Latest news with #Zomato
Mint
5 hours ago
- Business
- Mint
Small-cap SME stock jumps 3% after partnership with Zomato. Do you own?
Cellecor Gadgets share price rose by 3.4% during Friday's trading session following the firm's announcement of its partnership with Zomato. The company noted in an exchange filing that this collaboration is being managed comprehensively by Orbis Nova, the official third-party operations partner for Zomato's delivery partner app. From bringing brands on board to overseeing procurement, logistics, and partner accessibility, Orbis Nova is efficiently leading the initiative to guarantee effective last-mile distribution, said the company in an exchange, As it embarks on its extensive rollout, Cellecor will supply 10,000 units of its top-tier smart devices, which include compact home appliances, to delivery partners who have been integrated into Zomato through the in-app store. Renowned for their long-lasting battery life, intelligent features, and sturdy construction, these products aim to meet the demands of an always-active, industrious gig workforce. 'We're excited to be part of this meaningful initiative. Delivery partners are the backbone of India's digital economy, and we are proud to contribute to their empowerment with reliable, Made-in-India technology,' said Mr. Ravi Agarwal, Co-Founder and MD of Cellecor Gadgets Limited.
Hindustan Times
11 hours ago
- Business
- Hindustan Times
Men in ads need more nuanced portrayal
Brands riding on Father's Day celebrations last Sunday launched their print and digital campaigns to capitalize on emotions linked to the occasion to influence customers. Companies, across categories, that released special communication marking Father's Day included SBI Life, Instamart, Niva Bupa Health Insurance, Myntra, De Beers and Zomato among others. The Zomato campaign stood out for its storytelling and collaboration with other leading digital brands, said communications strategy consultant Karthik Srinivasan. While Zomato, Blinkit and District are part of the same company, other apps which collaborated on the ad included Urban Company, Uber and Spotify. Its quintessential message was that 'Appa' (dad) works harder than all these apps put together as he repairs home appliances, sings lullabies and transports his child on his two-wheeler. 'The caring father evokes the sentiment that before you used apps to do things, there was only 'Appa,' Srinivasan said. Diamond company De Beers' print ad was a hand-written note of appreciation from a GenZ daughter to her dad thanking him for starting to understand her lingo, binge-watching K-dramas with her and accepting her fashion sense. 'Not just in Father's Day campaigns, but usually brands showcase only the ideal version of men in ads. Unlike in films, there is no place for a hero or a villain in advertising,' Srinivasan said. Toxic masculinity may be on display in films like 'Kabir Singh' or 'Animal' since movies reflect at least some reality while ads are aspirational, he added. Lately though, the depiction of men in advertising and films has become a subject of great debate. Based on research by Kantar, the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) Academy released a report in March titled 'Manifest: Masculinities Beyond the Mask, in collaboration with the Unstereotype Alliance and Religious Brands. 'Today, masculinity -- and the patriarchal structures that organise society -- are facing a crisis… Simultaneously, women are rising as equals and competitors,' the report said. In certain categories like e-commerce, tech, and menswear, there's a more evolved depiction of men -- softer, more caring, and less driven by ego. 'However, this seems to be a re-working of the traditional gentleman role, rather than a substantial challenge to the predictable man script. Some of these narratives that, at first glance, seem progressive, may also create more pressure by asking men to live up to both the protector and the caregiver, instead of un-stereotyping masculinity,' it said. Srinivas noted that the nearly 30 Father's Day ads he saw, pitched dad as the caregiver and provider, with no new thought. Ekta Relan, chief strategy officer, Saatchi & Saatchi India, agreed that the archetypical father ads, except Zomato, were underwhelming. The ASCI Academy report focused on the 'crisis' in traditional masculinity, with men feeling increasingly alienated, insecure and confused owing to societal changes and rise in gender equality. It sought a nuanced approach to depicting men in ads given the pressures they are facing. At a webinar organised by the Market Research Society of India (MRSI) on the same theme, Ekta Relan said that the reasons for men's identity crisis are rooted in women's empowerment journey over decades. 'In redefining the role of a woman, a man's role at home, in the family and society also got redefined. And they aren't conditioned for it,' she said. One response to this identity crisis was the resurgence of the alpha male seen in films like 'Animal'. 'The other was masculinity taking pride in sharing the load,' Relan said. For decades, there was a hero who never died, a father who never changed diapers and a professional who never failed. 'But now we see a father tearing up at his daughter's graduation ceremony and a CEO posting about his anxiety on social media,' she said. When 'Animal' succeeds, it raises questions about their real identity. But Relan said the future of masculinity isn't singular. 'Variations will co-exist which is an opportunity for brands. They must choose and sharply project the core of masculinity they want to represent because a male consumer today is not choosing a product, but an identity,' she said.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon to invest over Rs 2k crore in India this year to boost infra
Amazon is set to inject $233 million into its Indian operations this year, aiming to bolster infrastructure and enhance delivery speeds. This investment will also fuel the development of new technologies for its fulfillment network. MUMBAI: Amazon will invest $233 million (over Rs 2,000 crore) in India this year to expand and upgrade the company's operations infrastructure in the country. Portions of the capital will also be deployed to build new tools and technology for the firm's fulfilment network as the Seattle-based e-commerce company takes on deep-pocketed startups Zepto, Zomato, and Swiggy in the cash-guzzling quick commerce space. "This new investment builds on top of Amazon's investments in creating an ops network that helps the company deliver to all serviceable pin codes across India. This investment will enhance processing capacity, improve fulfilment speed, and increase efficiency across the company's operations network that will help Amazon serve customers across India faster," the firm said in a statement on Thursday. For Amazon, which entered India twelve years ago and was largely operating in a two-player e-commerce market alongside Walmart-controlled Flipkart for a good few years, competition has now grown. Startups such as Meesho, backed by storied investors like SoftBank, are foraying into the market and carving a space of their own by targeting a whole new set of customers who were underserved. Conglomerates such as Reliance Industries and Tata Group are also investing in e-commerce. Besides, startups Swiggy, Zepto, and Zomato's Blinkit have created a growing market for 10-minute deliveries in India, a new challenge for Amazon, which was late to enter the quick commerce space. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Hindustan Times
13 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Woman on the verge: How Sahiba Bali is working her way to the top
When asked where home is, Sahiba Bali finds it hard to answer. Bali, 30, is part-Kashmiri, part-Punjabi, but was born in Kolkata. She spent her early years in Indonesia (the Bali jokes write themselves), but returned to Delhi to complete school and attend Delhi University. Then, she flew to the UK to complete her Masters in marketing, and did an extra business course at Oxford, just because she could. Then, she moved to Mumbai. But the reason someone would ask her that in the first place is because Bali is everywhere. She started off as a brand manager for Zomato, was an associate director at Unacademy, and found time to be a lifestyle content creator. She ended up hosting S4 of Shark Tank India, is now a sports broadcaster and an anchor at Disney Star, and has been in three movies and several web series. She played Kashmiri student Ambreen in Laila Majnu (2018), an Inter-Services agent Abida in the Netflix series Bard of Blood (2019), and an exacting journalist in Amar Singh Chamkila (2024). For this season's IPL, Punjab Kings brought her on as their marketing and digital curator, making those viral fun Reels with cricketers. While you catch your breath, she's now in a music video too: Haqeeqat, sung and composed by Akhil Sachdeva. None of this, she says, was part of the plan. Early start As the only child of a banker and a production-house director, Bali recalls watching both parents hard at work, every day. She ended up excelling in her studies simply because she didn't know any other way. But being an only child meant more than academic excellence. 'My parents were working through the day, so I would be left to my own devices,' Bali recalls. 'I had only myself to entertain and motivate.' Cue the extracurriculars: Bharatanatyam, keyboard, jazz, debating, theatre. 'I was doing so much, and a lot of it was competitive. It just inculcated this behaviour of trying to excel in different things. That stayed with me.' It also helped chart a multi-pronged path to the spotlight. Acting was never meant to be more than a side hustle, Bali says. But perhaps the roulette of auditions and rejections didn't hit as hard. 'During the weeks when I wasn't acting, instead of sulking about the lack of work and feeling bad about rejection, I took a marketing job on the side.' Bali originally auditioned for Triptii Dimri's role in Laila Majnu, but got the part of her sister instead. She auditioned for Kiara Advani's role in Kabir Singh, as well as Anushka Sharma's role in Sultan, opposite Salman Khan. She recalls a Netflix show that fell through. 'I had this great role — a woman from Delhi who lives in Gurgaon, a complete girl-next-door. But unfortunately, after we signed the contract and everything, they went ahead with someone else because they wanted to package it differently.' She just kept auditioning until the tide began to turn. Audiences noticed her small part in Laila Majnu. She began to be recognised for the videos she'd do with Zomato; her fresh vibe resonating with viewers on YouTube and Instagram. People began watching her vlogs (each video now has more than 20 lakh views). Speak easy Bali is often cast as Kashmiri. 'Maybe I look and talk the part.' But she's eager to break that stereotype. 'I want a typical Yash Raj filmi, over-the-top romantic drama,' she says, and quickly adds that she'd also do 'a very natural, Piku-type role'. But she's aware that her big break is yet to come. Until then, she's not shying away from being herself in public. Last year, Bali was invited to an Indian billionaire's son's wedding, a much-spotlighted event that was dubbed The Shaadi Of The Century. She skipped it, telling interviewers that she didn't want to attend it just for the attention. In April, she was one of the few people in entertainment to speak up against the erasure of Mughal history from grade 7 NCERT textbooks. As a star-in-the-making, she knows the cost of speaking her mind. But she knows how fickle fandom is too. 'It's the small things,' she says. 'I don't talk about something, people start forming opinions about me. If I do say something about an issue, then there are questions.' Of course, like all young people, she yearns for simpler times. 'There are days where I really wish we had gone back to analogue life and didn't have smartphones,' she admits. The constant scrutiny means 'whenever I'm saying anything, I have to think twice'. But years of putting in the effort, competing and coming out shining are helping her battle online negativity and public opinion. 'I tell myself that this is for two hours, that people are going to forget, that there are bigger problems in the world, that nobody cares about you in the grand scheme of things,' she says. 'I don't worry about what I can't change.' We'll be seeing more of her on screen. Let's hope she keeps that fighting spirit intact. From HT Brunch, June 21, 2025 Follow us on
Time of India
a day ago
- Business
- Time of India
Amazon to invest $233 million in India to expand operations infra
MUMBAI: Amazon will invest $233 million (over Rs 2,000 crore) in India this year to expand and upgrade the company's operations infrastructure in the country. Portions of the capital will also be deployed to build new tools and technology for the firm's fulfilment network as the Seattle-based e-commerce company takes on deep-pocketed startups Zepto, Zomato and Swiggy in the cash guzzling quick commerce space. 'This new investment builds on top of Amazon's investments in creating an ops network that helps the company deliver to all serviceable pin-codes across India. This investment will enhance processing capacity, improve fulfilment speed and increase efficiency across the company's operations network that will help Amazon serve customers across India faster,' the firm said in a statement on Thursday. For Amazon which entered India twelve years back and was largely operating in a two-player e-commerce market alongside Walmart controlled Flipkart for a good few years, competition has now grown with startups such as Meesho backed by storied investors like SoftBank foraying into the market and carving a space of its own by targeting a whole new set of customers who were underserved. Big conglomerates such as Reliance Industries and The Tata Group are also investing in e-commerce. Besides, startups Swiggy, Zepto and Zomato's Blinkit have created a growing market for 10-minute deliveries in India, a new challenge for Amazon which has been late to enter the quick commerce space. As more Indians become tech savvy and move online to shop for everything ranging from groceries to apparel, companies are sharpening strategies to stay ahead of the game. Amazon plans to take its India investment to $26 billion by 2030. 'By strengthening our infrastructure capabilities….we're positioning Amazon to better serve customers throughout India,' said Abhinav Singh, VP, operations at Amazon India and Australia. Amazon will also expand initiatives for improving the health and financial well-being of employees and associates across the operations network. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
