Ola Electric raises Rs 400 crore; Uber partners with Ayushman Bharat; New national software policy
Ola Electric has raised Rs 400 crore funding led by Ola's early investors Matrix Partners and Tiger Global. The ride-hailing company will use the funds raised to build the reach of its electric vehicles (EV) with its new entity Ola Electric. It is currently running several pilots to deploy electric vehicles and charging solutions, including battery swapping stations, electric two-wheeler and three-wheeler services among others.
New policy on software products
The Union Cabinet has approved the National Policy on Software Products. The policy is aimed at promoting the software product industry, and provides for a dedicated Software Product Development Fund (SPDF) with a corpus of Rs 5,000 crore. There will also be a programme to promote R&D and innovation for developing software products that are solving societal challenges.
Uber partners with Ayushman Bharat
Uber announced a partnership with government healthcare scheme Ayushman Bharat to provide free healthcare to its driver and delivery partners. As part of this, the company will set up Common Service Centres (CSC’s) at Partners Seva Kendras across India under its Uber CARE initiative. At these centres, CSC’s Village Level Entrepreneurs (VLEs) will help to verify the eligibility and issue e-cards to the driver and delivery partners.
Tesla releases Model 3
Following a series of teasers on Twitter, Elon Musk finally revealed his big Tesla news on Thursday - the arrival of the much-awaited Model 3. With this, the serial tech entrepreneur also unveiled a series of strategic changes including Tesla’s shift to online-only sales and an extended return policy. The move also means layoffs at the retail department of the company, as it continues to pursue financial sustainability.
Now you can pray online
The religious products and services segment in India, pegged at an impressive $30 billion, is still highly unorganised, mostly served by small, fragmented players, and ripe for disruption through technology. And a new breed of religious services startups, eager to tap this vast market, is using tech-driven solutions to serve a time-starved generation of believers using AR/VR to image processing, OTT streaming, and end-to-end management.
Zomato gets notice from FSSAI
Foodtech unicorn Zomato received a notice from the FSSAI, asking the company to get a food safety licence for its operations in Dehradun. It is reported that the platform hasn't been registered, according to The Food and Safety Standard Act 2006. “We have already applied for a licence for our operations in Dehradun as well as other cities, and will make sure we are fully compliant with the directives set by FSSAI,” the company responded.
EVs - the path to a greener India
Over 80 percent of Indians are willing to switch to clean energy. Not just because EVs are cost-effective, but also due to the lower carbon emissions. And with some of India’s biggest two-wheeler manufacturers – including Ather, Tork, Emflux, and more - getting serious about electric and a host of startups developing a range of vehicles, the Indian consumer could well be spoilt for choice in the next couple of years.
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