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India becomes global investment hub for digital shopping

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With the backing of global investors for e-commerce companies, India has become the second-largest global venture capital investment hub for digital shopping companies in 2021 after the US.

The Indian e-commerce segment registered a whopping growth rate of 175 per cent and reached $22 billion from $8 billion in 2020.

The US which attracted $51 billion investments came first followed by China at third position with $14 billion and the UK at fourth position with $7 billion according to the London & Partners analysis of Dealroom.co investment data.

The data also indicates that the US and India are two of the world’s leading hubs for digital shopping companies with high levels of global investment and unicorns.

The reason for this kind of investment may be attributed to increasing demand for online purchases during a series of lockdowns across the world during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Within India, Bengaluru was on top globally with $14 billion worth of Venture Capital (VC) investments in digital shopping in 2021, followed by Gurugram at No. 7 with $4 billion and Mumbai at No. 10 with $3 billion.

The data also shows that Bengaluru ranked number five among cities with the potential for future unicorns, just behind London.

Three of the 15 global cities with the highest count of current unicorns are in India Bengaluru at No. 6 with 19 unicorns in 2021 (up from three in 2020, Gurugram at No. 7 with 13 unicorns (up from 3 in 2020) and Mumbai at No. 14 with 7 unicorns.

London is the leading European hub for digital shopping investment, with a record $5 billion raised by digital shopping companies based in the capital in 2021.
Overall, global venture capital investment into digital shopping more than doubled in 2021 following a significant consumer shift to e-commerce platforms during the pandemic. The total global VC investment for 2021 stood at a record $140 billion, up from $68 billion in 2020.

India’s e-commerce market is likely to surpass $120 billion in transactional value, a study by FIS, an American financial technology company, forecasts. Between 2021 to 2025 the ecommerce market is expected to grow by 96 per cent, the growth driven by an increasing shift towards digital payments, according to the 2022 Global Payments Report by Worldpay from FIS, which offers a snapshot of the global payments landscape.

Riding on the global sentiment, Indian consumers are relying more on mobile commerce than desktop ecommerce. Globally, the transaction value from mobile devices accounted for 52 per cent of all e-commerce spending in 2021.

In India, consumers preferred to use digital wallets 45 per cent of the time, over debit, credit and charge cards for e-commerce payments, a trend common in Asia Pacific countries including China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Regional wallets such as Paytm in India, and WeChat and AliPay in China, are major factors for this, as they facilitate a diverse and competitive payments ecosystem in these countries.

While cash is still the leading in-store payment method in 2021, responsible for 37.1 per cent of transaction value, digital wallets are projected to overtake cash as the most popular in-store payment method by 2023, when they are expected to account for 30.8 per cent of point-of-sale (POS) transaction value. India’s POS market is expected to grow by 28.8 per cent to $1.08 trillion between 2021 and 2025.

In the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis, while global investments depict a decline in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows, Indian prospects are bright owing to its sustained long-term growth trend.

According to the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India’s large market and positive economic growth in the post-pandemic period will draw investments to the country.

Business

Bharat NCAP Awards 5-Star Crash Test Rating to Mahindra Thar Roxx

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The Mahindra Thar Roxx has earned a prestigious 5-star rating in Bharat NCAP’s latest crash tests, reflecting its commitment to safety. Recently evaluated under stringent testing, the SUV excelled with a 31.09 out of 32 score for adult occupant protection and 45 out of 49 for child safety.

Tested in its AX5L and MX3 variants, the Mahindra Thar Roxx delivered notable results, scoring 15.09 out of 16 in the Frontal Offset test and a perfect 16 out of 16 in the Side Impact test. The assessment revealed strong protection for most areas, with adequate ratings for the driver’s chest and lower legs.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx has received high marks for child occupant safety, scoring 24 points in Bharat NCAP tests, along with 12 points for CRS (Child Restraint System) installation and a Vehicle Assessment Score of 9. This top-tier safety rating applies to all Thar Roxx units produced from November 2024 onward, underscoring Mahindra’s dedication to enhancing safety features across its SUV range. Additionally, Mahindra’s XUV400 and 3XO models have also achieved 5-star safety ratings, further emphasizing the automaker’s commitment to robust safety standards.

The Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two interior themes – Classic Ivory and a new Dark Mocha Brown. Comfort and convenience are prioritizing with ventilated seats, leatherette upholstery, a digital driver display, a larger 10.25-inch touchscreen, a high-quality Harmon Kardon sound system, a panoramic sunroof, rear AC vents, wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a six-way adjustable driver’s seat, combining practicality with luxury.

Mahindra Thar 5-door comes packed with safety and interior upgrades to enhance its appeal. On the safety side, it includes essentials like six airbags, three-point seatbelts for all occupants, hill control features, electronic stability control, and a seatbelt reminder. Advanced driver-assist features, such as autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping support, lane departure alerts, and a 360-degree camera system with blind spot monitoring, add an extra layer of protection.

Mahindra Thar Roxx offers two engine choices: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel. The petrol engine comes in two setups—150 bhp and 330 Nm of torque for the manual, and 174 bhp with 380 Nm for the automatic. The diesel option is available only with four-wheel drive.

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Business

Why The Indian Stock Market Struggled: Inflation, FPI Outflows, And Currency Pressure; Everything You Need To Know

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The Indian stock market on Wednesday (November 13) wrapped the another challenging day, marking the fifth consecutive session of losses.

The Sensex and Nifty, the two benchmark indices, both ended lower amid concerns over inflation and a broad selloff in metal stocks.

Market Snapshot

By the close of the trading session, Sensex was down by 984.23 points, or 1.25 per cent, ending at 77,690.95. Nifty 50 followed suit, shedding 324.40 points, or 1.36 per cent, to settle at 23,559.05.

The day saw a sea of red on both the Sensex and Nifty, with the majority of stocks ending lower. Among the few gainers were NTPC, Tata Motors, and Infosys, which saw minor upticks on BSE.

However, the broader market was dominated by heavy losses, especially in stocks such as JSW Steel, State Bank of India (SBI), Adani Ports, Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), and Tata Steel, all of which posted declines.

Reasons behind the sharp decline

One of the major factor contributing to the market’s downward trajectory is the growing concern related to inflation.

As per the data which released by the Ministry of statistics and Programme Implementation regarding the India’ retail inflation, it showed that for the month of October, it surged to 6.21 per cent, breaching the Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) upper tolerance limit of 6 per cent for the first time in over a year. The primary factors that contributed to surge include rise food prices, driven by the extended monsoon season and crop damage.

Adding to the pressure is the continued outflow of foreign portfolio investments (FPIs). On November 12, FPIs sold shares worth Rs 364.35 crore, bringing the total outflows for November to Rs 23,911 crore

The Indian rupee also struggled on November 13, weakening by 1 paisa to close at 84.38 against the US dollar.

The rise of the US dollar, which surged 1.8 per cent in November, has been exacerbated by the US presidential election result and higher bond yields. The US 10-year bond yield spiked to 4.42 per cent, further diverting capital away from emerging markets like India.

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Business

Trump Victory Revives The Crypto Mania; Bitcoin Touches 81,000 Mark, Other Virtual Currencies Also Surge

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The world of cryptocurrency, which was enduring its long-drawn-out winter since the end of the pandemic, appears all set to come out of its ‘haitus’.

And this new surge has been powered by the recent triumph of Donald Trump at the 2024 US election. The president-elect, Donald Trump, who once thought that crypto was a ‘scam’, has come a long way. Donald Trump, by all means, is the most crypto-friendly president that the US has had so far.

Bitcoin

As a result of this newborn optimism, major names in the crypto business. The biggest of them all, Bitcoin, saw the biggest jump. Bitcoin scaled the USD 80,000 mark for the first time.

In the past 5 days, the cryptocurrency has surged in value by 7.76 per cent or USD 5,865.47, taking the overall value to 81,456.88 for one USD. In the Indian context, one Bitcoin is worth Rs 68,72,585.50.

Ethereum

And it is not just Bitcoin that has seen its value gallop. The second biggest name in the crypto world, Ethereum has observed a rise in its price since Trump’s victory. 8.71

In fact, this crypto has seen an even bigger jump of 17.00 per cent or USD 462.66, in the past 5 days, taking the overall value to USD 3,184.54.

Ripple

Another cryptocoin, Ripple, has also seen its prices rise. In the past 5 days alone, the value of this digital currency has jumped to USD 0.59.

This came to pass after an 8.71 per cent USD 0.05 rise in its value.

Dogecoin

The meme coin or a currency that was started as a joke, Dogecoin or ‘Dog Coin’ also saw a gargantuan rise in its prices. Just in the past 5 days, Dogecoin jumped in value by a substantial 49.76 per cent.

The price increased by USD 8.24, taking the overall value to USD 24.80. It is to be noted that Tesla boss Elon Musk, who is a close ally of Donald Trump, is a major proponent of this cryptocurrency.

One of the controversial policies that Trump has advocated throughout his campaign is weakening the US Dollar and loosening any scope of scrutiny on cryptocurrency. In fact, it is even reported that he would ‘fire’ the Security Exchange Commission chair, Gary Gensler. Gensler has been at the forefront of attempts to regulate cryptos.

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