Shiksha Finance raises Rs 55 Cr; Narayana Murthy talks about the rise of Hubli

Saturday February 16, 2019 , 3 min Read

Chennai-based Shiksha Financial Services India raised funding Rs 55 crore from Zephyr Peacock India Growth Fund and existing investors Aspada Investment Company and Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. With the current funding, Shiksha Finance is looking at expanding its distribution presence to new states, including Maharashtra, financing the company's growth plans and strengthening the management team.

Angel Tax: startups and investors are running out of patience

Recently, Pushpinder Singh, Co-founder of Travel Khana, found himself in a tight spot after the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) withdrew Rs 33 lakh from him account as tax remittance. Travel Khana was not the only one. Siddharth Ahluwalia, Co-founder and CEO of Babygogo, too received a message that Rs 72 lakh had been deducted from the company account by the CBDT. The two incidents have served quite a setback to the startup ecosystem and it is now considering drastic workarounds if the DPIIT doesn’t act soon.

What makes Betterhalf.ai different from all other dating apps

Tired of dating apps and sick of swiping right in hopes of the right match? Maybe it’s time you give a break to the usual platforms and go the smart way. Betterhalf.ai is an artificial intelligence-driven app that operates differently from other dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, or Bumble. The swipe mechanics are gone, the sign-in via LinkedIn gives you a more ‘grown-up’ feel, and the phone number authentication keeps fake profiles away.

Narayana Murthy on how Hubli startups could be No. 1 in India

The recent Startup Dialogue 2019 event at Hubli, North Karnataka was evidence that there is a thriving environment for innovation beyond the metros. The event, held at the emerging startup hub of North Karnataka, attracted some of the most notable tech names like NR Narayana Murthy and Gururaj ‘Desh’ Deshpande among others. Murthy even spoke on what it would take for Hubli startups to gain prominence. The key, according to him, is not to worry about “what we don’t have”. But focus on the good things in Hubli and do “everything that is necessary to make it even better”.

On mastering the four laws of creativity for business success

In a globalised, digitally connected world, the power of creativity is more important than ever before. While there are certain existing myths when it comes to the right formula for success, Allen Gannett’s new book, The Creative Curve: How to Develop the Right Idea, at the Right Time, helps burst some of these misconceptions. The insightful book lists consumption, imitation, creative communities, and iteration as the four laws of creative success and demonstrates these with a wealth of examples.