Ritesh Jain

CLSA published a detailed research report on India quick commerce. Recommended reading. Who will be the first to create a $50-100Bn company in India internet? #Zepto #Zomato #IndiaInternet

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🌿✨ Embracing AYUSH: Empowering Health Naturally! 🌟 Did you know? Recent data from the survey on AYUSH conducted by National Sample Survey Office, India reveals that 50% of Indians used AYUSH healthcare system in the last year! 🔹 AYUSH system of medicines refers to the use of one or more of the system(s) of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homeopathy 🔹 95% of rural and 96% of urban folks are aware of AYUSH traditions. 🔹 85% of rural and 86% of urban households practice Medicinal Plants/Home Remedies/Local Health Traditions. 🔹 Nearly half of rural (46%) and over half of urban (53%) individuals used AYUSH in the last year for health benefits. We at SaveIN work with several leading alternate medicine providers like Dr Batra’s Healthcare Jiva Ayurveda Madhavbaug Homeocare International among others, and are witnessing tremendous demand for alternate therapies, especially for chronic diseases and lifestyle disorders. Let's continue to explore the power of traditional wisdom in promoting holistic wellness alongside adopting the latest in healthcare! 🌱💪 #AYUSH #HolisticHealth #WellnessJourney #TraditionalMedicine #Healthcare #Lifestyle

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I recently read an insightful essay by Andreas Klinger, the CTO of Product Hunt, about his trip to India 🇮🇳: https://lnkd.in/d8B2Cn4M. Here are some interesting takeaways: 1.❗️More than 40% of unicorn founders return to India due to the significant opportunities the market offers 🦄. 2. All internal meetings in English 3. Skill levels are high. Nearly all founders can code, and the current generation is increasingly proficient in deep tech and complex R&D projects. 4. Founders are top hustlers. Founders are ready to jump on calls at 2-3 AM local time without expecting VCs to know the local time in India. 5. Top talent. The competition for entry into top Indian universities is several times higher than at Harvard or MIT. 6. India's e-government platform is regarded as one of the best in the world, featuring a seamless KYC system and billions of transactions via QR codes.

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Successful Product Engineering requires a strong sense of Ownership. You focus more on doing things right even when nobody is watching: Integrity. You are not bothered by the gray and can comfortably deal with it: Creativity. You take the initiative and do not wait for instructions. You are okay if proven wrong and are open to making mistakes: Empowerment. You do not limit yourself to technology; you gather domain knowledge and are driven towards solving the business problem: Efficiency. You are keen to understand and solve the user's problem to the best of your ability: Empathy. I am proud to be surrounded by a team of Product Engineers who want to create an IMPACT.

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Excited to kick off my journey with the GrowthX! Today’s session, as part of the immersion program, was a deep dive into acquisition strategy—providing valuable insights on how to drive sustainable growth. Looking forward to applying these learnings and continuing to grow and contribute alongside this incredible group. Thank you, Abhishek Patil, for an insightful session! #GrowthX #AcquisitionStrategy #LearningJourney #GrowthMindset #GrowthMarketing #ProductManagement #SustainableGrowth #LearningAndGrowing

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My notes from Sharad Sharma of ProductNation/iSPIRT on the Neon podcast: 1/ iSPIRT is dedicated to making India a product nation. They operate with a 30-year time horizon and are not focused on profits. 2/ When UPI was launched, major banks like SBI and HDFC initially resisted. Normally, RBI would have given in to the demands of the biggest banks, but a governor like Dr. Raghuram Rajan pushed through, ensuring widespread adoption. Policymakers like him help turn big visions into reality at a national scale. 3/ Product companies generate significantly more revenue than service companies. For example, Boeing or Airbus make more revenue than five airlines combined. Similarly, Cisco or Juniper Networks outpaces the revenue of operators like Jio and Airtel. 4/ Innovation in product companies is fundamentally different from that in service companies. 5/ It’s notable that France is in the G-20 but not Spain, even though both are similar in size. This is because we buy high-value products like aircraft from Airbus and Rafale jets from Dassault in France, but only olive oil from Spain. 6/ China is showing early signs of pivoting from a service economy to a product economy—product-focused work is high-leverage and generates higher revenue. This shift could help economies avoid the middle-income trap and move toward greater wealth. 7/ This is the era of "philosopher CEOs"—leaders who think from first principles and are driven by mission rather than profit alone. 8/ We must unlearn traditional business rules. Many product companies follow an S-curve growth model, requiring adaptability. Most tech companies experience S-curve inflexions, and entrepreneurs or VCs who wait for data often miss out. 9/ When John Collison met the early iSPIRT team, he read every publication on UPI—even though he had no vested interest in India or UPI at the time. This kind of curiosity builds early conviction rather than market data. 10/ Don’t settle for the bare minimum; aim for the highest NPS. Many Indian businesses with a traditional mindset aim for minimum NPS, but great companies don’t operate this way. A first mover like Flipkart lost to Amazon largely because Jeff Bezos consistently prioritized NPS. 11/ The earlier brain drain is now benefiting India, with many skilled individuals returning. We need to create an environment that helps them thrive. Side note: Sharad has a myopia of -8, yet it hasn’t hindered his vision for India or drive at all. Link to the episode in the comments 👇🏼

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If you want to understand more about the Indian startup and venture ecosystem, then the best place to start is the "Indus Valley Report" by Sajith Pai, Anurag Pagaria and Nachammai Savithiri R of Blume Ventures - https://lnkd.in/gj-7hjGq You can expect lots of insights about India's GDP, consumption by different types of customers in India, Digital Infra achievements, venture funding trends, Indian IPO market, and Indus Valley Playbook. My favorites in 2024 report 1. India123 - Slides 26-30 2. Storefront as a Service for Digital Native Brands - Slide 101 What do I expect in the 2025 report : How Indian startup and venture ecosystems are powering global Gen AI growth !!!

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Today, we are excited to share our biggest investment as Antler, in India so far. At Antler, incl. our Elevate continuty fund (Fady Abdel-Nour, CFA), we're thrilled to co-lead a $11M pre Ser A in Namma Yatri, alongside Blume Ventures Karthik B. Reddy and Google In this business, a few times in your career, you come across a truly disruptive business model that challenges the way things have been done, and extremely obsessed founders creating a culture that is so unique, you have never seen it before. When that happens, despite all the things not clear, it’s a joy to jump on board that potential rocketship. That’s what we have seen in the way Namma Yatri is being built by Magizhan Selvan and Shan M S with (a) a disruptive business model in urban mobility, rethinking how to make the life of a driver better and (b) Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) at its heart. 46 million trips have already been completed, with >7 million registered users. For us, this is also a continuation of our commitment to investing in a future on DPI / Beckn / ONDC, started in 2022. h/t Susmit Patodia. Rajiv Srivatsa Magnus Grimeland Martell Hardenberg Teddy Himler Keerat Singh Sethi Vimal Kumar Sheetal Lalwani T Koshy sujith nair Pramod Varma

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India’s Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, is finalizing new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation. This marks a steep decline from its $10 billion valuation in 2019. The startup, which has raised over $3 billion from backers like SoftBank, Peak XV Ventures, Lightspeed, Airbnb, and Microsoft, has struggled to attract institutional investors. In recent months, it has aggressively pitched to high-net-worth individuals after withdrawing its IPO application twice in the past four years. Once a red-hot Indian startup active in markets including the U.S. and Europe, Oyo has now scaled back its international presence. #venture #downround https://lnkd.in/gE2GjYnM

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Buying gold / silver coins on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Trithiya come under low frequency - low complexity purchase category. It is a seasonal product bought generally during specific occasions. Zepto Blinkit Swiggy lapped up this opportunity and started selling this with the benefit of quick delivery. No wonder the sales picked up quite well. I wonder how much would it have impacted the sales of larger eComm players. Sales trends from swiggy is already out. I am sure the trend will be similar for Zepto - Aadit Palicha and Blinkit - Albinder Dhindsa I detailed out this approach and more in my notes - https://lnkd.in/gBmvVKy2

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Interesting analysis depicting the growth to ONDC and how it is becoming more and more relevant.

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New Report Alert: Decoding the Online Ticket Business in India & Zomato - Paytm Deal! (Zomato to buy Paytm's entertainment ticketing business for Rs 2,048 crore The acquisition of Paytm Insider, approved by Zomato's board, will allow the food delivery giant to foray into the entertainment ticketing sector, complementing its existing dining and food delivery services.) I'm excited to share that I've recently completed a comprehensive report on the dynamics of the online ticketing industry in India, with a particular focus on the strategic acquisition deal between Zomato and Paytm for Paytm's ticketing business. This report dives deep into the evolving landscape of online ticketing, highlighting the key factors driving growth and the challenges faced by industry players. I also explored the strategic implications of Zomato's acquisition of Paytm's ticketing arm, examining how this move aligns with Zomato's broader business objectives. To provide a well-rounded perspective, I included detailed financial analysis of both Zomato and Paytm, shedding light on the financial rationale behind the deal and its potential impact on both companies. If you're interested in understanding more about this significant development in the Indian tech ecosystem, feel free to reach out! Zomato Paytm Parth Verma The Valuation School #OnlineTicketing #Zomato #Paytm #MergersAndAcquisitions #IndiaTech #FinancialAnalysis

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🏆 Building a Dream Team: Lessons from India’s T20 World Cup Win 🏏 Magic Johnson said, "The best teamwork comes from individual commitment to a group effort." On the Venturis Podcast, I shared the 7 secrets to building a high-performing team, inspired by India's T20 World Cup win! 🎙️🌟 Here's the winning formula: ↳  𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐏𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐞 - Everyone on the same page. 🌐 ↳  𝐓𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐭 & 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 - Speak freely, listen actively. 🗣️👂 ↳  𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲 - Be someone your team can count on. 🤝 ↳  𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐬 - Everyone knows their responsibilities. 📋 ↳  𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 - Encourage constructive conflict. 🤔💬 ↳  𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐬 - Keep momentum high. 🎉 ↳  𝐁𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐭 - Show your team their work matters. 🌟 This is just a taste! There's LOTS more on Adaptability, Focus on "Why" over "What," and The Future of AI in Product Management. Ready to build YOUR Dream Team? 🔗 Listen to the Venturis Podcast episode here: https://lnkd.in/gd_FYFra #dreamteam #productmanagement #cricket #leadership #venturispodcast ------------------------------------------------------------------- Enjoying my content? 👍 Like and ♻️ repost if your network will find it useful! 🔔 Every Mon-Fri at 10:30 AM I talk about Product, AI and Growth Mindset. Follow to 10x your growth. 📆🕥🚀

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Can technical founders become effective CEOs? Srinath Sridhar knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone when he founded Regie.ai four years ago. Now he and cofounder Matt Millen have raised more than $20 million and landed on G2’s list of fastest-growing software products of 2024. My full conversation with Sri is in the comments.

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In any data driven company, it's the DS folks who tie the various aspects of business enabling eng, AI, Product, Operations to cross function and strategize. To be an effective DS, One of the key learnings I have had is Familiar yourself with the domain to be effective. Even a skilled DS can take 6-12 months to learn the nuances of a new domain. Every domain presents its own jargons, sets of problems, true norths & metrics to optimize. In my 12 yrs stint as a DS, I worked in multiple domains insurance, telecom, security, retail and social media. Well some obvious ways to shorten the learning curve is to engage with your teammates, ask questions, read documentations etc. But some really effective ways are to - Understand your true north, get married to it. The best DSs I know can guess pretty accurately how much a product feature will drive a metric even before ab testing. - Engage with cross-functional teams like product, operations or your users - they are your knowledge mines - Think out loud, throw in ideas and ask questions whenever in doubt. The best way to learn something faster is to be corrected faster. - Review Pull Requests whenever possible - reviewing peer codes helps you understand data sources, and find some hidden business contexts’ Easter eggs - Look at some records in your data sources before you write a line of code. You will be surprised how this simple exercise reduces data manipulation iterations. - Attend all hands horizontal or vertical. Might be a slightly less popular opinion but it really helps you be connected to the - business goals. No Wonder, why 85% of the AI projects across product companies are not aligned to business goals. - Share any insight, tool or technique you used recently with your team and be part of these sharing sessions to learn what and how others have mined in the data. PS: The image is just for fun, improving my prompting skills to test gpt to its limits. #datascience #learnings

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Excited and looking forward to discussing the evolving challenges of raising capital for early-stage startups at SAASCON24. Join me as I dive into the current trends, what founders need to know, and how we can navigate this more challenging environment. #SAASCON24 #StartupFunding #EarlyStageStartups #SaaS #Entrepreneurship

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Everyone has heard of Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC) but most people don't understand what it really is. In Ep17 of The India Opportunity Show we deep-dive into the use cases and adoption of ONDC across India with Anjani K. Jajodia, VP at ONDC. Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gfj_4wJe We talk about: > What ONDC is > How companies like Zomato, Swiggy, Paytm and Ola have become adopters of ONDC as well as startups > 80% of transactions on ONDC are from small sellers, they do about 12Million transactions per month. All this in just the last 1.5 years since they started in Jan 2023. > India's investments into public digital infrastructure like Aadhar, UPI and now ONDC to disrupt the $300Billion Digital Commerce industry > How startups and companies can partner with ONDC and what are some of the benefits of doing so

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