Festive season fuels white collar hiring; Solving Goa’s taxi woes

Hello,

Dread it, ignore it, US tariffs are here all the same. 

President Donald Trump’s doubling of tariffs on imports from India took effect on Wednesday, dealing a severe blow to strategic ties between the two countries.

The move takes total duties to as high as 50% for goods such as garments, gems and jewellery, footwear, sporting goods, furniture and chemicals—among the highest imposed by the US, on par with Brazil.

So, what now? Well, the punitive tariffs have wiped out any gains from importing discounted Russian oil (one of the key reasons behind the double tariffs). 

Exporters are now bracing for a sharp decline in US orders, and will receive financial assistance if hit by the tariffs and be encouraged to diversify to markets such as China, Latin America and the Middle East, Reuters reported. 

Amid the tariff mayhem, one of the biggest companies in the world is set to report its results. NVIDIA’s performance in this quarter will set the tone for the future, not just for the AI industry, but also for the booming global AI stock trade. 

Moving on, the Swifties’ world is ringing with wedding bells! 

The world’s wealthiest female musician, Taylor Swift, and NFL player Travis Kelce are engaged to be married, the couple announced on social media.

It’s a Love Story.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Festive season fuels white collar hiring
• Solving Goa’s taxi woes
• Transforming women’s healthcare via AI

Here’s your trivia for today: Which solar phenomenon occurs during equinoxes, which causes disruptions in communications satellites?

Recruitment

Festive season fuels white collar hiring

India’s festive hiring rush is no longer confined to warehouses and delivery fleets. From content creators and CRM operators to live commerce hosts and merchandising assistants, companies have stepped up hiring for short-term white-collar talent to manage customer demand. 

The trend reflects how seasonal hiring, once seen as largely blue-collar, is becoming more diversified and specialised. The shift is expected to create 30,000-50,000 temporary roles this festive cycle, growing 18-25% over last year, according to TeamLease. 

Seasonal demand:

• Seasonal staffing overall is up 20-25%, while quick commerce alone has surged 35-40%. This demand is not only sectorally diverse but also geographically spread, reflecting a broader shift in how companies plan their seasonal talent needs.
• Mid-level and macro influencers are charging 20-50% more during the festive period, with most contracts now linked to performance-based incentives tied to sales volume, click-through rates, or engagement. 
• Growth in consumption appetite has prompted hiring to become more decentralised, with roles dispersed beyond metro headquarters into regional hubs. Smaller cities such as Jaipur, Lucknow, Coimbatore, and Bhubaneswar have seen 30-40% growth in festive hiring compared to last year. 

Startup

Solving Goa’s taxi woes

In Goa, tourists often face sky-high taxi fares, paying two to three times more than the actual cost for short rides. Panaji-based GoaMiles is changing that.

Founded in 2018 by Utkarsh Dabhade, Parashar Pai Khot, and Sachin Bhavsar, the homegrown taxi aggregator offers a zero-commission model that keeps rides affordable for passengers while ensuring drivers earn fairly.

Empowering drivers:

• Unlike global giants that charge drivers a commission of up to 30-35%, GoaMiles was launched with a different model. The company charges passengers a small convenience fee directly, typically Rs 2 per kilometre, capped at Rs 100 per ride, along with 5% GST that goes directly to the government.
• The company remains bootstrapped. It raised an angel round of Rs 2 crore in 2022, which diluted less than 1.5% equity. GoaMiles became cash positive in 2023, recording a turnover of Rs 225 crore, and reported about Rs 75 crore in revenue for FY25.
• One of GoaMiles’ most distinctive initiatives is its Enterprise Skill Development programme, which helps drivers and women from economically weaker families become vehicle owners. The startup also hosts Balika Shakti scholarships for drivers’ daughters, supporting education as part of its social programmes.

Women’s Health

Transforming women’s healthcare via AI

Sisters Dr Priyanjali and Shyanjali Datta grew up in Meghalaya watching their family navigate a healthcare system that seemed designed to fail women. Their personal struggles would lead to the Aaroogya AI Foundation, an AI-native nonprofit organisation formed in 2017. 

As CEO, Shyanjali Datta has led the development and rollout of the MyHealthline app, an AI-powered health companion that is available in local languages and accessible to women with limited literacy. It operates through a two-tier assessment process that empowers both community health workers and the women they serve. 

News & updates

• Music push: Apple will distribute its curated radio stations on a global network of home speakers and connected cars, a push to extend the reach of its music service. The deal with digital radio platform TuneIn is the first time Apple Music’s six radio stations will be available outside the company’s app.
• Breakthrough: SpaceX’s Starship rocket deployed its first batch of mock Starlink satellites in space and tested new heat shield tiles on its plunge through Earth’s atmosphere, clinching development milestones that had been held up by a streak of previous testing failures.
• Valuation boom: ByteDance, the owner of short-video app TikTok, is set to launch a new employee share buyback that will value the Chinese technology giant at more than $330 billion, driven by continued revenue growth.

Which solar phenomenon occurs during equinoxes, causing disruptions in communications satellites?

Answer: Sun outage

We would love to hear from you! To let us know what you liked and disliked about our newsletter, please mail [email protected]. 

If you don’t already get this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here. For past editions of the YourStory Buzz, you can check our Daily Capsule page here.