Welcome to The CapTable: Deconstructing India’s new economy

Good morning

We are excited to announce the launch of The CapTable, an independent subscription platform focused on delivering actionable news and sharp analysis on India’s new economy.

While bearing some of the same DNA as YourStory, The CapTable will be an optimistic critic of the developments in India’s startup ecosystem. Focused on digging deep to bring you the closest version of the truth.

The CapTable will give you the inside view of the strategy shifts at these companies, of how founder-investor dynamics are shaping up, and how policy shifts are impacting the biggest tech companies operating in India.

Over the next few weeks, we will share a few emails on the launch of The CapTable, along with some exclusive newsbreaks and analysis. 

Sign up for early access here: https://the-captable.com

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The Interview

Krishna Kumar and Kunal Prasad had one aim — to build a company that can create a larger impact. For that, they looked at the various problems faced by farmers in the agriculture sector — from farmers resorting to suicides to them throwing away their produce because of low prices. So, they decided to make the sector more data-driven and founded CropIn in 2010. To date, they have digitised 13 million acres of farmland, enriching the lives of four million farmers, in addition to creating a footprint in 52 countries.

Editor’s Pick: App Friday

Why Leher, a Made in India alternative to Clubhouse, is trending among Indian entrepreneurs

Clubhouse took social media by storm when it launched last year as an invitation-only audio-chat social networking app. With the pandemic enforcing social distancing, there was a need for an Indian version of the app. Leher is a live discussion social network where people with similar interests can come together to discuss ideas, learn, network, and build relationships. Read more.

Startup Spotlight

Fintech startup Basis aims to empower millennial, Gen Z women through financial literacy

With increased digitisation, the fintech sector has been one of the biggest gainers. But if there's one component that's missing, it is the involvement of women. Hena Mehta had realised the problem of many women not being financially savvy early on when she interacted with 500 urban women. So, along with Dipika Jaikishan, she launched Basis, a financial app for women that helps them address their monetary needs and set their financial goals by accessing options tailored to their requirements. Read more.

News & Updates

• After Union ministers and government departments endorsed the Koo app amid a spat with Twitter, the homegrown microblogging platform saw a massive surge in user base, with three million users onboarding the app, resulting in a 10-fold surge just over the past week. 

• The Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) announced the adoption of a comprehensive Implementation Toolkit for self-regulation of OTT platforms, with Netflix, Amazon Prime, AltBalaji and others as signatories.

• Ecommerce major Amazon moved the Supreme Court in a bid to block Future Group's Rs 24,713-crore deal with Reliance after a recent Delhi High Court's ruling that stayed a previous order on status quo of the deal.

• The government expressed "strong displeasure" over Twitter's delay in taking prompt action against accounts and hashtags 'spreading misinformation and provocative content'. Twitter has suspended over 500 accounts and blocked access to several others within India.

• According to a report released by Unicommerce and Kearney, the last quarter of 2020 saw ecommerce order volume growing by 36 percent in India, with Personal care, Beauty, and Wellness (PCB&W), and FMCG & Healthcare (F&H) segments being the biggest beneficiary.

Before you go, stay inspired with… 

“There is no right or wrong pitch — each one is as unique as a snowflake.”

— Sanjot Malhi, Director, Matrix Partners India

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