Mumbai: Protium, the lending business founded by Ex Goldman Sachs Partner Peeyush Misra, has successfully disbursed INR 750+ Crore loans across the small and medium enterprise (SME), personal and consumer segment with an NPA of 0.02% during the most challenging period of the global pandemic necessitated lockdown. The company has closed its initial capital round at INR 1,260 Crore (USD$ 170 MN) coming from the founder and a few marquee partners making it the largest greenfield launch in the last several years. The company has plans to advance another INR 1,000 Crore by the end of the fiscal year.
Protium is founded on the conviction that engineering is fundamentally transforming finance in India. The company is built on the foundations of “Engineering Finance” ,“Fortress Balance Sheet” & “Digital India”. Engineering in finance is only complete when Tech, Risk & Analytics work seamlessly. Protium’s proprietary Engineering Finance model has been proven in a highly stressed environment with a low NPA rate of 0.02% (the lowest in the segment) with disbursals of 750+cr and a capacity to lend more than INR 3,000 Crore a year. The philosophy of Fortress Balance Sheet helps Protium to maintain a low leverage and look at growth purely through the lens of appropriate risk/reward.
Peeyush Misra, Founder & Director, Protium, said, “We are on a mission of Fuelling Ambition of small businesses by making credit accessible in a seamless, low cost and timely manner. What we have seen so far is really just the beginning. So far most innovation has been focused on digitizing processes and data pipes – now as that as Indian financial system plumbing evolves we will see increasing product innovation. One size fits all is dead. Initiatives like the Account Aggregator framework are a shot across the bow and India could be a leader in the post surveillance capitalism finance. At the same time, the principles of sound risk-taking don’t change. Tech can change information access and asymmetry but it can’t change the nature of risk. Credit businesses are fundamentally cyclical and tied to the fortunes of the economy. As lenders we have to remember the best case scenario for us is to get our money back – we have no further upside unlike equity. One is short a put option which gets exercised at different levels of efficiency depending on the customer segment. Our vision is to be the pre-eminent engineering led, risk focused lender in the country. We want to “Do exciting engineering but boring finance.”
Protium(brand name of GrowthSource financial technologies) began its lending journey in early 2020 and has grown during the most difficult economic circumstances we have seen in a generation. In this period, the company went from 6 branches to 54 branches across 30 cities in 8 states of India. The growth was steady and focused on ensuring that the company stabilised operations in these 54 branches with a talent pool of 1000+ that now has a capacity of dispensing more than INR 3,000 Crore in loans every year.
P.R. Seshadri, Ex. MD & CEO of The Karur Vysya bank who serves on board of Protium as an Independent director, said “Protium has grown fast but in a risk managed manner in the last 18 months even when the global markets were facing uncertainty due to the pandemic. The core leadership possesses sound risk management expertise owing to their vast global exposure and deep insights into the Indian financial sector. The company has put together a best in class engineering team capable of being the torchbearers of India’s fast evolving digital lending landscape.”
Protium is led by an experienced board and management team that includes over 150 years of global finance experience & deep knowledge of Indian ecosystem. Founder and Director Peeyush Misra, brings more than two decades of risk management experience across global markets in a variety of businesses. Before starting Protium, he was a Partner at Goldman Sachs where he ran businesses like US Interest Rates and Securitized/Mortgage products among others. Peeyush currently serves on the boards of Sam Waxman Cancer Research Foundation New York, IIM Ahmedabad Endowment & Misra Centre for Financial Markets and the Economy at IIMA.
Mumbai: Spicetree Design Agency (SDA), an integrated digital marketing venture, recently announced completion of 17 glorious and successful years of their journey. From humble beginnings, the brand has matured and expanded immensely — from providing creative solutions to now becoming an integrated digital solutions agency. Today, their decade long clientele uses the venture’s expertise in the growth, expansion and launch of their products and services.
The seed was sown by Founder Director, Shiraz Khan with a passion to drive the brand to meaningful heights which would add value to businesses and brands across the globe, he was joined by Mehmood Khan, whose marketing and excellent networking skills have amplified the reach of the brand. Over the years, the venture has steadily but effectively broadened its horizons from creative designing to the realm of digital marketing — with the philosophy of complementing creatives with effective communication intact to date.
SDA’s expertise lies in developing ground breaking strategies that precisely cater to the client’s need and drive real, measurable results. From creative communication, web design and development, brand consultation to the entire suite of digital marketing (SMM, SMO, SEO, Mailers, Retargeting, etc.), SDA covers every possible expertise that would be required for growth of its clients.
Speaking about this, Shiraz Khan, Founder/Director, SDA, said, “It is a moment of reckoning and pride for me that Spicetree has completed 17 years of work, projects, and associations. Every entrepreneur starts with dreams and high hopes. I did that too and I am happy that my conviction in what I began has paid off so well. From starting out with few clients, we have now diversified to working with some big names including Welspun,Vicco, Ambuja Cement, Sheth Creators, BASF, Infiniti Mall etc. We hope to keep upgrading our skills and moving along the same of steady growth and ensure that we provide the best-in-class services going forward too.”
From few people, SDA today has over 30 members in its team and a base in Chennai, Bangalore, and the US. Going forward, the brand aims to continue to serve clients from across globe and have presence in many more countries. SDA has always strived for growth that is accompanied by customer retention, satisfaction, and quality work. The way forward will continue to strive on their ethos i.e.,GROWTH FOR ALL, ABOVE ALL.
By Captain Amardeep, Founder & Director, Tritya Group of Institutions
By Captain Amardeep, Founder & Director, Tritya Group of Institutions
Planning for studying abroad is an exciting time for a student as he/she is going to be in completely different setting that offers a new education system, communication ways and study skills. But, have you ever thought about the nitty-gritty things, which actually play a very important role when you decide on studying abroad? For any student, first year is crucial to get adjusted with the cultural and academic differences.
We have listed out these preparation tips to learn about study skills, culture, networking practices, and day-to-day life management strategies to help with faster adjustment and success at your new institution.
Speak to experts regarding career counseling
Sometimes career stress leads to anxiety, so finding a right career is fulfilling is considered to be important to mental well-being. When choosing the most fitting career or finding a new job when one proves unsatisfying or frustrating, the services of a career counselor may be helpful as the person will guide you in your further steps. They make you well-equipped with all material and extensive information regarding your dream course.
Decide on your destination first
This should be your first step and it should completely depend upon your interests, budget, likes and dislikes. When you have zeroed in on the destination make sure it fits your budget, availability of flights, visa procedure and India’s relation with that particular country and then start looking for the colleges. In order to feel connected to your future college, you can join Facebook groups and other social media pages of the college. You can make new friends and stay updated about the events.
Assistance for English proficiency Test
English is one of the must-have skills for everyone around the world. From the perspective of career, business, or travel, English is the basic fundamental need.
Choose the right study program
This is one of the most important steps. Select the program which you think is best for you. This demands a lot of research. Take the help of career counselor if you’re facing any difficulty in deciding on the right career path for you. Once you have figured out the program you want to get yourself enrolled at then ask around to see if you know anyone who did the program you were thinking of, and ask how it was.
Get the test before last date of application
You have to let the college authorities know the test score of your chosen program as it will be instructed in the college website. Then start arranging the documents needs for applying including applying for the visa. Keep in mind that every country has a different visa procedure. Make sure you have a current passport. Ask you college to mail you official admission document, which you might be needed during your visa interviews.
Plan your first few weeks in advance
It’s always best to reach the destination few weeks earlier so that you get to know the place well before your hectic schedule begins. You first arrive and plan things to do in your first three weeks. Look at the college’s event calendar (which you will get online) and add those you want to attend to your personal calendar. Try to make the place like your own country by looking for a gym, coffee shop, or place of interest and make a time to go there.
Learn about the local culture
This will help you to get adjusted with the new ambience in a much quick and seamless manner. It will also boost your confidence level. If possible get acquainted with the local language skill by watching movie or checking out some online language learning session. Read about the culture, art and history of the place to have a better understanding. Knowing about the cuisine is also essential.
India:Anuha Food Products Pvt. Ltd (AFPPL) a Food Processing startup recently launched an array of Ready-To-Cook products under its dehydrated gluten-free F&B brand Zilli’s. Incubated under “Atal Incubation Center ALEAP We-hub“, the brand aims to cater to the rising demand for Ready-to-cook healthy fixes amidst the pandemic. With its recently launched Dehydrated Onion Flakes and Garlic Cloves, customers can now enjoy healthy yet hassle-free cooking during the festive holiday season. Zilli’s also include other exciting range of processed foods such as Dehydrated Ginger, Red Onion powder, Tamarind, Kolkata Jhal Muri Masala, Fruit Rolls, etc. that can reduce cooking time and effort.
Supported by Atal Innovation Mission, NITI Aayog and Startup India, the brand Zilli’s is part of the company’s strategy to expand its portfolio in India’s Ready-To-Cook market while filling gaps for healthy at-home cooked food. Gluten-free and vegan in nature, Zilli’s new range of dehydrated products can help customers rustle up quick food specials. These products are the perfect blend for various dishes like Gingerbread Men Biscuits, Spiced cookies or Mughlai Biryani, one of the popular rice-based dishes among Indian celebrations.
Speaking about the launch, Mr. Anubhav Bhatnagar, Founder & Director, Anuha Food Products Pvt. Ltd (AFPPL), said, “In India, onion and garlic are an indispensable part of cooking, however peeling and chopping can be time-consuming. Today’s working professionals and millennials want quick yet healthy eating alternatives. Looking at the strong potential in the Ready-to-Cook segment we aim to make cooking easier and healthier with our brand Zilli’s. Our new product range, i.e. Dehydrated Onion Flakes & Garlic Cloves will ensure to reduce the cooking time with no preservatives and no loss of nutrients. Following all the necessary food protocols and guidelines from FSSAI, our products have a shelf-life of 12-18 months from the date of manufacturing.”
Working with the farmers directly, Zilli’s offer dehydrated vegetables that retain the essential minerals and vitamins. These products sustain through a longer time-period and add convenience to the everyday cooking as well as exotic dishes prepared for festivities. The products are available all across India and US through zillis.inand Amazon (India/US). Considering the price-conscious market, the brand offers products from the range of Rs 70 onwards.
“2020 has been a challenging year for businesses and customers alike. Earlier this year, customer experience (CX) teams across the globe had to rapidly adapt amid ticket spikes, customer cancellations, market volatility, and increased uncertainty. However, as the world moved forward, one week at a time, the global service requests eventually stabilized and new expectations and trends began to set in.
Customers now expect businesses to be more digital, accessible and empathetic. More than ever, they want and expect to connect with businesses the way they do with friends and family – effortlessly, especially over popular messaging apps like WhatsApp, Instagram or Facebook. Businesses are working on merging values from a pre-COVID era with the ever-changing demands of a post-COVID world. While this may seem to be an overwhelming task, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of the basics, such as keeping your customers and their needs at the center of everything that you do. Businesses are, therefore, re-emphasising the need for a people-first approach and working hard to retain a human connection.
People around the globe are eagerly awaiting 2021 and the many promises that it brings. Looking ahead, we anticipate that CX will continue to remain a catalyst to business success as businesses reorganise their priorities to incorporate a seamless CX journey for customers. On the other hand, digital transformation will definitely take precedence in the coming year to accommodate more omnichannel services, better IT security, agile technology and collaborative tools. Businesses will also take steps to be more people-centric, not just toward their customers, but also toward their employees. Employee experience and engagement will be a major area where we will see a change as businesses rethink their digital workplace.
As the year comes to an end, there is a sense of hope and excitement in the air of what the new year holds and businesses will look to strengthen their customer experience as the year unfolds.”
Shiv Sundar, Co-Founder and COO, Esper
Shiv Sundar, Co-Founder and COO, Esper,
“2020 has proven to be a challenging year. However, it was also a year of new opportunities and avenues for us. One particular trend that we witnessed was the acceleration of digital transformation with traditional companies. Incorporating customer interactivity into their solution became a priority and the execution ranged from standing up self-service kiosks to augmenting the customer experience with innovative digital solutions. Android based devices, in particular, have been deployed at a large scale to meet these demands. This has underscored how important a product like Esper is to fill the large gap to enable enterprises – small and large alike, to deploy devices at scale and have rigorous control over how their applications are deployed and monitored on their devices.
Looking ahead, we realize that the pandemic has ushered in a new era that will be more digital and virtual, even in remote locations. Industries like education, fitness, restaurants and healthcare will see a flurry of Android based devices and Android will become a dominant choice of OS for Touch based IoT devices. At Esper, we are moving ahead with a sustained hyper focus on our customer service. We have an amazing slate of features in the pipeline that will help our customers deploy and scale their device fleet. We are looking forward to a great new year for our customers, partners and our amazing set of employees.”
Gaurav Burman, APAC President, 75F
Gaurav Burman, APAC President, 75F
“2020 has been a watershed year for most sectors forcing them to transform themselves and adapt while going into the next year. In contrast, the building management and automation sector witnessed considerable traction despite the slowdown. This could be attributed to its potential in helping commercial buildings manage COVID 19 by controlling the spread of the virus through airborne particles. As a result the sector saw new products and services being launched supported by guidelines released by organisations such as WHO, CDC, ASHRAE etc to prevent the transmission of air-borne diseases.
Several business leaders have also leveraged the period of the lockdown and the work from home trend to scale up their commercial offices and workspaces with better technology in preparation for the return to normalcy. This has led to digital transformation in the workplace in creating smart, digitally connected spaces that use less energy, meet sustainability and safety goals, and boost workplace collaboration and productivity. There is also a trend towards optimising work spaces with an eye on long term sustainability. Our offerings in the space that have been popular include 75F’s preset systems to digitally monitor, analyze and control an environment and visibility to customized data analytics at all times from any remote location. As occupant comfort and environmental sustainability are increasingly being given priority in commercial spaces, the potential for smart buildings has grown considerably in 2020. While the commercial and retail sectors are already moving towards building automation, we expect the hospitality and health sector to follow suit in 2021.”
Paddy Viswanathan – Founder and CEO, C3M
Paddy Viswanathan – Founder and CEO, C3M
“COVID-19 has pushed businesses to adopt the public cloud and take a cloud first strategy. With critical workloads deployed in the cloud there is also an immediate need for secure and stable cloud infrastructure. Some of the largest companies in e-commerce, retail, internet and media, and consulting have started using our cloud security platform between May 2020 and today.
Apart from this, remote working has also been working well for us. Our team members are getting to spend quality time with their families, while being just as productive at work. In fact, we are contemplating making working from the office optional once the pandemic eases out. All in all, the year 2020 has been a blessing in disguise for us.”
Abhishek Patil – Co-Founder and CEO, Oliveboard
Abhishek Patil – Co-Founder and CEO, Oliveboard
“This year the ed-tech industry attracted students from schools, universities, businesses and individuals as classroom training was at a standstill due to the virus outbreak. At Oliveboard we saw a steady increase in online test preparation registrations as well. In addition, with both government and banking examinations in the pipeline, the online test preparation industry is about to experience its busiest season in the coming months.
Learning Analytics and Gamification will play inevitable roles in the online test preparation industry, as it will allow educators to assess and report student learning only on the web and will further assist them to better understand and optimize learning. For example, teachers will be able to see what kind of knowledge students most enjoy and use it accordingly (text, photos, infographics, or videos). They will be able to note which portions have not been delivered successfully and strengthen them next time. Besides, learning analytics can also help educators classify learners who may have academic or behavioural problems. Teachers could then build a way to help students achieve their full potential.”
Sharan Sai, Chief Business Relations & Public Relations, Hocomoco
Sharan Sai, Chief Business Relations & Public Relations, Hocomoco
“Despite the effects of the lockdown, India is one of the countries, that has been able to recover faster in terms of businesses being conducted. The construction activity saw a steep decrease immediately after the lockdown was imposed, however, by late May, the activities were back on track. India is witnessing a rapid growth of infrastructure across all the smart cities and metropolitans. With an average commercial space absorption square feet standing at 42 million, India stands tall among world nations. The pandemic has also worked out many realizations for many customers, like, people are now looking forward to independent housing and banks are boosting this through friendly loans for residential purposes. Overall, the construction industry in value terms is estimated at a CAGR of 15.7% and is expected to reach $ 738.5 bn by 2022, which is an immense growth. Fueling this growing market, the technology which is developed for construction is helping in making efficient transactions. Technologies such as blockchain usage for construction workflow is making it more secure and seamless in terms of carrying out the operations. We are confident that 2021 will definitely be the beginning of a new dawn in the construction segment.”
Prem Kumar, Founder & CEO, Snapbizz
Prem Kumar, Founder & CEO, Snapbizz
“The consumer retail segment has witnessed rapid growth in terms of digitization of MSMEs in 2020. This was fuelled by the current covid era which brought in new opportunities in the retail sector specially for Kiranas. As a result, over a million Kiranas have gone digital in recent months and their stores have gone online by accepting online payments, ordering supplies online, managing inventory, etc. The technology cover now enables them to leverage their strengths like proximity, personal touch, and flexibility further to acquire new customers effortlessly.
This year our SnapBizz team has succesfully helped neighborhood Kiranas gear up efficiently to compete against the larger ecommerce players in this industry. Kiranas have always been facing intense competition from major e-commerce grocery players who are aggressive in their campaigns to capture market share. The entrance of big players in the FMCG sector has been another cause for concern among them. However as it was evident, it was the Kiranas who provided a lifeline to the country when the lockdown struck with the Pandemic. This renewed trust in the neighbourhood kirana by people also prompted them to lembrace digitization to further enhance their relationship with customers. We see this as a positive trend and will only see wider adoption of technology by kiranas at the grass root level in 2021.”
Mangesh Panditrao, CEO & Co-founder, Shoptimize
Mangesh Panditrao, CEO & Co-founder, Shoptimize
“In the past years, online stores typically saw a rush only close to the festival days of Dussehra and Diwali. This year saw a longer shopping period as shoppers started buying earlier. With COVID putting a dampener on travel and socializing plans, shoppers probably anticipated going online to shop and decided to avoid the last-minute rush. Stores also started showcasing their festive offers early on to increase sales and conversions. The 30 day Diwali sales period saw a 484% increase in the online store visitors and sessions. While sales hit their peak on 23 October 2020, the entire three months of September to November saw heightened activity and sales.
At Shoptimize, for our clients, D2C eCommerce has become a critical channel, growing from 10% (previous FY) of overall eCommerce to 40% (current FY). There has been a GMV growth of 250% from festive season sales alone this year. In general, our clients have seen a GMV growth of 400% post covid. The various categories which witnessed this massive growth post-covid are fashion & apparel which saw a GMV growth of 150%, food & beverages a growth of 500%; and appliances & electricals a growth of 400%.”
Shabna Salam, Founder & Director, Maneraa
Shabna Salam, Founder & Director, Maneraa
“Covid-19 has brought about a dramatic and permanent shift in consumer shopping behavior in e-Commerce. The consumer today has become more cost-conscious and is investing increasingly in affordable fashion. We have also observed that customers from tier 2 and tier 3 cities who were previously reluctant to do online shopping now enjoy the perks of digital retail. On Maneraa’s website this year, we have seen consumers opt for pocket-friendly fashion with a willingness to experiment with new and relatively unknown brands. Though we are amongst the new players in the space, the customer response this season has given us great confidence especially with the spike in demand from tier 2 and 3 cities. It’s very likely that these trends are here to stay even after COVID as these are new customers who have joined the fray and they will only increase their usage as per industry norms. Looking ahead into 2021, we expect E-commerce retail to rise to 7% as opposed to the previous 1.6% thanks to the newfound demand and transforming consumer behavior.”
Sandeep Sankhla, Founder & Managing Partner, Glocal Mind
Sandeep Sankhla, Founder & Managing Partner, Glocal Mind
“The COVID-19 outbreak has severely impacted the entire healthcare industry and changed the working structure of its ecosystem. With the pandemic being the biggest healthcare crisis ever faced by man in this generation, the medical community has been working feverishly across the world to identify a vaccine and to understand the short term and long term impact of this on the world. And now with news trickling in that there could be sufficient doses available for more than one-third of the world’s population by the end of 2021, countries are busy working closely with the healthcare community to make sure that the purchase, distribution and storage of the vaccine can be carried out efficiently as per local market demands. Add to this many new trends such as Tele-Health, Electronic Medical Records, a focus on preventive healthcare and continued partnerships between the public and private sector can be seen gaining prominence in the healthcare research space. To understand these emerging trends across geographies, GLocalMind has conducted multiple market research studies including studying the Impact on healthcare practices, Impact on hospital operations, Adoption of tele-medicine, pricing perceptions for Covid Vaccine, healthcare innovation and transformation, etc.
With these changing market dynamics expected in 2021, we are working towards becoming an independent healthcare research facilitator to a larger aggregator model and therein creating a larger ecosystem for healthcare research studies globally.”
New Delhi: Gxpress one of the fastest growing logistics companies in India is all set to launch Ecomgistics – an operating System for ecommerce for small parcels in India. Gxpress has a mission to build the operating system for ecommerce in India for the sellers who want to ship their products overseas. There are many sellers who are still into merchant fulfilled orders on marketplaces like amazon, etsy, shopify, eBay, etc. Gxpress have always considered the requests and the feedback of the sellers in launching new services or improvising existing ones. It has understood the growing pains how small businesses feels when they have to ship small parcels from India but are unable to afford the high shipping costs.
Gxpress is the first logistics company in the country that took a step up to the plate to make the postage cheap and easy, no matter the small parcel size starting from 50 grams. The sellers also have an option to consolidate the small parcels in a single box and send to the desired location. Sellers will get the lowest shipping prices with free small parcel tracking, without sacrificing the quality of service. Its vision is to empower small to medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs so that they can really focus on their business instead of worrying about operational activities such as shipments, custom clearances and other challenges when are shipping internationally. Gxpress’ easy-to-use website will enable them to book a pickup, estimate cost, and track their packages and more. “The logistics industry has been completely standstill since the start of the beginning of the unprecedented crisis of Covid-19 and lockdowns, ensuring that the supply chains remain intact. Due to the shortage of labour and the restrictions being imposed on the movement of goods and businesses, the supply chain has been disrupted in the past six months. Now, as the businesses started opening up, we have planned to launch Ecomgistics for small businesses because we at Gxpress understand the obstacles faced by companies especially when they have to ship small parcels from India but cannot due to high shipping costs. We will focus on empowering small to medium sized businesses and entrepreneurs in the growth of their customers by giving them the option to consolidate the small parcels in a single box and send to the desired location” said Praveen Vashistha, Founder & Director of Gxpress.
