Hail an EV for your daily commute
Instead of operating like a ride aggregator, BluSmart leases, owns, and operates EVs, thus removing the burden of asset ownership from drivers. The startup's ride-hailing service is available in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru.
Hello Reader,
To Blue or not to Blue, Musk cannot make up his mind.
In an email to his (dwindling) Twitter staff, Chief Twit Elon Musk has delivered an ultimatum…Commit to an “extremely hardcore” work culture or receive three months of severance. And what do you have to do to get a passing grade? “Only exceptional performance.”
The controversial Blue subscription, which caused widespread havoc thanks to impersonators, is also going to make a comeback on November 29.
In other news, SoftBank is looking to sell $215 million worth of Paytm shares, reported Bloomberg, right after the company’s lock-in period expired.
Oh, and here’s a video of a river that can be switched on and off.
Lastly, a pair of brown suede Birkenstock Arizona shoes that used to be worn by Steve Jobs sold for $218,750 at an auction in New York City.
Takes the phrase “walk a mile in someone’s shoes” to a whole new level really.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Hail an EV for your daily commute
- Funding winter: A fantastic time to build
- Inside Vayve’s new two-seater electric car
Here’s your trivia for today: How many Pokémons are there in total?
Startup
Hail an EV for your daily commute
Armed with a fleet of all-electric cabs, ride-hailing app recently launched its operations in Bengaluru.
Setting itself apart from cab aggregators like and , the startup leases EVs from leading manufacturers such as Tata and Mahindra, owns the EVs, and operates them by hiring drivers.
Going electric:
- BluSmart operates a fleet of 2,200 cabs in Delhi-NCR and is looking to deploy 25,000 to 30,000 cabs in Bengaluru before 2024.
- Co-founder and CEO Punit Goyal says the company has saved over 8,000 metric tonnes of CO2.
- He says a driver on the platform can make anywhere between Rs 20,000 to Rs 24,000 on a monthly basis.
BluSmart, Super Charging Hub
TechSparks 2022
Funding winter: A fantastic time to build
India is in the midst of a funding winter brought on by macroeconomic conditions. So, should founders build products and distribution channels? General Catalyst Partner Anand Chandrasekaran thinks so.
At TechSparks 2022 held last week, Anand said, “I do not think early-stage ecosystems have really slowed down that much. I think the growth stage has slowed down, largely because it's not a founder problem. It's actually an industrial problem.”
Opportunity in adversity:
- Anand said, historically, a lot of the great technology companies were created during recessions.
- He urged aspiring entrepreneurs to pick a problem they were really passionate about, as opposed to gearing the problem-solving towards what others want.
- Anand also stressed the need to have a co-founder or an advisor as the entire entrepreneurial journey can be lonely.
Automobile
Inside Vayve’s new two-seater electric car
The electric two-seater Reva has been around for as long as one can remember. However, the times have changed and with increasing acceptance and adoption of electric vehicles, there's a call for a new two-seater EV.
Enter Vayve Mobility, which is building a small two-seater electric car named Eva that can accommodate two adults along with a child.
Challenging status quo:
- will showcase a pre-production prototype of its upcoming two-seater electric car at the 2023 Auto Expo in Delhi.
- The ultra-compact car has a narrow body configuration (1x3 metres)to manoeuvre through traffic and enable ease of parking.
- Eva also supports DC fast charging and can charge 80% in 1 hour. A 10-minute charge adds around 10 km of range.
News & updates
- Spending woes: Surging household energy bills and food prices pushed British inflation to a 41-year high, data showed as finance minister Jeremy Hunt announces "tough but necessary" tax hikes and spending cuts to control price growth.
- To the moon: NASA launched its Artemis I mission on Wednesday from Florida, with the agency’s most powerful rocket ever kicking off a nearly month-long journey with a ground-shaking liftoff. While no astronauts are onboard, the Space Launch System (SLS) rocket is carrying the Orion capsule on a demonstration for NASA’s lunar program.
- A floating hotel: MSC Cruises just launched a new cruise liner called the MSC World Europa. The luxury cruise is currently moored in Doha, Qatar, and is expected to host thousands of fans during the World Cup from November 19 to December 19.
What you should watch out for
- McLaren will open its first Indian showroom in Mumbai.
- International Students' Day.
How many Pokémons are there in total?
Answer: 925 unique Pokémons make the franchise.
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