Effective women’s health content; Inside Lowe’s India GCC

Hello,

PhonePe is on its way to the bourses.

The Walmart-owned fintech giant transitioned from a private firm to a public company ahead of its IPO, where it seeks a valuation of up to $15 billion.

Razorpay, too, turned into a public entity, as it eyes an IPO in the future. The fintech firm is in the process of shifting its domicile to India from the US. 

Meanwhile, Netflix has a clear bet on India: It's the WrestleMania!

During its Q1 earnings call, the US-based streaming giant said India had a “devoted wrestling fanbase”, which has contributed to becoming WWE’s “most engaged international markets.” Recently, Netflix added several seasons of the wrestling event on its platform—a majority are available in Hindi. 

In fact, it’s also bringing AI to improve its discovery experience. According to CEO Greg Peters, Netflix is working on “interactive search that’s based on generative technologies” to help people find different titles.

The streamer posted better-than-expected earnings as its revenue grew 13% to $10.54 billion in Q1, attributed to higher-than-forecast subscription and advertising dollars. 

Speaking of advertisements, Google is back in the news—this time, for allegedly violating US antitrust laws by “willfully acquiring and maintaining monopoly power” in the advertising technology market. The company plans to appeal the case.

ICYMI: YouTube is now 20 years old! 

Which is the new TV? Netflix or YouTube? 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Effective women’s health content
• Inside Lowe’s India GCC
• A boutique run by trans women

Here’s your trivia for today: What was the first live-stream video on the internet?

Interview

Effective women’s health content

With over 1.4 million followers on Instagram, Simran Balar Jain has built a name for herself as a lifestyle content creator and influencer. In a country where discussions about menstruation and female sexuality are still considered taboo, she addresses these topics head-on with a simple and candid approach. 

“My content is about documenting everything—beauty and fashion, travel and women’s health. This also includes sex education,” she tells HerStory.

Content that works:

• The Bengaluru-based content creator’s thrust on relatable, accessible content is evident from the virality of her videos. Her most popular video on menstrual cups garnered over 25 million views.
• She meets with her gynaecologist two to three times a week to brainstorm potential topics and verify information. She is also pursuing certification as a sexual educator through the Prati Sandhi Foundation.
• Her content covers a broad spectrum of women's health issues—from menstrual products and breast self-examinations to female orgasms—addressing what she identifies as one of the biggest misconceptions in sexual health.

Technology

Inside Lowe’s India GCC

Lowe’s GCC in Bengaluru plays a key role in delivering an omnichannel experience for customers and employees by integrating online and offline platforms.

In an interaction with Enterprise Story, Seemantini Godbole, EVP, Chief Digital and Information Officer at Lowe’s, described the Bengaluru GCC as a powerful capability centre, which is at the forefront of all things technology. “There is a lot of leadership and ownership with the entire GCC centre here,” she said.

Key takeaways:

• “We have created an AI framework in three different categories—how we shop, how we sell, and how we work. How we shop is all about consumers facing AI, how we sell is for our 300,000 associates in our stores… In how we work, it is about how we inject productivity,” Godbole says.
• “In our 1,752 stores, our associates have a Zebra device that has a chatbot to answer questions related to home improvement. We are also piloting AI-enabled store cameras in around 10 locations that can identify if customers are searching for something or if they require assistance.”
• When Lowe’s India was established, it was focused on expense leverage. Today, Lowe’s India is not just thinking about what we can do in technology, but also in marketing, merchandising, and looking at our entire business process, etc.

Social Impact

A boutique run by trans women

Founded in 2013 by trans leader Swetha Sudhakar, Born2Win has been a catalyst for change, helping more than 120 trans individuals in Tamil Nadu access education and mainstream employment in tailoring, beautician work, and transport and delivery agents with Rapido.

Through personal experience and her work, Sudhakar recognised a pattern: many young trans persons from small towns flee home only to find themselves unable to secure employment due to stigma. “Many are forced into sex work because they have no other support system. Even after joining the larger trans community, the options are few,” she explains.

Helping hands: 

• Since its inception, Born2Win has offered training in tailoring, driving, and education sponsorship. The organisation has partnered with the Dream Zone Institute of Design in Chennai to offer scholarships in fashion design. 
• As an extension of this mission, the NGO launched two boutiques—one in Saidapet and another in North Chennai—where trans persons trained in tailoring can earn a stable livelihood.
• Backed by funding from Altimetrik, a global digital business services company, the initiative has created real employment opportunities and sparked entrepreneurial ambitions. So far, Born2Win has trained more than 30 trans individuals in tailoring.

News & updates

• Decline: Apple's shipments of smartphones in China slumped 9% in the first quarter from a year earlier, and it was the only major manufacturer to see a decline. Apple, which ranks fifth in China's smartphone market, saw shipments fall to 9.8 million phones, giving it a market share of 13.7%, down from 17.4% in the previous quarter.
• Rejigs: Intel's new CEO, Lip-Bu Tan, is flattening the semiconductor giant's leadership team, with important chip groups reporting directly to him. Intel has also promoted networking chip chief Sachin Katti to CTO and artificial intelligence chief. 
• Losing shine: Italian fashion house Valentino's operating profit dropped 22% last year, as the luxury sector faced a slowdown in global demand for high-end goods, particularly in Asia. After President Donald Trump's tariff policy, the luxury sector is bracing for what could be its longest slump in years.

What was the first live-stream video on the internet?

Answer: A concert by the garage band Severe Tire Damage on June 24, 1993.

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