experience in both banking and entrepreneurial pursuits. Beyond her professional roles, Kanika actively contributes to initiatives centred around empowering women and supporting children's welfare. Vineeta Singh, 40, Mumbai Vineeta Singh is an Indian entrepreneur and investor who is the co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics, a popular Indian beauty brand. Singh is also a judge on the Indian reality television show Shark Tank India. Singh is known for her tough questioning and her willingness to invest in businesses that she believes have the potential to succeed. Ruchi Kalra, 40, Gurumgram Ruchi Kalra, an entrepreneur from Gurgaon, has co-founded two unicorn startups – OfBusiness and Oxyzo with her husband, Ashish Mohapatra. Ruchi's successful business approach centres on extracting profit from each transaction, a strategy that has proven effective. She and her husband are the first couple who has founded two unicorns. Mabel Chako, 40, Bengaluru Mabel Chako, co-founder and chief operating officer at Open, boasts a 13-year entrepreneurial journey in financial technology. Her expertise spans intricate financial landscapes, honed through roles at Citrus Payment Solutions and PayU. Her founding of CashNxt in 2007 and Zwitch in 2013 (later acquired by Citrus Payments) underscores her entrepreneurial acumen and commitment to innovative solutions. Ruchi Deepak, 41, Mumbai Ruchi Deepak, co-founder of Acko, hails from Jamshedpur and pursued her bachelor's degree at Lady Shri Ram College, followed by Law at Delhi University. Ruchi aimed for meaningful innovation in financial services. Witnessing the industry's focus on selling to distributors rather than customers directly, she envisioned a shift. Co-founding Acko with Varun Dua, they leveraged technology to revolutionise insurance experiences. Amrita Sirohia, 41, Gurugram Amrita Sirohia, co-founder of INDmoney, embarked on her journey in the financial sector driven by a passion for technology and finance. Amrita's professional trajectory includes roles at renowned companies like Google and Barclays, which led to her understanding of financial complexities and technological innovation. Co-founding INDmoney, her aim was to democratise wealth management through tech-enabled financial solutions, empowering individuals to navigate and optimise their financial portfolios efficiently.

She power: The top 10 youngest women entrepreneurs in India

Personifying the youth's unwavering passion and unshakable spirit through its disruptive narratives, <keyword id="44672" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="pepsi" source="Orion">Pepsi</keyword> unveils yet another rendition of its empowering new brand positioning 'Rise Up, <keyword id="6358733" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="baby" source="Orion">Baby</keyword>!'. The campaign features actress, youth icon, and an inspiration for women across the country, <keyword id="689826" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="samantha-ruth-prabhu" source="Orion">Samantha Ruth Prabhu</keyword>. With this campaign, <keyword id="25796" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="samantha" source="Orion">Samantha</keyword> joins Pepsi's star-verse as one of its newest brand ambassadors. All set to redefine the cliches around gender roles in society, the stirring and inspiring campaign aims to encourage women to follow their passions and irrepressible beliefs to break the societal norms that the world has created for them. Portraying the archetypal situations an Indian woman faces daily, from being questioned for not being married by a certain age, shamed for staying out late for work or taking up a lead action-oriented role, the campaign is a commentary on the millions of passive comments and pressures that women go through in life. The gripping campaign through its powerful three words, 'Rise Up Baby', pays homage to the free-spirited women who do not let others define their worth, and march to their own rhythm. Commenting on the campaign, actress Samantha, said, "I strongly believe that women should always follow their hearts, shattering the stereotypes that society has set for us. The campaign, was, therefore, even more special for me as it exemplifies the unshakable and persistent spirit of the women of this generation while inspiring them to wear their quirks on their sleeves. I am truly excited to be associated with Pepsi and cannot wait for fans to get inspired by the campaign and 'Rise Up, Baby!" Saumya Rathor, Category Lead, Pepsi Cola, PepsiCo India, said, "Pepsi has always strived to reflect the synergy of the younger generation. Through our last two campaigns, we aimed to portray the irrepressible spirit of the youth as they rise above societal norms. For this campaign, our focus was to offer an empowering campaign for the woman of India and pay tribute to their unwavering self-belief and self-confidence. Samantha Ruth Prabhu is the epitome of the independent, bold, and free-spirited modern Indian women, and therefore resonates perfectly with our positioning of 'Rise UP, Baby!'. We welcome Samantha to the Pepsi family and are extremely thrilled to work with her for many more disruptive campaigns going forward." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lt-technology-services-shares-rally-nearly-7-post-q4-earnings/articleshow/99807496.cms">L&amp;T Technology Services shares rally nearly 7% post Q4 earnings</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/boxer-kaur-singh-who-once-fought-with-legend-muhammad-ali-passes-away-at-74/articleshow/99807154.cms">Boxer Kaur Singh, who once fought with legend Muhammad Ali, passes away at 74</a>

Pepsi onboards Samantha Ruth Prabhu as its brand ambassador

Homegrown vernacular social gaming platform <keyword id="7830073" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="winzo" source="Orion">WinZO</keyword> Games on Tuesday said it has challenged <keyword id="6355629" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="google" source="Orion">Google</keyword>'s recent policy in the Delhi High Court for the selective inclusion of only daily fantasy sports (DFS) and Rummy games on its <keyword id="1470391" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="play-store" source="Orion">Play Store</keyword> that leaves out several skill gaming platforms and local developers. WinZO has sought restraint from the court against Google from implementing the "arbitrary classification which will impact the reputation of its business." WinZO is among industry players, such as Mobile Premier League (MPL) and Zupee, who have called the policy arbitrary, unfair and restrictive. Saumya Singh Rathore, Co-founder, WinZO Games told IANS that there is no evaluation of the impact that is likely to result from such a clearly discriminatory and arbitrary classification by <keyword id="963171" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="google-play" source="Orion">Google Play</keyword>. "We fail to understand how Google is being permitted to select that within a set of legal/legitimate businesses, only DFS and Rummy will be onboarded and the other Skill Games, excluded," he stressed. Google was yet to reach on the WinZO lawsuit. Google is set to run a pilot test for the local developers to distribute their daily fantasy sports (DFS) and rummy games apps on Play Store in India, as e-sports become big in the country. Starting September 28, Play Store will begin a limited-time pilot allowing for the distribution of DFS and Rummy apps to users in India by developers incorporated in India. The pilot programme will run from September 28, 2022 until September 28, 2023. According to WinZO lawsuit, the Google policy will not only reduce the marketing cost for players in monopoly to one-fourth of their cost but also create a false perception of legitimation of DFS and Rummy over all other games such as Carrom, Chess, Quiz, etc. "Google's policy can lead to distortions in the competitive Indian gaming ecosystem by resulting in unparalleled access to the 2.5 billion monthly active users across 190 countries where the Google Play Store is available," said the lawsuit. Google Play Store is the largest app distribution platform owning 97 per cent market share in India. Sameer Barde, CEO of E-Gaming Federation had said that the Google move "helps legitimate skill gaming operators grow while eliminating unscrupulous fly-by-night operators," almost implying that companies excluded in the pilot are not legitimised. The Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports (FIFS) Director General, Joy Bhattacharya, had said that Google Play Store is allowing games "recognised by the <keyword id="6354977" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="Orion">Supreme Court</keyword> of India as regular business activities". In the K.R. Lakshmanan vs State of <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword> (which most of the Rummy Companies cite for legality) case, the Supreme Court inferred Rummy as being a game of skill, and explicitly drew an analogy to other games of skill, like chess and golf. "The year-long pilot is detrimental to thousands of companies and can lead to irreversible market distortion of a fast-moving gaming tech industry, leading to the death of many players as the strong get stronger," Rathore told IANS. WinZO is seeking an injunction restraining Google from implementing its revised Playstore policy, along with a ruling that Google must change its policy to allow all apps offering games of skill on its Play Store and not just a select few. WinZO is available in 12 languages, with over 85 million registered users. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/moodys-withdraws-rating-of-kalyan-jewellers/articleshow/94322833.cms">Moody's withdraws rating of Kalyan Jewellers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/essar-group-targets-key-role-in-building-market-for-hydrogen/articleshow/94325146.cms">Essar Group targets key role in building market for hydrogen</a>

WinZO sues Google for Play Store policy allowing only fantasy sports, rummy games

Widespread protests against the 'Agnipath' scheme for the recruitment of armed forces have spread to several districts in Uttar Pradesh. Bulandshahr, Meerut, Agra, Mathura, Varanasi, Unnao, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Rae Bareli and Ballia are among the districts that have witnessed protests, with youth demanding the scheme's withdrawal. In several districts, the police had to resort to lathi charge and fire teargas shells to disperse the mob. In Bulandshahr, protesters blocked the busy GT Road. "We strongly oppose the new recruitment scheme. We want the old recruitment scheme back," one of the protesters said. Bulandshahr Superintendent of Police, Shlok Kumar said: "Some youngsters gathered to stage a protest in the morning. They later called it off on the assurance given by police officials." Ballia was the worst affected district since protesters set bogies of the Sealdah Express on fire, vandalised railway property and then attacked shops and kiosks outside the station. Job aspirants pelted stones at a government bus in Agra, triggering deployment of additional police personnel to control the situation. In Firozabad, protesters vandalised roadways buses. Youth also gathered along the Agra-Delhi highway, seeking the revival of the old recruitment policy in the armed forces. Traffic was blocked for several hours on this route. Agra Senior Superintendent of Police, Sudhir Kumar Singh, said: "A large number of students come to Agra to prepare for exams through coaching centres. These job aspirants reached here and blocked the road." In Rae Bareli and Gonda, the protesters raised slogans and blocked traffic. The <keyword id="13558307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnipath-scheme" source="Orion">Agnipath scheme</keyword> was announced on June 14 to recruit jawans into the Army, Navy and the Air Force for a four-year period followed by compulsory retirement for most without gratuity and pension benefits. Under the new policy, 25 per cent of the jawans would get a chance for permanent recruitment on the basis of their performance. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Recruitment to begin soon" comment="subhead" text="Recruitment to begin soon">Recruitment to begin soon</cmsannotation> Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Friday said the recruitment into the military through the Agnipath scheme will begin soon. He advised the aspirants to begin their preparations. Calling the scheme a 'golden opportunity' to join the nation's defence system and to serve the country, Singh thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allowing age waiver for the first batch to be recruited through the scheme. However, the Defence Minister's comment comes amid the protests against the Agnipath scheme which started in Bihar and has spread to several states. The protests against Agnipath continued for the third day in seven states, including the national capital. "Agnipath is a golden opportunity for the youth to join the defence system and serve the country. As the recruitment was stalled for the last two years, many were deprived of the opportunity to join the army," Singh tweeted. "Therefore, keeping in mind the future of the youth, on the instructions of the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi, the government has increased the age limit for the recruitment of Agniveers from 21 years to 23 years this time. This one time relaxation has been given. This will entitle a lot of youth to become Agniveers," said the Defence minister in a subsequent tweet. "I heartily thank the Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi for his concern and sensitivity towards the future of the youth. I appeal to the youth that the process of recruitment in the army is going to start in few days. They must start their preparation for it," Rajnath Singh tweeted. Considering the widespread protests, the government on Thursday allowed a one-time age waiver for the scheme considering that recruitment was stalled for the last two years. The upper age limit now has been raised to 23 instead of 21 now. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Police firing on protestors in Secunderabad" comment="subhead" text="Police firing on protestors in Secunderabad">Police firing on protestors in Secunderabad</cmsannotation> One person was killed and three others injured in the police firing on youths protesting at the Secunderabad railway station on Friday against the Central government's new military recruitment policy. Police opened fire after the protesters went on a rampage at the station setting afire two trains and vandalising the station. The injured were admitted to Gandhi Hospital. The situation continued to be tense as a large number of protesters remained in the station and on the tracks. The protesters were pelting stones on police while the latter were retaliating with firing of rubber bullets and teargas shells. The Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police and city police were trying to bring the situation under control. Additional forces were rushed to the area which resembled a battle zone. Authorities have cancelled all the trains. With the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses also being targeted outside the station, the corporation suspended bus services in the area. Violence rocked the railway station here as hundreds of youth went on a rampage, setting afire East Coast Express. Passengers ran for their safety. Several bogies were gutted. Raising slogans against the Central government, the protesters also torched bogies of another train on the station, stalls, display boards and other railway property. They also dumped parcel articles on the tracks and set them afire. The protesters, who were raising slogans of 'Jai jawan Jai kisan' and 'Bharat Mata ki Jai' ,demanded that the government scrap the recently announced scheme and continue the existing system of recruitment. The youth were angry that the government cancelled the recruitment examination for which they had been preparing for the last 3-4 years. They said their protest would continue till the Centre scraps the new scheme. Following the large-scale violence, an alert was sounded at all railway stations in Telangana. Security was tightened at Nampally, Kacheguda and other railway stations in Hyderabad. Forces were also rushed to Kazipet and Jangaon railway stations as a precautionary measure. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Delhi students join the protest against the Agnipath scheme" comment="subhead" text="Delhi students join the protest against the Agnipath scheme">Delhi students join the protest against the Agnipath scheme</cmsannotation> Violence against Agnipath scheme rocked Secunderabad railway station here on Friday as hundreds of youth set afire a train and vandalised the station. The protesters went on rampage at the station, setting afire East Coast Express, stalls and other railway property. Demanding scrapping of the recently announced scheme, the youth sat on the railway track. Railway and the city police were trying to bring the situation under control. The police also opened fire in the air to control the situation. The protesters are said to be mostly from the northern states who were in Secunderabad to appear in the Railway Recruitment Board exams. Secunderabad, the twin city of Hyderabad, is the headquarters of South Central Railway. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Protestors set Bhagalpur-New Delhi and Jammu Tawi-Guwahati trains also on fire" comment="subhead" text="Protestors set Bhagalpur-New Delhi and Jammu Tawi-Guwahati trains also on fire">Protestors set Bhagalpur-New Delhi and Jammu Tawi-Guwahati trains also on fire</cmsannotation> Violent protests over the Central government's 'Agnipath' scheme for recruitment in armed forces continued across Bihar on Friday with agitators disrupting rail and road traffic and setting the Bhagalpur-New Delhi Vikramshila Express and Jammu Tawi-Guwahati Express trains on fire. Several organisations have given a 72-hour ultimatum to the Modi government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme or else they will intensify the agitation and call for Bharat Bandh. Raju Yadav, the convener of Army Recruitment personnel Morcha; Manoj Manjil, Left party MLA from the Agiyaon Assembly constituency and national president of INAUS, Sandeep Saurav, MLA of Paliganj and secretary of AISA Bihar unit; Ajit Kushwaha, MLA of Dumraon; Aftab Alam, Vikas Yadav and many others related to AISA (All India Students Association) and INAUS have given the ultimatum to the Central government to withdraw the Agnipath scheme. The agitation by the students and job aspirants continued in almost all the districts of Bihar. In Lakhisarai, the agitating students set the Bhagalpur-New Delhi Vikramshila Express on fire as soon as the train arrived at the platform. The agitated youths asked the passengers to come out from the trains and then set the train afire. In Begusarai, the agitated students set the Lakhminia railway station on fire. They burnt down the ticket booking counter and the waiting area. The office properties and documents were completely gutted in the fire. In Bhojpur, the agitated students set the Bihiya railway station on fire. In Samastipur, the agitators set two coaches of the Jammu Tawi-Guwahati Express on fire in the Mohiuddinnagar railway station located on Hajipur-Barauni railway section. In Khagaria, the agitated mob stopped the Purnea-Ranchi Kosi Express at the Mansi railway station and demanded the rollback of the Agnipath scheme. The students are sitting on tracks at several places in Bihar and they are not ready to go home. Many of them claimed that the Agnipath scheme was suicidal for youths if they join the Army under this scheme. "An army jawan becomes trained in at least a year's time and it takes 5 to 6 years for the jawan to perform duty on the border posts. Under the Agnipath scheme, there is a provision of six months training and deployment anywhere in the country, including on the borders connected to Pakistan and China. Partially skilled jawans cannot survive on the border. It would not only be suicidal for the jawans and also to the entire post," said Raj Kishore Singh, a job aspirant who has been preparing for army examination for the last 5 years. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Protest in UP’s Balia" comment="subhead" text="Protest in UP’s Balia">Protest in UP’s Balia</cmsannotation> The Ballia police, on Friday morning, thwarted attempts of some local youth who wanted to protest on the railway tracks against the 'Agnipath' scheme for short-term recruitment in the armed forces. District Magistrate Saumya Agarwal said that police forces had been deployed on the railway tracks and the protesters, who attempted to pelt stones, were pushed back by the police. Meanwhile, train movement at the Deen Dayal Upadhyay station in Chandauli had been adversely affected because of attacks on trains in Bihar by protesters. According to railway sources, train movement has been halted on some routes while some other trains have been delayed. (Inputs from IANS) SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/agnipath-age-limit-raised-from-21-to-23-even-as-protests-rage-on/articleshow/92270157.cms">Agnipath age limit raised from 21 to 23 even as protests rage on</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/enterprise/news/elon-musk-hints-layoffs-at-twitter-in-future/articleshow/92270334.cms">Elon Musk hints layoffs at Twitter in future</a>

Agnipath protests spreads to several UP districts: recruitment to start soon

<ul><li>Over 27 startups have been valued over a billion dollars this year, however, only one of them was led by women.</li><li>Out of the 136 unicorn startup founders in India, five of them are female.</li><li>Mamaearth, Mobikwik and Acko General Insurance are expected to be valued at over $1 billion in the next four years.</li></ul>It has been raising unicorns since the start of this year. So far 27 startups — ranging from diverse segments such as online pharmacy, social commerce, infrastructure-led marketplace, and more — have been valued over a billion dollars this year and entered the unicorn club. However, only one of them is actually led by women. OfBusiness, which offers raw material procurement service and credit to small and medium businesses (SMBs), was founded by Ruchi Kalra, Vasant Sridhar, Bhuvan Gupta and Nitin Jain over six years ago. ALSO WATCH: “45% of our startups are based out of Tier-II and Tier-III cities,” says Aastha Grover from Startup India. <div type="Youtube" id="CyHmMExHgWI" title="The road to becoming an entrepreneur from an executive | #FutureOfWork Summit" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CyHmMExHgWI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The company turned unicorn in July, after the $160 million round led by SoftBank Vision Fund II that valued the company at a whopping $1.5 billion. The business-to-business (B2B) ecommerce startup counts Falcon Edge Capital, Alpha Wave Incubation, and Matrix Partners India, among others. <div type="image" title="OfBusiness was the only woman led startup that entered the unicorn club this year" msid="86511085" hostid="261"></div> “We can look at it as glass half empty or glass half full. There are now more <keyword id="74945" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-entrepreneurs" source="Orion">women entrepreneurs</keyword> in the start up space than ever before. When I started off as a tech entrepreneur in 2009, we could be counted on one hand. Now there are founders — Phalguni Nayar of Nykaa and Upasana Taku of Mobikwik who are at the helm of taking their companies public with many lining up. The reason for delay in women reaching the mark at the same pace as men is because they started slightly later”- Anisha Singh, founding partner at She Capital, told Business Insider India. Singh has formerly led coupon provider MyDala and content marketing solutions Kinis Software Solutions. She noted that there are several reasons why women got a delayed start in the Indian startup scene. One of those reasons is that there were not enough female role models to prove that women were capable of building and scaling a business, which pushed back investors to invest in women-led businesses. Emergence of strong businesses like Bumble or Nykaa has led investors to believe more in women-led startups now, Singh added. ALSO WATCH: Kiran Majumdar Saw, Vani Kola and Nandini Piramal talk about the lack of women in the workforce and how it can be overcome. <div type="Youtube" id="XZa4lDd9T_Q" title="Hear From The Best In the Industry, What Is Best For The Industry?" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/XZa4lDd9T_Q/mqdefault.jpg"></div> “Just check out the investments coming from venture capitalists to <keyword id="3377347" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-startups" source="Orion">women startups</keyword> as compared to the male founders...A maximum number of Venture Capitalists are men. The age-old beliefs somehow dictate the funding in the tech industry too. Men invest in men, for business. Women entrepreneurs have to overcome the scenario,” Rachitta Juneja, Founder, Whide. More female-led companies to enter unicorn club in next four years The year 2021 has been a record breaking year for Indian startups so far — with the new age companies hitting the public market, cracking the biggest funding deals and more companies being valued at over a billion dollars. According to a business intelligence firm Tracxn, Indian startups have raised $23 billion in 2021 till September 1. This is significantly higher than $13 billion raised by the ecosystem in 2020. The massive interest of the investors has increased India’s unicorn tally to 56. The new estimates show that 150 startups will be valued at over a billion dollars in the next four years, by 2025. Of this, Hurun India report estimates the following female-led startups to make it to the list. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Startup </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Women Entrepreneur </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Timeline </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zilingo </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ankiti Bose </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mamaearth </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ghazal Alagh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MobiKwik </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Upasana Taku </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pristyn Care </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Dr. Garima Sawhney </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ecom Express </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Manju Dhawan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Acko General Insurance </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ruchi Deepak </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2023 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Qure AI </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pooja Rao </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">N/A </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">WinZo </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Saumya Singh Rathore </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">MyGlamm </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Priyanka Gill </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Square Yards </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kanika Gupta </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bankbazaar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Rati Shetty </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Pratilipi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Sahradayi Modi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">SirionLabs </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Kanti Prabha </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Zivame </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Richa Kar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">By 2025 </td></tr></tbody></table> SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/freshworks-ceo-girish-mathrubootham-shares-someone-said-i-will-be-nothing-but-a-rickshaw-puller/articleshow/86507840.cms">WATCH: "Someone said I am good enough to be a rickshaw puller," shares Freshworks CEO Girish Mathrubootham in a candid chat</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/news/meet-girish-mathrubootham-founder-and-ceo-of-freshworks/articleshow/86453777.cms">Girish Mathrubootham, the son of a retired bank officer who built a $13 billion company in just 10 years</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/we-asked-three-spacetech-entrepreneurs-what-it-takes-to-enter-the-field-and-they-listed-out-the-opportunities/articleshow/86484417.cms">We asked three spacetech entrepreneurs what it takes to enter the field and they listed out the opportunities</a>

OfBusiness was the only woman led startup that entered the unicorn club this year

<ul><li><keyword id="7830073" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="winzo">WinZO</keyword> has secured funding from <keyword id="10194862" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="stephan-pagliuca">Stephan Pagliuca</keyword>, co-chairman of private equity firm <keyword id="6581358" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bain-Capital">Bain Capital</keyword>. </li><li>Pagliuca is also the co-owner of the NBA Basketball team, Boston Celtics, and is an investor in the American gaming company and Fortnite maker – <keyword id="349789" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Epic-Games">Epic Games</keyword>. </li><li>Earlier in September, WinZO had raised $18 million from top global VCs – Singapore’s Makers Fund and New York-based Courtside Ventures.</li></ul>Indian <keyword id="3351303" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gaming-startup">gaming startup</keyword> WinZO has secured funding from Stephan Pagliuca, co-chairman of private equity firm Bain Capital in a mix of primary and secondary investment. Pagliuca is also the co-owner of the NBA Basketball team, Boston Celtics, and is an investor in the American gaming company and Fortnite maker – Epic Games. WinZO is Pagliuca’s first investment in India. A part of the investment ($1 million) was made through a secondary transaction, this after WinZO carried out its first ESOPs buy-out worth $1 million of its early investors and employees. “We are thrilled to be backed by Steve, an investor of high repute in our growth journey. The kind of confidence exhibited by industry experts from across the globe is a testament to the scalable, sustainable and robust business we have built in a very short span of time. It's soul satisfying to be able to generate value through ESOP buyout for our early employees too. This is just the beginning of an exciting journey towards solving social entertainment for Bharat.” said Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder, WinZO in a statement. Earlier in September, WinZO had raised $18 million from top global VCs – Singapore’s Makers Fund and New York-based Courtside Ventures, both of whom are pioneers in gaming investments. WinZO has grown rapidly in the last year and saw a boost after the popular Chinese gaming app PubG was banned in India. WinZO’s statistics <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Users </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Usage </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Transactions </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">25 million </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">48 minutes per user per day </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1 billion micro transactions </td></tr></tbody></table> During an interview with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/with-pubg-banned-winzo-looks-to-fill-the-void-in-indian-gaming-raises-18-million-from-top-vcs/articleshow/77912531.cms">Business Insider</a> in September 2020, WinZO’s co-founder Paavan Nanda had said that they had grown 15 times over the last 12 months, and since the pandemic began, they have been doubling every two months. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/cricketer-yuvraj-singh-invests-in-nutrition-based-healthtech-startup-wellversed/articleshow/78945260.cms">Yuvraj Singh invests in nutrition-based healthtech startup Wellversed</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/future-retail-reliance-deal-bse-to-consult-sebi-after-amazons-request-heres-all-that-has-happened-so-far/articleshow/78949099.cms">Future Retail-Reliance deal: BSE to consult SEBI after Amazon's request — Here’s all that has happened so far</a>

Epic Games investor and co-chairman of Bain Capital invests in Indian gaming startup WinZO

<ul><li>As a part of the partnership, <keyword id="44672" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pepsi" source="Orion">Pepsi</keyword> will launch limited-edition golden cans &amp; packs.</li><li>The brand has also launched a digital film featuring brand ambassador <keyword id="133664" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tiger-shroff" source="Orion">Tiger Shroff</keyword>. </li></ul>With the aim of making the most of the fandom of <keyword id="128682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="netflix" source="Orion">Netflix</keyword>'s immensely popular show <keyword id="6916179" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="money-heist" source="Orion">Money Heist</keyword>, beverage brand Pepsi and streaming entertainment service Netflix have come together for the first time in India. Ahead of the premiere of Part 1 of the series finale on September 3 on Netflix and Pepsi unveiled a limited edition set of golden cans &amp; packs inspired by the iconic series, leading up to the ultimate virtual fan party in October 2021 for all Money Heist fans. <div type="Youtube" id="OPLFMSsJ1xw" title="Pepsi Money Heist Party" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OPLFMSsJ1xw/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The golden cans and packs will feature iconic elements from the hit series - the ‘Dali mask’ and ‘Bella Ciao’. They will also serve as a golden ticket to the virtual party which will give fans access to exclusive content, bring them closer to their favorite Money Heist characters and celebrate with fans from across the country, and much more. Pepsi has also launched a high-octane digital film, shot by popular Bollywood director, Ahmed Khan, which features brand ambassador Tiger Shroff. In a never-before-seen avatar, Tiger is sent on a mission by The <keyword id="6356384" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="professor" source="Orion">Professor</keyword> to retrieve the missing golden cans &amp; packs. At the end of this action-packed film, Tiger successfully completes the mission and shares details of how consumers can now register for the ultimate virtual fan party by scanning the Pepsi logo. Commenting on the partnership, Saumya Rathor, Category Lead, Pepsi Cola – <keyword id="110163" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pepsico-india" source="Orion">PepsiCo India</keyword> said, “Pepsi has always been a culture curator and the choice of the SWAG generation. In line with this, we have always endeavored to reach out to our audiences through moments and platforms most relevant to them. Money Heist has garnered a following of its own. The show and the effortless SWAG of its characters fit in seamlessly with Pepsi’s brand proposition. We are excited to launch the limited-edition golden cans/packs and the new digital film in the run-up to the biggest virtual fan event.” "We are thrilled to celebrate the epic fandom of Money Heist and its finale with Pepsi. The upcoming virtual fan party is where all Money Heist fans should be, and to get there, all that’s needed are Pepsi’s golden cans. We can’t wait for this incredible event - a prelude to a befitting farewell to this iconic series”, said Shilpa Singh, Director- Marketing Partnerships, Netflix India. Speaking about the film, Pepsi brand ambassador and Bollywood actor, Tiger Shroff said, “I have been a long-time fan of Netflix’s Money Heist and I love Pepsi. I was thrilled to be a part of this film that had both these elements that I adore. I had a fantastic experience while shooting for it and I hope everyone enjoys watching the action-packed sequence just as much as I enjoyed filming it.” Ahmed Khan, Bollywood Film Director said, "I am a huge fan of Netflix’s Money Heist, and directing this film was like a dream project for me. It has all the elements of a blockbuster - Tiger Shroff, a thrilling chase, Pepsi's SWAG, and lots of intrigue. I had immense fun directing this film and hope that the fans of Tiger Shroff and Money Heist enjoy Pepsi along with my take on the storyline and its characters." The limited-edition Pepsi golden cans &amp; packs come with a special QR code that will give consumers a chance to register for the much-awaited fan party to be hosted on YouTube in October 2021. Fans can also scan the Pepsi logo from anywhere – cans, packs, billboards, &amp; on the internet through the Pepsi India Instagram filter to get their golden ticket. The limited-edition cans &amp; packs are available across all modern trade outlets and select e-commerce channels till December to mark the final season of Money Heist.

Ahead of the finale launch of Money Heist, Pepsi announces partnership with Netflix, launches digital film featuring Tiger Shroff

New Delhi, Mar 28 () Former cricketer Yuvraj Singh-backed health technology firm Healthians and social media platform Likee have partnered to run a coronavirus awareness campaign from Saturday. As part of the collaboration, several doctors associated with Healthians will interact directly with users of Likee on the issue. "Over a period of five days, doctors and nutritionists associated with Healthians will join live sessions conducted by the Likee Official India team," Likee said in a statement. During the sessions, a medical team will answer all the queries related to the coronavirus outbreak and will use the opportunity to provide smart and useful tips on wellness and raise awareness about the pandemic, according to the statement. "It is our social responsibility to equip Likee users with all the information they need in this time of crisis. It is also imperative that the source of information is authentic and reliable. Hence, we have joined hands with Yuvraj Singh's Healthians to empower millions in this war against Covid-19," Likee India head Abhishek Dutta said. The sessions will commence on Saturday - March 28, 2020, and will continue thereafter on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. There will be a one-hour session each day from 6 pm to 7 pm. Healthians co-founder Mr Deepak Sahni, Dr Pranava, Dr Deepak Parashar and nutritionist Saumya Shatakshi will interact with the Likeers during the drive. "Our collaboration with Likee is to reassure and empower them with information that's relevant and meaningful so that their fears and doubts are allayed," Healthians founder and CEO Deepak Sahni said. PRS PRS MRMR

Healthians, Likee partner to run COVID-19 awareness drive

<ul><li><keyword id="44033" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="hike">Hike</keyword> is selling its two-year old stake in <keyword id="7830073" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="winzo">WinZO</keyword>, a gaming platform, sources told Business Insider.</li><li>Hike, in 2019, had invested $3 million in WinZO, as a part of its series A investment which also saw Kalaari Capital pumping in money.</li><li><keyword id="866223" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kavin-Mittal">Kavin Mittal</keyword>’s Hike is looking to get back in the game with two new products – Vibe, an exclusive social platform and Rush, a gaming platform⁠.</li></ul>Kavin Mittal’s Hike is looking to get back in the game with two new products – Vibe, an exclusive social platform and Rush, a gaming platform⁠. And in that process the company is now selling its two-year old stake in WinZO, a real money gaming platform. Sources privy to the discussion told Business Insider that Hike and WinZO’s talks are in the late stages. “It seemed like such a natural step for Hike to want to double down on scaling Rush. As a part of this move, it's likely going to sell its stake in WinZO. Kavin's vision for gaming is so much bigger. Investing in WinZO was just one step in that direction. When they invested in WinZO, they could have either acquired it, gotten a majority share, or sold it with good profit. Selling the stake and focusing on Rush is a smart move and is part of a larger roadmap on building incredible new social products," said a source requesting anonymity. When Business Insider reached out to WinZO, the gaming platform confirmed that it had been working towards a complete exit of Hike from the cap-table. “Any other detail at this point cannot be provided or confirmed,” said the company. The company also did not mention who would be buying Hike’s stake. Hike, a messaging platform, in 2019 had invested in WinZO, as a part of its $5 million series A round, which also saw Kalaari Capital pumping in money. “Gaming to us has always been a new, bite-sized source of entertainment for the masses. As we unbundle Hike, we think of our investment in WinZO and its stellar team as a strong bet in the segment,” Mittal had said in a <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/newsbuzz/winzo-raises-5-million-in-series-a-funding-from-kalaari-and-hike/articleshow/70329421.cms?from=mdr">statement</a> then. The latest development comes at a time when Hike is looking to go ahead for fundraising itself later this year, and also looks to solidify its position in the gaming industry. In an earlier interview with Business Insider, Mittal had spoken about his vision with Hike and why it wasn’t going for real money gaming or “gambling”. “Rush is our version of what we believe hyper casual gaming should be. A new entertainment service, we are bringing those old-school gaming arcades online,” he said. Another source told Business Insider that when Hike had signed the investment deal with WinZO it had also signed a non-compete clause. However, that clause has now been waived off, said the source. WinZO was founded in October 2016 by Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore, who were also the founders of Zostel Hospitality. The startup also counts the likes of Singapore based Makers Fund and US based Courtside Ventures as its investors. According to a recent report by <a href="https://entrackr.com/2020/09/winzo-raises-rs-133-cr-series-b-valuation-touches-rs-460-cr/">Entrackr</a>, WinZO’s valuation in September, 2020 was ₹460 crore. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/india-blockchain-tech-to-make-sms-more-secure-is-leaving-users-locked-out-of-their-account/articleshow/81409145.cms">India’s blockchain tech to make SMS more secure is leaving users locked out of their accounts — and potentially more at risk</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/tata-dials-up-another-acquisition-talk-with-indias-discovery-platform-just-dial-whose-stock-is-up-by-7/articleshow/81390468.cms">Tata dials up another acquisition talk – with India’s discovery platform Just Dial, whose stock is up by 7%</a>

EXCLUSIVE: Hike is selling its stake in WinZO as Kavin Mittal enters gaming on his own

<ul><li><keyword id="7826063" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="paytm-first-games">Paytm First Games</keyword> tripled the number of new users on its platform. </li><li>The company said that it has been adding 75,000 new users every day. </li><li>Among the games, Rummy has gained maximum traction with users and games played doubling every week. </li></ul>Paytm First Games – Paytm’s games arm – has seen a 200% increase in users in the month of March as people stayed home due to the lockdown. The company said that it has been seeing 75,000 new users being added to the platform every day. “As malls, movie theatres and popular hangout options shut down temporarily in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, online gaming is picking up as a popular option for stay at home entertainment. We are seeing a significant uptick in downloads of our app and the time spent and engagement in our online games has increased manifold,” said Sudhanshu Gupta, COO, Paytm First Games. Gupta also said that the number of new users tripled in March. He added that their user base belongs to the age group of between 18-45 years. “What is interesting to observe is that while a large chunk of our users are from metropolitan cities, there has been a bigger contribution of the new users from tier-II, tier-III and the rest of India towns,” he said. As the pandemic spreads, Indian government placed a lockdown in the country. People have been staying home as millions of professionals also work from home. During these times, people are attracted to online games. Globally, the Houseparty app has blown up in terms of users and popularity, where people are having a party with their friends virtually. Even at Paytm First Games, games like Rummy, Ludo, Pool, Snake Wars, Whack a Mole and Danger Dash have seen a lot of traction. Among the games, Rummy has gained maximum traction with users and games played doubling every week. The company also said that every month it gives out rewards and gratification worth more than ₹10 crore. Meanwhile, another gaming company Winzo games too has seen a similar spurt of growth. To cater to the audience WinZO has been adding global blockbuster games such as Tencent's PUBG, Garena's Free Fire, Ludo among many others. The platform is offering free content for the first-time as an effort to support the audience with social gaming during the lockdown due to tbe corona pandemic. “There has been a surge in gaming activities since the lockdown has started. WinZO has seen a 30% surge in online traffic on their platform in the last two weeks. The surge in traffic is mainly from Tier I and metro cities over the last two weeks. As most cities in India are under complete lockdown, people have very limited social entertainment options but the need to be connected with a community stays. Game Play on WinZO is up three times as compared to a regular day. It’s not only India that is witnessing a huge jump in gaming activities, Italy has also seen a 70% increase in gameplay,” said WinZO Games co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/houseparty-says-the-app-has-not-been-hacked-after-rumours-flood-social-media/articleshow/74906553.cms">Houseparty says the app has not been hacked – now offers $1 million to anyone who can prove the hack</a>

Paytm’s games vertical saw a 200% increase during the lockdown in March

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/46431697.cms" /> 
 
After Zindagi, Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL) has now announced &amp;TV, its another premium entertainment channel. 
 
Synonymous with the spirit of new-age India, &amp;TV signifies a conjunction of aspirations and rootedness, much like the amalgamation of various TV shows that mark their debut with the channel tonight. 
 The first show to be aired would be <keyword id="378933" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Razia-Sultan">Razia Sultan</keyword>, who was the first woman ruler from India. The show has been produced by Swastik Productions and stars Pankhuri Awasthi and Sooraj Thapar in lead roles, who play Razia Sultan and her father Iltutmish, respectively. It would air at 7:30 PM from Monday to Friday. 
 
Next in line is Bhagyalaksmi, a serial from the affluent lanes of Madhya Pradesh. Starring Barkha Singh and Abhishek Malik with Aruna Irani, Rita Bhaduri, Anil Dhawan and Ashita Dhawan Gulabani, the love story would see the clashes of rich and poor, airing at 8 PM from Monday to Friday. 
 At 8:30 PM, viewers would get to see the cute and bubbly <keyword id="2722206" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gangaa">Gangaa</keyword>, a child widow. Her spirit to break the shackles of conservative Indian society is the wave that the makers would hope to ride on. Produced by Sphere Origins, The show stars Ruhana Khanna, Rakhi Vijan, Sushmita Mukherjee and Hiten Tejwani. 
 
The prime time of 9 PM has been reserved for the flagship show, India Poochega <keyword id="2695296" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Sabse-Shaana-Kaun">Sabse Shaana Kaun</keyword>, to be hosted by <keyword id="1671" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Shah-Rukh-Khan">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword>. The show is inspired by Who’s Asking, an Israeli game show of Armoza Formats. Both the persons who ask the question and the one who answers would be commoners. The show has been produced by Siddhartha Basu of Big Synergy. 
 At 10, we have <keyword id="75320" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Begusarai">Begusarai</keyword>, produced by Saregama Productions. Based on the lives of land mafias of Bihar, the show has Shweta Tiwari, Vaishnavi Dhanraj, Vishal Aditya Singh and Dheeraj Miglani. The highlight of the show, however, would be veteran actress Sulbha Arya, who is donning a negative role for the first time. 
 Next, the channel has a comedy show in line for its audience. Called <keyword id="2749105" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bhabhi-Ji-Ghar-Par-Hain">Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hain</keyword>, the show would be based in a middle-class Indian society from Kanpur, and would be focusing on two neighbouring families. Starring Saumya Tandon, Shilpa Shinde, Rohitashv Gaud and Asif Sheikh, the show has been produced by Edit II. 
 
Image courtesy: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AndTVOfficial">And TV Facebook Page</a>

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