A community cornerstone of empowerment; Redesigning iconic historical spaces

Hello,

An exciting day for India’s startup ecosystem. 

Two companies—Unicommerce eSolutions and FirstCry parent Brainbees Solutions—will debut on the exchanges today. 

While both startups have generated market buzz, SaaS platform Unicommerce is expected to launch with a staggering premium of over 60% based on its grey market prices. 

Moving on, the newly listed Ola Electric Mobility was locked in the 20% upper circuit at Rs 109.41 for the second straight day on Monday. 

Speaking of startups, one company is on a mission to transform India into a manufacturing powerhouse. In episode 2 of Disruptor Dialogues, YourStory speaks with Amrit Acharya, Co-founder and CEO of Zetwerk to uncover the contract manufacturer’s journey. Click here to watch. 

In other news, Bharti Enterprises’ international arm is buying a 24.5% stake in BT Group. The transaction, valued at about $4 billion, will make the Sunil Bharti Mittal-led company the largest shareholder in the British telecom giant. 

Did you know that BT held a 21% stake in Bharti Airtel between 1997 and 2001?

ICYMI: Astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore may be stuck at the International Space Station for months, far extending their planned eight-day mission. But how do you survive if you’re stuck in space?

Hint: Recycling!

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• A community cornerstone of empowerment
• Redesigning iconic historical spaces

Here’s your trivia for today: What was the original title of the novel Pride & Prejudice?

Social Impact 

A community cornerstone of empowerment

At Mumbra, a neighbourhood widely recognised as one of the country’s largest Muslim ghettos, an NGO is steadfast in its efforts to empower young girls and women with exposure to Indian and global literature.

Today, Rehnuma (translated to ‘Guide’ in Urdu) Library, a vertical of the NGO Awaaz-e-Niswaan, has over 350 members, and has bloomed into a community space where women receive education, legal assistance and support with matters like divorce, polygamy, and domestic violence.

A world on a page:

• While in the 1990s, Awaaz-e-Niswaan supported survivors of domestic violence and Triple Talaq, today, they complement these existing efforts with education—both academic and socio-political.
• At Rehnuma, the girls also learn English speaking, computer science and legal education.
• Once sufficient trust is established with the families, librarian Faiza Shaik takes the girls on residential programmes that explore subjects like gender and sexuality, law, and LGBTQIA+ education, which are conducted by specialists in these fields.

Funding Alert

Startup: OYO

Amount: Rs 1,457 Cr

Round: Series G

Startup: Neo Group

Amount: Rs 400 Cr

Round: Undisclosed

Startup: Pakka Limited

Amount: Rs 244.7 Cr

Round: Undisclosed

Women Entrepreneurs

Redesigning iconic historical spaces

Right from childhood, when she would refurbish dollhouses, Dr Masooma Rizvi had always been passionate about creativity. She wanted to grow up to choose a profession where she could beautify places. 

Today, she is an art curator and Managing Director and Founder of Belita Design Solutions Private Limited—an interior design firm behind redesigning historical spaces including the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Beautifying heritage:

• Among all the projects Dr Rizvi particularly remembers the Rashtrapati Bhavan project. She created a simple design that used locally made baked bricks, and local vernacular architecture, and involved artisans from northeastern India and Rajasthan to build a green building.
• Working with the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi, she designed the Indo-Bahrain Friendship Mural for the Indian Embassy in Bahrain, and thematic art for the Pravasi Bharatiya Kendra, New Delhi.
• Currently, she is working on various projects in Japan, including a digital and static exhibit showcasing Indian culture, an Indian cultural centre with a central sanctum for deities, and a museum project in Rajasthan.

News & updates

• The fallout: Shares of Adani Group companies fell on Monday after a new report from US short seller Hindenburg accused the chair of India’s capital markets regulator of having conflicts of interest that prevented an in-depth probe of fraud allegations.
• Music deal: Universal Music Group, the world's biggest music label, announced on Monday an expanded agreement with Facebook-parent Meta Platforms to create new opportunities for its artists and songwriters across Meta's social platforms.
• Box office beast: Over the weekend, Disney and Marvel’s Deadpool & Wolverine became only the second R-rated film to top $1 billion at the global box office. And it’s on its way to becoming the highest-grossing R-rated film of all time.

What was the original title of the novel Pride & Prejudice?

Answer: First Impressions. 

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