Accumulating reward miles was our favourite game—one in which we would compare miles with other business travellers as if more points denoted that we worked harder than the rest. Red-eyed and constantly on the move somehow justified our existence.
However, a shift has happened in how we look at business travel. It is no surprise that Covid-19 has upended the way we work. It is a given that hybrid work is here to stay. What is uncertain, though, is how the future of business travel will evolve, given several new trends that have surfaced since the pandemic. Undoubtedly, post-pandemic, business travel returned more intensely than most analysts had predicted. However, whether it will reach the same level and intensity as the pre-pandemic years is uncertain.
One primary driver for this expected shift is companies reaping cost savings during 2020–22 because of less travel and realising that work can happen remotely. Take, for example, how teams got structured during the pandemic years. Remote working allowed managers to hire talent away from their usual office space. When structuring a new function, I built a distributed team; its members were recruited from and placed in Modena, Paris, Cairo and Sweden.
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Denne historien er fra October 2023-utgaven av Outlook Business.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Scale Stimulus
For technology start-ups, growth funding serves as the catalyst to scale, innovate, expand into new markets and make critical hires. New capital brings strategic value through investor expertise and industry network, customer introductions, helps maintain operational efficiency and mitigate cashflow challenges.The landscape of venture and growth financings in India has undergone a major shift since the pre-Covid era. The pandemic gave rise to a low-interest rate environment which saw an unprecedented inflow of capital into Indian start-ups with a very strong focus on high growth, often at the cost of high burn. Post-pandemic, the environment has seen a significant shift in focus towards sustainable growth, profitability and efficient unit economics.
The Best Valuation Need Not Be the Highest
Info Edge founder and veteran start-up investor Sanjeev Bikhchandani talks to Deepsekhar Choudhury about high valuations and corporate governance in start-ups. Edited excerpts
GCCS Shaping Start-Ups
The remarkable journey of global capability centres (GCCs) in India continues to set new benchmarks, enriching the nation's economic narrative.
Behind the Scenes
Evaluating start-ups is more than number crunching. While some factors are quantifiable, many are more nuanced. Here's a sneak peek inside the war room from where the rankings emerged
Start-Ups have Generated 17.28 Lakh Direct Jobs
Amardeep Singh Bhatia, secretary, department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) tells Pushpita Dey about the government's various schemes to give start-ups a leg up.
On the Road Less Travelled
Our entrepreneurial journey as the founders of the CarDekho group proves the fact that ambition and ingenuity can flourish in the most unexpected places.
Being Local Matters
India's rapidly evolving consumer market, backed by a young, progressive population and a flourishing middle class, is a landscape of opportunity and complex challenges.
CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE: OUTLOOK BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT - ACHIEVERS AWARDS 2024
Recognizing Visionaries Who Inspire Growth, Innovation, and Progress
At the End of the Day, You Bet on Founders
Zerodha founder and chief executive Nithin Kamath tells Deepsekhar Choudhury that the philosophy of a company is what sets it apart and makes it special. Edited excerpts
Time to Go Global
India's defence and space start-up ecosystems have witnessed exponential growth in recent years, with over 1,000 defence and 250 space start-ups driving deep-tech innovation. Government initiatives such as Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), positive indigenisation lists and allocation of 75% of the defence capital budget for domestic procurement, along with support from Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (InSpace), have created vast opportunities.
