<keyword id="20115473" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashneer-Grover" source="keywords">Ashneer Grover</keyword>, known for his blunt persona on the Indian edition of Shark Tank, has once again found himself embroiled in a controversy, this time involving a popular comedy roast. The co-founder and former managing director of <keyword id="19956322" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BharatPe" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BharatPe" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BharatPe">BharatPe</keyword>, Grover is no stranger to the limelight, but his latest escapade has stirred considerable buzz of the negative kind on social media. Grover recently featured on "<keyword id="21736600" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pretty-Good-Roast" source="keywords">Pretty Good Roast</keyword>," a show hosted by comedian <keyword id="21736601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aashish-Solanki" source="keywords">Aashish Solanki</keyword>. During the episode, Solanki made light of Grover's tumultuous exit from BharatPe — a topic that has been a hot-button issue ever since Grover and his wife were ousted from the fintech startup in 2022 amid allegations of financial impropriety. The roast, which included jabs at Grover’s departure from his own company, quickly became a viral sensation. However, the humour did not sit well with Grover. He reportedly demanded the removal of the segments featuring these jokes and subsequently sent Solanki a <keyword id="20476156" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="legal-notice" source="keywords">legal notice</keyword> to take down the entire episode. Solanki complied, announcing on Instagram: "Friends, I have removed the Ep 5 of Pretty Good Roast. I don't have money to fight the legal battle. I had spent all of it on the show," he stated, highlighting the financial strain legal actions can impose on independent creators. Solanki also expressed his disappointment, noting, "The response on previous episodes led us to believe our audience were ready for roast humour. However, it seems that some, especially those in power, are not quite there yet." This incident has triggered a wave of backlash against Grover, with many accusing him of "<keyword id="20415529" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="doglapan" source="keywords">doglapan</keyword>" (duplicity). The term gained popularity during Grover’s stint on <keyword id="19913228" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="keywords">Shark Tank India</keyword> and even became the title of his book, "Doglapan: The Hard Truth about Life and Start-Ups." Social media users were quick to point out the irony of Grover, who once prided himself on his no-holds-barred attitude, now seeking to censor comedic content. <div type="twitter" handle="samratsingh23" handlename="samratsingh23" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1792498229701161312"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="memes_hallabol" handlename="memes_hallabol" favoritecount="0" retweetcount="0" id="1792750542655295852"></div> The controversy draws attention to Grover's complex public persona. After his high-profile exit from BharatPe, Grover pivoted to content creation, leveraging his fame to build a substantial following on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and various podcasts. He has even claimed that he has made more money through content creation than during his tenure at BharatPe. Despite his success as a content creator, Grover’s latest actions have sparked a debate about the boundaries of humour and criticism, especially concerning public figures. The legal threat against Solanki underscores the precarious balance comedians must navigate when their satire targets influential individuals. As the dust settles, one thing is clear: Ashneer Grover remains a polarising figure. His journey from a controversial entrepreneur to a content creator and now to a central figure in a comedy roast controversy reflects the multifaceted and often contentious nature of public life.

Roasted shark? Ashneer Grover faces backlash over legal tussle with comedian Aashish Solanki

<ul><li>Low ticket size and low margin can never be solved through forced low delivery cost, said <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> on 10-minute grocery delivery. </li><li>Hari Menon, the CEO of BigBasket said that consumers never wanted quick delivery, and that it was thrust on them. </li><li>Legacy e-commerce companies who have not generated significant net profit have no authority to make remarks on quick commerce, said Aadit Palicha, the co-founder of Zepto. </li></ul>A war of words has been raging between the heads of quick commerce companies and their non-quick counterparts in the last few weeks. Entrepreneur and startup investor Ashneer Grover too joined in the conversation — insisting that 10-minute quick commerce delivery has no economics. He was commenting on the Blinkit (by Zomato) delivery personnel strike. “Low ticket size and low margin can never be solved through forced low delivery cost,” Grover tweeted summarising Zomato’s Blinkit journey in three steps — 90 Min (bull run) —&gt; Next day (bear run) —&gt; 10 Min (bull run) —&gt; ?? Quick commerce sector has players like Zepto, Reliance-backed Dunzo, Zomato’s Blinkit and Swiggy’s Instamart. While most of them provide 10-minute deliveries, others too offer lightning-fast deliveries of a wide range of groceries — catching the imagination of consumers. However, quick commerce has had its set of detractors, and recently Hari Menon, the chief executive officer (CEO) of BigBasket stirred up the controversy with his comments against quick commerce. While BigBasket has its quick commerce avatar called BigBasketNow, it delivers its groceries in 30 minutes. ‘Qcommerce was thrust on customers’ Grover’s negative opinion on the economics of quick commerce delivery has another backer. Last week at the Sharrp Summit, Menon said that consumers never wanted quick delivery, and that it was thrust on them. A sensible business case involves 15-30 minutes to make a delivery, he added. “Quick commerce has certain dynamics required for unit economics to work, which means you need a high density of orders, it will be cut off at some point. The Bigbasket model will scale, but quick commerce without density doesn't work,” <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/business/companies/consumers-never-wanted-10-minute-delivery-says-bigbaskets-co-founder-16394831.htm">Menon said</a>. Menon’s comments had irked Aadit Palicha, the co-founder of Zepto and a Stanford dropout, who started the business during the pandemic when he was 19 years old. He hit back at Menon at the very summit saying that legacy e-commerce companies who have not generated significant net profit have no authority to make remarks on quick commerce’s sustainability. Palicha, who is preparing to take the company public in the next two years,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/zepto-preps-for-public-listing-in-2-years-brings-in-ramesh-bafna-as-cfo-to-lead-ipo-process/articleshow/99514143.cms"> had told Business Insider India</a> in a recent interview that a large part of his ‘dark stores’ are profitable, and the financial metrics of the company are very strong. Indians take to quick commerce According to Redseer, Indian consumers are taking to quick commerce, and the adoption is much better than in other countries. India has a quick commerce penetration of 13% versus 7% in China and 3% in EU, respectively. The current market size of quick commerce in India is $5.5 billion – and as of now caters to only 1% of the total domestic grocery market. Redseer also says that the total addressable market (TAM) of quick commerce is at $45 billion. “Emerging as one of the fastest growing e-commerce models, quick commerce is fundamentally changing consumer purchase behaviour and the grocery retail market on the whole by providing faster delivery options (in as little as ten minutes) as well as a more convenience-driven shopping experience,” said the Redseer report. Quick commerce players who have set up dark stores that aid quick deliveries, cater to the mid to upper middle-class consumers, and also offer an eclectic mix of products —- in order to stay ahead of the competition from local kiranas. As of now however, around 70% of all quick commerce purchases are top-up orders. Many platforms have informed that milk, eggs and more are the most searched and purchased items for fast deliveries. Stockup purchases like staples and packaged foods are either purchased offline or through online e-commerce. Apart from the time and the economics, the war of words around e-commerce is about average order value (AOV). Many players are trying to push for it by offering free delivery for larger sized orders. A few services like Instamart charge different delivery prices for faster delivery of services. Moreover, the funding winter which has been taking the wind off the sails for most startups has also had its effect on quick commerce players. Moreover, grocery delivery – fast or otherwise – itself is becoming a tougher business to be in. JioMart Express, which offers 90-minute deliveries, has recently shut this service. At the same time last year, fast delivery service Ola Dash folded up. This, however, can be a blessing in disguise, say analysts. “Competitive intensity has slowed down in quick commerce, which gives incumbents room to build scale moats; and the expectation that the life cycle value of the incremental transacting user in quick commerce could be significantly better than in food delivery at the current stage,” says a recent report by JM Financial. When the dust settles on the war of words around quick commerce, it will be incumbent on the existing players to prove their detractors wrong by delivering profitable businesses. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/samosas-versus-burgers-the-great-indian-dilemma/articleshow/99488590.cms">Samosas versus burgers: The Great Indian Dilemma</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/keshub-mahindra-the-man-who-played-in-a-role-in-building-indias-auto-industry/articleshow/99425922.cms">Keshub Mahindra: The man who thought impossible is possible</a>

The Big Fight: Ashneer Grover wades into controversy around 10-minute delivery

<keyword id="6359298" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="indore" source="Orion">Indore</keyword>, Amid a row over his comments on Indore's top rank in the Centre's cleanliness survey, BharatPe's co-founder <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashneer-Grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> has said while he will say sorry to the city, he will not apologise to the politicians. A non-cognisable offence information report (NCR) was registered on Monday against Grover after a video showed him commenting on Indore's top rank in the Centre's cleanliness survey and purportedly claiming it had been "bought". Following the development, Grover shared the video of his controversial statement in a post on his X. "Sorry to Indore. You've got great people and a city. But politicians everywhere have got no chill! Unnecessary politics being made out of a statement made in jest in a playful conversation on Bhopal vs Indore. Where the audience had fun - no offence was meant. None taken by anyone. No one getting offended now was even present in the room," he said in the post late on Monday night. He further said, "Not sorry to any politician. Ever. No one. Any party. FIR kar lo (register an FIR). Case kar lo (register a case). Koi farak nahi padta (it doesn't make any difference) - I am not a pushover - won't be bullied. Don't make an issue where there is none. It might be an election year - but people are smart. Indori people - super smart. I'll come to Indore when I wish, as many times I wish - and am confident of Indori mehmaan nawazi (good hospitality)." On Bhopal vs Indore, his favourite remains Bhopal, Grover wrote, adding that it would be dishonest of him to put Bhopal lower when he feels it is not only Madhya Pradesh's best city but also India's. Indore city of Madhya Pradesh has remained on top in the Centre's Swachh Sarvekshan for six consecutive years. Addressing an event here on Sunday, Grover is heard in the video saying, "See, there is a concept - playing to the gallery, that is, wherever you go, praise it saying I have never seen such a nice city. Now the problem with me is that for three-four years I have heard that Indore is the cleanest city...you have bought the survey. It's a simple thing." Grover, however, immediately clarified that he was not saying there was filth in Indore, and that he meant several construction works are going on in the city. An NCR was registered against Grover under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 499 (defamation) and section 500 (punishment for defamation) on the complaint received from the Indore Municipal Corporation, Lasudia police station in-charge Taresh Kumar Soni had said on Monday. After an NCR is registered, if the complainant wishes, he can file a case in court at his personal level, he explained. Indore's Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargava said, "I have seen Grover's video. His statement is an insult to the hard work of the city's people and sanitation workers for cleanliness. We will take appropriate legal action against this insult and also serve him a notice for defamation." State Home Minister Narottam Mishra, who is in-charge of Indore district, also criticised Grover's statement and said, "Those who have garbage in their mind will only see filth." Indore Municipal Corporation chief sanitary inspector Sanjay Ghavri, on whose complaint the NCR was lodged, told PTI that Grover's controversial statement had insulted the people of the city. "This statement has hurt thousands of sanitation workers of the city who are engaged in cleanliness work from early morning till late night," Ghavri said.

Sorry to Indore, won't apologise to politicians, says BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover on row over his comment on cleanliness tag

Fintech platform <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> on Wednesday revealed for the first time that <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ashneer-Grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword>, his wife Madhuri Jain, and their relatives were engaged in extensive misappropriation of company funds and grossly abused company money to fund their lavish lifestyles. In a statement, BharatPe said it reserves all rights to take further legal action against him and his family. "The Grover family and their relatives engaged in extensive misappropriation of company funds, including, but not limited to, creating fake vendors through which they siphoned money away from the company's expense account and grossly abused company expense accounts in order to enrich themselves and fund their lavish lifestyles," BharatPe elaborated. The company said that the Board will not allow the "deplorable conduct of the Grover family to tarnish BharatPe's reputation or that of its hard-working employees and world-class technology." "As a result of his misdeeds, (Ashneer) Grover is no longer an employee, a founder, or a director of the company," the company announced. Ashneer had sent an emotionally-charged resignation letter ahead of the crucial BharatPe board meeting as an independent PwC 'governance review' found him guilty of financial irregularities worth several crores along with his wife Madhuri Jain Grover. The Board was set to grill Ashneer over the PWC report regarding his conduct and take action based on it, which was to ultimately sack him. Sensing what was coming his way, Ashneer decided to shoot off an emotionally-charged and lengthy resignation to the Board, in a bid to salvage his image. BharatPe said that the Board is taking all necessary steps to further strengthen the company's corporate governance, including the appointment of an audit committee, an internal auditor, and the implementation of other key internal controls. "Minutes after Ashneer Grover received notice that some of the results of the inquiry would be presented to the Board, he quickly shirked responsibility by sending an email to the Board submitting his resignation and fabricating another false narrative of the events to the public,a said the company. The company said it has taken strong objection to Grover spinning lies and hurling baseless allegations and threats. The resignation came as top investors in the fintech platform declined to buy his 8.5 per cent stake in the company for Rs 4,000 crore as he had sought. Ashneer also lost an arbitration in Singapore he filed against the fintech platform for launching a probe against him. According to sources, Grover's valuation does not hold ground as the company is not valued at $6 billion as being projected by him. At a $2.85 billion valuation and at the current dollar-rupee exchange rate, his stake would be around Rs 1,824 crore. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/maruti-icici-bank-hdfc-bank-hero-motocorp-amongst-top-losers-today-as-russia-ukraine-conflict-continues-to-worsen/articleshow/89939475.cms">Maruti, ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank, Hero MotoCorp amongst top losers today as Russia-Ukraine conflict continues to worsen</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/defense/news/iaf-c-17-globemaster-aircraft-all-you-need-to-know-about-this-aircraft/slidelist/89942445.cms">All you need to know about the C-17 Globemaster aircraft being deployed for evacuation of Indians in Ukraine</a>

Ashneer hand in gloves with wife in grossly abusing company money: BharatPe

Former <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> Founder and CEO <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> has written his memoir called 'Doglapan' (double standards) - the Hard Truth about Life and Start-ups' which is available for pre-order and will be available next month. Billed as an "unfettered story of <keyword id="12917061" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ashneer" source="Orion">Ashneer</keyword> Grover - the favourite and misunderstood poster boy of Startup India", the memoir is being called a "raw, gut-wrenching in its honesty and completely from the heart, storytelling at its finest". "Is kitab ko padhne ke baad ya to aap ek dum apni naukri chhod doge ya fir zindagi bhar naukri hi karoge. At least beech mein nahi phase rahoge (After reading this book, you will either quit your job or continue to only be in jobs your whole life. At least, you won't be stuck in the middle)," Grover said in a tweet on Friday. On Friday, he again tweeted: "So overnight my autobiography has become #1 Best Seller. And SOLD OUT as well !! I've scampered to print more copies - get yours before my publisher hits their max capacity." According to the book's brief description on Amazon.in, a young boy with a 'refugee' tag growing up in Delhi's Malviya Nagar outpaces his circumstances by becoming a rank-holder at the pinnacle of academic excellence in India, IIT Delhi. "He goes on to do an MBA from the hallowed halls of IIM Ahmedabad, builds a career as an investment banker at Kotak Investment Banking and AmEx, and is pivotal in the making of two unicorns-Grofers, as CFO, and BharatPe, as co-founder," it reads. As a judge on the popular TV show <keyword id="6533612" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="shark" source="Orion">Shark</keyword> Tank India, Grover became a household name even as his life turned upside down. "Controversy, media spotlight, garrulous social media chatter descend, making it difficult to distinguish fact from fiction," read the description. He said the book will offer readers "absolute clarity" on life. After swindling fintech platform BharatPe, Ashneer and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover have formed a new company called Third Unicorn Private Ltd, and are set to launch a third startup. Before co-founding BharatPe, Grover was associated with Grofers, which is now a 15-minute delivery platform Blinkit that has been acquired by Zomato for Rs 4,447 crore (about $568 million) in an all-stock deal. According to data accessed through Tofler, the Grovers have now registered a new company to begin their new journey. The nature of the startup is not known yet. Ashneer and Madhuri, former Head of Controls at BharatPe, are both directors of the firm that was founded in July this year. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/ashok-leyland-posts-rs-199-crore-pat-for-q2/articleshow/95449676.cms">Ashok Leyland posts Rs 199 crore PAT for Q2</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/amazon-unveils-design-of-new-prime-air-delivery-drone/articleshow/95446738.cms">Amazon unveils design of new Prime Air delivery drone</a>

Former BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover pens memoir called 'Doglapan'

<ul><li>BharatPe’s founder <keyword id="13239935" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bhavik-koladiya" source="Orion">Bhavik Koladiya</keyword> has resigned from his position at the fintech company.</li><li>He wants to spend time on assignments outside of BharatPe, the company said.</li><li>The development comes a few months after Asheer Grover was stripped of his co-founder title.</li></ul>BharatPe’s founder Bhavik Koladiya has resigned from his position at the fintech company, a few months after <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword>’s exit. The four-year-old company has confirmed the development, saying Koladiya has been associated with BharatPe as an ‘independent consultant’. “Bhavik Koladiya has been associated with BharatPe as an independent consultant, guiding our product and technology teams. His contract tenure ended on July 31, 2022, and he expressed his desire to spend time on other assignments outside BharatPe,” BharatPe told Business Insider. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="BharatPe seeking settlement with Ashneer Grover?" comment="subhead" text="BharatPe seeking settlement with Ashneer Grover?">BharatPe seeking settlement with Ashneer Grover?</cmsannotation> According to a Mint<a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/bhavik-koladiya-the-tech-backbone-of-bharatpe-is-out-11659424560247.html"> report</a>, Koladiya’s departure is due to a disagreement between him and the company. The newspaper also said that Koladiya did not see eye to eye with BharatPe’s CEO Suhail Sameer. The company is seeking a settlement with Ashneer Grover, the report added. Business Insider could not independently verify these claims. “Bhavik has been one of our biggest advocates and has been an integral part of our journey in becoming one of India’s largest fintech companies. While we wish him the very best, we are also sure that he will continue to guide us in the future as well, as and when we need,” BharatPe has said, in its statement. Koladiya added, “I have been relentlessly at it for five years. I want to focus on balancing my work and family. I am a zero to one guy who likes to keep innovating with new ideas. From the day I and Shashvat founded BharatPe, we have always believed and worked towards making BharatPe into a movement that will outlive and outgrow our own ambitions.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Ashneer Grover resigned in March this year" comment="subhead" text="Ashneer Grover resigned in March this year">Ashneer Grover resigned in March this year</cmsannotation> Earlier this year, Ashneer Grover and his wife Madhuri Jain had also exited front he company. While <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bharatpe-fires-ashneer-grovers-wife-madhuri-jain-and-she-takes-to-twitter-to-make-a-new-set-of-allegations-against-the-company/articleshow/89767491.cms">Madhuri Jain was terminated </a>over allegations of misappropriation of funds,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ashneer-grover-resigns-from-bharatpe-heres-what-he-wrote-in-his-resignation-letter/articleshow/89912762.cms"> Grover resigned </a>a few weeks later on March 1 from his position as the managing director. Grover was later stripped of the co-founder title too. The company was founded by Bhavik Koladiya and <keyword id="10222571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shashvat-nakrani" source="Orion">Shashvat Nakrani</keyword> in 2018. Grover was the first investor in the company who later joined in as the co-founder and CEO. Grover had accused the company of leveraging his personal network to scale up their payments business and later treating him in a “the most disgraceful manner”. The issue behind <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/the-series-of-events-that-led-to-ashneer-grovers-resignation-from-bharatpe/articleshow/89926634.cms">BharatPe and Grover started with a leaked audio</a>, where Grover was allegedly heard hurling abuses at a Kotak Mahindra employee for not being able to finance Nykaa’s IPO allotment for him and his wife Madhuri Jain. This controversy triggered off a chain of events that led to Grover’s resignation from BharatPe. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/the-worst-of-the-rupees-decline-might-be-over-as-market-expects-us-fed-to-dial-down-pace-of-hikes/articleshow/93290895.cms">The worst of the rupee's decline might be over as market expects US Fed to dial down pace of hikes</a> <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/markets-on-a-wait-and-watch-mode-as-they-await-cues-from-rbi/articleshow/93290015.cms">Markets on a wait and watch mode as they await cues from RBI</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/as-new-cars-get-pricier-pre-owned-bmws-audis-and-porsches-get-more-attractive/articleshow/93275786.cms">As new cars get pricier, pre-owned BMWs, Audis and Porsches get more attractive</a>

BharatPe founder Bhavik Koladiya quits months after Ashneer Grover’s exit

With an aim to leave behind the <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> controversy and bring business on track, fintech platform <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> on Thursday launched an investment platform for its merchant partners. In the first phase, the company is going live with peer-to-peer (P2P) investments and bank-deposit products with its partners on the platform. The P2P investment product is being powered through RBI regulated non-banking financial companies (NBFCs) LenDenClub and Liquiloans. BharatPe said in a statement that it is also working on providing its merchants an option to invest in fixed deposits by Unity Small Finance Bank. "We believe that it should be the merchant who should have the power to decide which investment product and which partner he/she would like to invest with," said Suhail Sameer, CEO, BharatPe. With the P2P lending product, merchants will have an option to earn interest of up to 12 per cent per annum in the first phase, and around 8 per cent on the fixed deposit product. BharatPe intends to offer a range of investment products under a single window, including mutual funds and ETFs, etc., in the coming months. "The aim is to make BharatPe's Investment Platform the most sought after investment vehicle for millions of offline retailers in the country," said Sameer. Based on the success of the pilot, the company aims to facilitate investments for more than 20 lakh merchant partners over the next 12 months via this platform. The platform will enable RBI regulated entities to market their investment products to more than eight million BharatPe merchants across the country. Last week, the fintech platform said it has initiated necessary action against the company's former founder Ashneer to "claw back his restricted shares as per the shareholders' agreement" and will take all steps to enforce its right under the law. As part of its corporate governance review of the company after the financial irregularities were unearthed during Ashneer and his wife Madhuri Jain Grover's time, the company found many vendors were involved in malpractices, such as incorrect or inflated invoices, who have been blocked for further business with the company. The company terminated the services of several employees in departments who were directly involved with these blocked vendors. Grover, along with his wife Madhuri Jain Grover, has been stripped of all company titles over alleged "extensive misappropriation of company funds" and using "company expense accounts" to "enrich themselves and fund their lavish lifestyles". SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/heatwave-has-turned-acs-from-a-luxury-to-a-necessity-but-margins-remain-muted-for-the-players/articleshow/91655568.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Heatwave has turned ACs from a luxury to a necessity — but margins remain muted for the players</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/delhivery-ipo-heres-how-you-can-check-the-allotment-status/articleshow/91650014.cms">Delhivery IPO: Here’s how you can check the allotment status</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-vs-bharti-airtel-four-charts-to-showcase-how-indian-telecom-giants-faired-in-2022/slidelist/91640306.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Reliance Jio Vs Bharti Airtel — Four Charts That Showcase How The Indian Telecom Giants Faired In 2022</a>

BharatPe launches investment platform for merchants after Ashneer Grover saga

Leaving the <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> controversy behind, fintech platform <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> has closed one of the highest growth quarters in its history, facilitating over Rs 3,600 crore in loans in the first quarter (April-June period) of FY23. This is a growth of 112 per cent over the last quarter. BharatPe said it also reached an all-time high of $18.5 billion in annualised total payment value (TPV) -- a growth of 50 per cent over the last quarter. "Post a successful FY22 that we closed with a 3 times growth in merchant loans, 2.5 times growth in payments and a 4 times jump in revenue, BharatPe has recorded its' best ever quarter in Q1, FY23," said <keyword id="4534514" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="suhail-sameer" source="Orion">Suhail Sameer</keyword>, CEO, BharatPe. "We are on an incredible growth journey, driven by a huge shift in behaviour towards digital payment modes, rise of <keyword id="6358921" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="upi" source="Orion">UPI</keyword> and the increased acceptance of new-age fintech products," he added. The company facilitated disbursals to over 1.2 lakh merchants in Q1, FY23, up from 66,000 merchants in the last quarter of FY22. Additionally, BharatPe's other product offerings, including the card acceptance POS businesses (BharatSwipe) and its investment platform for merchants recorded consistent growth (over 30 per cent) compared to the last quarter. "We are on track to achieve our target of $2 billion in loans facilitated (through our NBFC/bank partners) across both consumer and merchant business by the end of FY23 as well as scaling TPV to $30 billion by March 2023," said Sameer. The company saw its biggest-ever controversy starting earlier this year when its Co-founder and CEO <keyword id="12917061" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ashneer" source="Orion">Ashneer</keyword> and his wife <keyword id="13057738" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="madhuri-jain-grover" source="Orion">Madhuri Jain Grover</keyword> siphoned off funds worth crores and were later sacked by the company.

BharatPe is doing just fine after Ashneer Grover's exit, records 112% growth

<ul><li><keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword>’s resignation from the board and management of <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword>.</li><li>It all started with a leaked audio, where Grover was allegedly heard hurling abuses at a Kotak Mahindra employee.</li><li>He continues to be the largest individual shareholder at BharatPe with 9.5% shareholding.</li></ul>Ashneer Grover’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/ashneer-grover-resigns-from-bharatpe-heres-what-he-wrote-in-his-resignation-letter/articleshow/89912762.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">resignation </a>from the board and management of BharatPe has been the top news from the Indian startup ecosystem on Tuesday. The company was among the youngest unicorns of India, but it has been surrounded by controversies ever since it entered its fourth year of operations. It all started with a leaked audio, where Grover was allegedly heard hurling abuses at a Kotak Mahindra Employee for not being able to finance Nykaa’s IPO allotment for him and his wife Madhuri Jain. One thing led to another and Grover had to resign from BharatPe. Here is how one of the biggest boardroom fights in India’s corporate history panned out over the past few months: <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"><colgroup></colgroup><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;">Date </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;">Event </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;">March 2018 </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;">BharatPe was founded by Shashvat Nakrani and Bhavik Koladiya. Ashneer Grover, an angel investor in the company, came onboard as a cofounder. </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;">January 5, 2022 </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;">An anonymous Twitter handle called “Bongo babu” shared a soundcloud link to an audio clip, where Grover was allegedly heard hurling abuses at an employee of Kotak Mahindra Bank. The conflict happened because Kotak Mahindra Bank was allegedly unable to get Nykaa’s IPO allotment for Grover and his wife, the audio clip revealed. </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;">January 6, 2022 </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;">Grover claimed that the audio clip circulating on social media was fake and someone was trying to exhort $240,000 in bitcoin from him. He later deleted the tweet thread after the audio was taken off SoundCloud. </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;">January 9, 2022 </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;">Media reports revealed that Grover and his wife had sent a legal notice to Kotak Mahindra Bank on October 31, 2021 for failing to provide financing in Nykaa’s IPO. The bank said that they will take “appropriate legal action” against Grover over the content of the audio clip. </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;">January 17, 2022 </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;">A report by The Economic Times has relieved that previously there was a brawl between Grover and Sequoia India’s Harshjit Sethi as well as the investment firm was looking to take a step back from the company’s upcoming funding round. The report was based on email exchange between the two in august 2021. </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;">January 19, 2022 </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;">Ashneer Grover was sent on voluntary leave till the end of March, 2022. </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;">January 29, 2022 </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;">The board of BharatPe decided to conduct an independent audit of the company’s internal processes and systems. </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;">January 30, 2022 </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;">Grover hired a Delhi-based law firm alleging that the company pressured him to quit. </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;">February 4, 2022 </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;">Media reports suggested that the preliminary audit has revealed certain fraudulent transactions in recruitment and payments to non-existent vendors. Grover’s wife Madhuri Jain’s name was being linked to these transactions. Grover had also sought removal of CEO Suhail Sameer’s removal from the board. </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;">February 5, 2022 </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;">Ashneer Grover had demanded ₹4,000 crore in exchange for his 9.5% stake in the company. The company later rejected the demand. </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;">February 10, 2022 </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;">Jain had written to Alvarez &amp; Marsal (A&amp;M), who conducted the independent audit. She questioned the consulting firm about the recent media leaks, she also raised concerns over the alleged irregularities in the recent probe at the fintech firm. </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;">February 22, 2022 </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;">Grover sought protection from any future action against him as a part of settlement with BharatPe, an Economic Times report revealed. He also filed an arbitration plea in Singapore to protect his shareholdings in the company. </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;">February 23, 2022 </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;">BharatPe <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/bharatpe-fires-ashneer-grovers-wife-madhuri-jain-and-she-takes-to-twitter-to-make-a-new-set-of-allegations-against-the-company/articleshow/89767491.cms">terminated</a> Madhuri Jain on charges of misappropriation of funds. Jain, who had been in charge BharatPe’s finance. After her termination, she accused BharatPe’s founders and CEO of misdemeanor. Grover also launched an attack on board chairman Rajnish Kumar, who was the former chairperson of SBI. “The entire façade of the alleged governance review is riddled with premeditation, bias and prejudice,” Grover said. </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;">February 27, 2022 </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;">The Singapore International Arbitration Center (SIAC) rejected Grover’s plea. </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;">March 1, 2022 </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;">Ashneer Grover resigned as the managing director and director of BharatPe. He continues to be the largest individual shareholder at BharatPe with 9.5% shareholdings. </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> SEE ALSO <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/lic-ipo-may-get-postponed-as-the-government-may-review-the-timing-due-to-russia-ukraine-uncertainty/articleshow/89926212.cms">LIC IPO may get postponed as the government may review the timing due to Russia-Ukraine uncertainty</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/new-air-india-under-tata-ceo-declines-job-offer-at-the-last-moment-amid-his-alleged-political-links/articleshow/89920258.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">New Air India CEO declines the role at the last moment, says Indian media ‘coloured’ his appointment</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/cheap-liquor-in-delhi-is-a-thing-of-the-past-now/articleshow/89919730.cms">Cheap liquor in Delhi is a thing of the past now</a>

The series of events that led to Ashneer Grover’s resignation from BharatPe

Fintech platform <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> on Wednesday said it has appointed former SBI <keyword id="14627699" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="card-cfo" source="Orion">Card CFO</keyword> <keyword id="13810597" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nalin-negi" source="Orion">Nalin Negi</keyword> as its new chief financial officer, as it prepares for its initial public offering (IPO). In his new role, <keyword id="4151" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="negi" source="Orion">Negi</keyword> will take charge of the finance function for BharatPe and will be working towards making the company EBITDA positive by March 2023. He will report to <keyword id="4534514" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="suhail-sameer" source="Orion">Suhail Sameer</keyword>, CEO, BharatPe and work closely with the <keyword id="14627700" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="board-of-bharatpe" source="Orion">Board of BharatPe</keyword>, the company said in a statement. "His experience of listing SBI Card will be instrumental for us as we aim to go public in FY25," said Sameer. BharatPe closed the first quarter of FY23 with over Rs 3,600 crore in total loans facilitated and $18 billion in annualised TPV in payments. "The company has become a preferred and trusted partner for millions of offline merchants in just 4 years of launch," said Negi, who will lead the financial readiness of the company as it prepares for the IPO. In April, the company announced the appointment of <keyword id="10012165" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="smriti-handa" source="Orion">Smriti Handa</keyword> as the Chief Human Resources Officer. The new appointment comes after BharatPe Co-founder Bhavik Koladiya moved on from the company to pursue other assignments. The company has seen several high-profile exits in recent months, including <keyword id="2988161" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ashneer-grover" source="Orion">Ashneer Grover</keyword> (who triggered a major controversy at the platform); Chief Revenue Officer Nishit Sharma; and Head of Institutional Debt Partnerships, Chandrima Dhar. SEE ALSO : <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/asus-unveils-a-new-lineup-of-laptops-featuring-zenbook-14-flip-oled-and-vivobook-s14-at-starting-price-of-49990/articleshow/93322315.cms">ASUS unveils a new lineup of laptops featuring Zenbook 14 Flip OLED and Vivobook S14 at a starting price of ₹49,990</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/aditya-birla-capitals-net-profit-jumps-42-to-429-crore/articleshow/93322293.cms">Aditya Birla Capital's net profit jumps 42% to ₹429 crore</a>

IPO-bound BharatPe appoints new CFO amid high-profile exits

In a new twist to the ongoing <keyword id="7349800" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharatpe" source="Orion">BharatPe</keyword> saga, the fintech platform's Co-founder and Managing Director Ashneer Grover has now written to the company board asking for the removal of newly-appointed CEO Suhail Sameer from the board. In a letter to the board, Grover, who has gone on voluntary leave till March-end over the controversy over him allegedly using inappropriate language against Kotak Mahindra Bank's staff and BharatPe launching an independent audit of the company's internal processes and systems, asked the Board for Sameer's removal. "I, now, in exercise of the power vested in me by Clause 3.7 of the SHA and Clause 91.7 of the AoA do hereby withdraw, my nomination of Suhail Sameer as a Director nominated by me to the Board of Directors of the Company. "In light thereof, I, Ashneer Grover request the Board of Directors of the Company to complete the necessary processes to record the cessation of the Directorship of Suhail Sameer as a Director of the Company," Grover wrote in the letter. Earlier, reports surfaced that BharatPe has terminated Grover. But BharatPe said last week it has not terminated the services of any employee (including Grover) at this stage. "The Board remains committed to an independent and thorough audit process. No action has been taken or will be taken till the audit has been completed," the company had said in a statement. Through its legal firm, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas, BharatPe has appointed Alvarez and Marsal, a leading management consultant and risk advisory firm, to advise the Board on its recommendations. The Board of BharatPe is "committed to the highest standard of corporate governance at the company and is doing an independent audit of the company's internal processes and systems". Grover has taken voluntary leave while his wife, Madhuri Jain Grover who is the Head of Controls at the fintech company, has also gone on leave after the controversy. In Grover's absence, the fintech company had appointed Sameer as the CEO. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/aditya-birla-fashion-retail-d2c-unit-will-sell-ethnic-and-wedding-wear-from-top-designers/articleshow/89347587.cms">Birla has the best wedding suits stacked up and he wants them displayed on your phone</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/textile-cigarette-metal-and-electric-batteries-sectors-stocks-up-budget-day/articleshow/89346157.cms">Textile, cigarette makers and others sector stocks that rallied since budget speech</a>

Shark Tank anchor and BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover seeks removal of new CEO from board

<ul><li>Charan joins a long list of celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, <keyword id="6354486" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="virat-kohli" source="Orion">Virat Kohli</keyword>, Deepika Padukone, and <keyword id="5268" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rahul-gandhi" source="Orion">Rahul Gandhi</keyword> who lost their ‘Blue ticks’. </li><li>Jr NTR or Tarak, SS Rajamouli – with over six million followers each, still have their blue ticks. </li><li>The Pope, Oprah Winfrey, and singer Beyonce lost their verifications, but Musk personally paid for three celebrities. </li></ul>Tesla cars might have danced to the beats of the Oscar-winning song Naatu Naatu, but the actor who thumped the ground to the beats on screen – Ram Charan of RRR has lost his validation from yet another <keyword id="6355315" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="elon-musk" source="Orion">Elon Musk</keyword> venture, Twitter. Charan, who has over three million followers on Twitter, joins a long list of celebrities like Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli, Deepika Padukone and Rahul Gandhi to lose the coveted ‘Blue tick’ on their Twitter accounts. Many celebrities have refused to pay a fee that Musk had imposed to verify the accounts of celebrities. Blue ticks can differentiate the actual accounts of celebrities from the many fan-made and fake accounts made in their name. Rajamouli, Rana retain their blue ticks The other Naatu Naatu star, Jr NTR, or Tarak, the director of RRR, SS Rajamouli – with over six million followers each – still have their blue ticks indicating that they might have paid Musk’s fee. The star of Bahubali, Rana Daggubati, has a blue tick, and Prabhas is not on Twitter. The others who did not bother are — KGF fame Yash and Pusha actor Allu Arjun have also lost their blue ticks along with South heavyweight Rajnikanth. Even superstar Chiranjeevi, Charan's father and Arjun's uncle, who joined Twitter during the pandemic, lost his blue tick status. So did his Tamil counterpart Kamal Hassan who came back with a bang to silver screens with the recent superhit Vikram late last year. South heroines like Samantha Ruth Prabhu, with over 10 million followers, and Nayantara, with over 20,000 followers too lost their blue ticks. Many top cricketers like M S Dhoni and Rohit Sharma also did not bother to pay the price to retain their ticks, and neither did Twitteractive pulp fiction writer, Chetan Bhagat. There are only three exceptions Many international celebrities lost their blue ticks, including the Pope, celebrity TV host Oprah Winfrey, and singer Beyonce. Rihanna and Taylor Swift still have blue ticks, but their payment status is not verified. actress Halle Berry, however, tweeted, "Me joining you all tomorrow unverified," indicating she will not pay for the Blue badge. Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter, also lost his blue tick. But looks like even Musk defers to the celebrity might of a few titans, including the King of Horror, Stephen King. Incidentally, King has been criticizing the verification payment and insisted that “It’s a matter of principle.” The other two celebrities that Musk is personally paying for are Captain Kirk of Star Trek, William Statner and basketball legend, LeBron James. (With inputs from IANS, Neha Das and Ananya Tawakley) SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ashneer-grover-wades-into-controversy-around-10-minute-delivery/articleshow/99578962.cms">The Big Fight: Ashneer Grover wades into controversy around 10-minute delivery</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/not-the-time-for-job-hopping-most-indians-plan-to-stay-put-this-year-indeed/articleshow/99556646.cms">Not the time for job hopping, most Indians plan to stay put this year: Indeed</a>

You Searched For "ashneer grover controversy" and got 12 results

Roasted shark? Ashneer Grover faces backlash over legal tussle with comedian Aashish Solanki

Ashmita Gupta

The Big Fight: Ashneer Grover wades into controversy around 10-minute delivery

Katya Naidu

Sorry to Indore, won't apologise to politicians, says BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover on row over his comment on cleanliness tag

PTI

Ashneer hand in gloves with wife in grossly abusing company money: BharatPe

IANS

Former BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover pens memoir called 'Doglapan'

IANS

BharatPe founder Bhavik Koladiya quits months after Ashneer Grover’s exit

Kritti Bhalla

BharatPe launches investment platform for merchants after Ashneer Grover saga

IANS

BharatPe is doing just fine after Ashneer Grover's exit, records 112% growth

IANS

The series of events that led to Ashneer Grover’s resignation from BharatPe

Kritti Bhalla

IPO-bound BharatPe appoints new CFO amid high-profile exits

IANS

Shark Tank anchor and BharatPe founder Ashneer Grover seeks removal of new CEO from board

IANS

RRR star Ram Charan & other Indian celebs who lost the Twitter blue tick

Katya Naidu