OCTOBER 2019; LOS GATOS, CALIFORNIA
The proclamation was ‘mighty’. “We don’t shy away from taking bold swings if we think the business impact will also be amazing.” Netflix made this daring declaration in its latest quarterly letter to shareholders in October. The world’s biggest online streaming player was alluding to the ever rising cost of generating premium content—it flaunted its content budget of around $15 billion in cash for the year—and how the impending launch of online video platforms by rivals such as Disney and Apple would make the scramble for content even costlier. In the bargain, the American giant would inadvertently go on to offer a glimpse into one of its ‘bold swings’ and ‘amazing’ impact in one of the Asian countries it had debuted three years ago.
CUT TO MUMBAI, INDIA. DECEMBER 2016
Despite having an 11-month headstart over rival Amazon Prime Video— which entered India in December—and the popularity of American crime drama web series Narcos, Netflix was still a niche concept, confined largely to salaried corporate honchos in Mumbai and Delhi. The reason was not hard to fathom. Netflix was prohibitively expensive. While Amazon offered an ad-free, on demand service at a monthly rate of ₹41, Netflix was available at ₹500 for a month. Even Hotstar, another big competitor, now owned by Disney, had a tempting tag: ₹199 per month.
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Home-Cooked Meal Is Now Greatly Valued
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Paytm 3.0 - Reaching Near Breakeven In Two Years
As of 2020, Vijay Shekhar Sharma’s super app for financial services had run up losses in thousands of crores. Now, as digital payments gets yet another boost courtesy Covid-19, he’s hopeful of reaching near breakeven in two years
THE PANDEMIC HAS CAUSED WOMEN GREATER LABOUR PAIN
Covid-19 has shown that women are more likely to face the brunt of job losses than men, and find fewer opportunities when they want to resume. That apart, several have to deal with increased hours of unpaid work at home and even domestic abuse
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Leaders must not only guard their teams first during a crisis, but also deal with stakeholders with respect and dignity. And apart from pursuing business goals, they should remain committed to our planet and the environment
PHILANTHROPY SHOULD BE HUMBLE, BUT NOT MODEST
Apart from building a flexible and resilient framework for the future, philanthropists, civil society and the government must work in tandem so that every rupee is absorbed on the ground
INTEGRATED HEALTH CARE, TECH WILL DISRUPT SECTOR
While clinical research will get a boost, having a skilled workforce and public spending on health care will be challenges in the near term
DIGITALISATION WILL HELP IN VALUE CREATION
As the pandemic brings technology and innovation to the core of business and daily life, the next decade will see about 150 million digital-first families in India
Industry 4.0: Climate Revolution?
Augmenting sustainability alongside digital capabilities is an economic, competitive and global opportunity for India’s businesses, but regulations need to reflect intent
EV Dream Still Miles Away
Electric vehicles have remained a buzzword in India for years. But not much has moved on ground due to high upfront costs, range anxiety and charging infrastructure
Living Waters
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