Can Zoho’s Arattai rival competitors?; Bridging the EV talent shortage

Hello,

Has an EV passing by ever spooked you?

The silent cars may be a selling point for some, but they also raise safety concerns for pedestrians, cyclists, and the visually impaired. This is why the government has proposed mandating EVs to install Acoustic Vehicle Alerting Systems, which generate a low-frequency, artificial sound.

EVs are also partly to credit for India’s 4% industrial growth in August. Mining output, a key component of the Index of Industrial Production, grew by 6% YoY as India races to mine rare earth minerals—crucial for EV batteries—amid China’s export ban.

Also, battery-swapping operators like Battery Smart are riding the EV adoption wave. The startup’s revenue surged 52% to Rs 249 crore in FY25, driven by the growing adoption of swapping solutions in last-mile mobility.

Meanwhile, the IPO momentum remains bullish despite the wider uncertainty. Co-working operator WeWork India has set a price band of Rs 615–648 a share for its Rs 3,000-crore IPO.

Tata Capital, too, set a price band of Rs 310–326 per share, but at a steep discount to the unlisted market, jolting grey market investors who paid as much as Rs 1,125 apiece.

However, going public is not everyone’s cup of tea. Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu contended in an X post that the SaaS company can’t remain an ‘industrial research lab’ if it goes public, given the quarter-to-quarter financial pressures.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Can Zoho’s Arattai rival competitors?
• Bridging the EV talent shortage
• GST cuts buoy consumer sentiments

Here’s your trivia for today: Which was the first Indian Hindi film entirely shot using the Technicolour process?

SaaS

Can Zoho’s Arattai rival competitors?

Arattai, a cross-platform instant messaging and voice over IP service created by Zoho Corporation, is creating quite a buzz. Launched way back in January 2021, Arattai has surged in popularity recently due to a push by the government for Made-in-India apps and a larger consumer interest in domestic alternatives to WhatsApp.

But can the momentum continue?

Key takeaways:

• Arattai saw a 100X increase in downloads over the last three days. The app, which had an average download of 3,000 per day, saw 350,000 daily sign-ups in what Zoho co-founder Sridhar Vembu referred to as an example of patient engineering. 
• In terms of scale, Arattai is much smaller than WhatsApp and also trails established alternatives such as Telegram and Signal regarding network effects and daily active users. Here, Arattai faces the classic challenge: users will consider switching only when their contacts do the same. 
• Arattai emphasises being light and usable on low-end phones and on desktops. This helps reach users who need a single app that works across devices and on limited hardware. The app’s familiarity with features reduces friction for those testing a switch from incumbents. 

Funding Alert

Startup: Kapiva

Amount: $60M

Round: Series D

Startup: Petpooja

Amount: Rs 137 Cr

Round: Primary and Secondary

Startup: Akashalabdhi

Amount: $1.2M

Round: Pre-seed

Electric Mobility

Bridging the EV talent shortage

The Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers forecasts that India will require between 1 lakh and 2 lakh skilled professionals, including engineers, scientists, and technicians, to meet the government’s 30% EV penetration target. 

Many EV charging startups are launching training and research programmes to bridge the deficit for skilled technicians and engineers in the charging ecosystem. Are these efforts enough to meet India’s target of 30% EV penetration by 2030?

Details:

• A recent white paper released by Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India in partnership with The Energy and Resources Institute notes that there is an insufficient number of trained service technicians for setting up charging infrastructure and for prompt servicing of software-related issues. 
• The sector is not just acknowledging the skill gaps but is also moving towards overcoming them. ThunderPlus signed an MoU with Mallareddy University to launch EV-focused programmes on research and hands-on learning for students who have passed 8th or 10th grade.
• ChargeZone, an EV charging company, provides a franchise programme for entrepreneurs to set up and operate charging stations, and helps with technology, operational support and training for managing charging infrastructure.

Festive Season

GST cuts buoy consumer sentiments

The festive season is turning out to be promising for consumer electronics and appliances as the category rides on an uptick in consumer demand driven by cost savings from GST reforms, premiumisation, and festive season offers.

According to Datum Intelligence, appliances (primarily used for cooking and cleaning) and consumer electronics (for entertainment and communication) categories clocked gross merchandise value (GMV) growth of 34% and 41% YoY, respectively. 

News & updates

• Safety: OpenAI has introduced parental controls to ChatGPT. The safety features come in response to numerous incidents of certain ChatGPT models validating users’ delusional thinking instead of redirecting harmful conversations. OpenAI is facing a wrongful death lawsuit tied to one such incident.
• Buyout: EA, the maker of games like Battlefield, agreed to sell itself to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake Management, and Jared Kushner’s Affinity in a deal that values the company at about $55 billion, marking the largest leveraged buyout on record. 
• Tariffs: US President Donald Trump would impose a 100% tariff on all films produced overseas that are then sent into the US. The step raises uncertainty for studios that depend heavily on cross-border co-productions and international box-office revenue.

Which was the first Indian Hindi film entirely shot using the Technicolour process?

Answer: Jhansi Ki Rani (1953)

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.