Latest news with #Big4
News18
26-05-2025
- Business
- News18
'Stop the Lies': Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha Fires Back At Rival CFO's Smear Campaign
Last Updated: Palicha candidly criticized the competitor's CFO, stating that these actions were beneath the expected standards of a high-quality company. Zepto CEO: Aadit Palicha, the Co-Founder and CEO of Zepto, recently addressed a smear campaign initiated by the CFO of a competing company on LinkedIn. The campaign involved, he said, 'includes calling our investors to make wild allegations about us with no empirical evidence, giving out false numbers/Excel sheets on Zepto through sources known to journalists, and paying bots on social media to spread a negative narrative." Palicha candidly criticized the competitor's CFO, stating that these actions were beneath the expected standards of a high-quality company. He suggested that the competitor's nervousness stemmed from Zepto's rapid improvement in EBITDA. To counteract any misinformation, Palicha provided transparent updates on Zepto's performance. Performance Metrics Zepto's Gross Order Value (GOV) has significantly increased from approximately 750 crores per month in May 2024 to 2,400 crores per month in May 2025. The definition of GOV includes the selling price of fruits and vegetables and ad revenue. advetisement Financial Improvements Zepto's EBITDA has improved by 20 absolute percentage points (2,000 basis points) from January 2025 to May 2025, approaching single-digit territory. The company's cash burn has reduced by around 65% over the same period. Despite the EBITDA improvements, Zepto's GOV has grown by roughly 20% during this time, representing an average monthly growth of 4% to 5%. Future Projections Zepto anticipates that most of its dark stores will be fully EBITDA positive by the next quarter, including all backend supply chain costs, customer support, last-mile, and fixed/variable store costs. The company also expects its overall EBITDA and Operating Cash Flow to be near breakeven within a few hundred basis points in the same period. Financial Stability Starting this quarter, Zepto has about 7,445 crores of Net Cash in the bank, fully reconciled with bank statements, ensuring many years of operational runway given the current cash burn rate. Zepto boasts a top-tier finance and controllership team with best-in-class payment practices, vendor reconciliations, asset verification, internal audit systems, and a rigorous Big 4 statutory audit record without material qualifications or variations. Contrary to rumors of large-scale store rationalization, Zepto is actually ramping up store launches. Palicha hopes the competitor's CFO ceases these deceitful activities, emphasizing that while healthy competition is acceptable, lies are not. He believes these actions only underscore Zepto's strength and advises focusing on execution for the collective benefit. Watch India Pakistan Breaking News on CNN News18. Stay updated with all the latest business news, including market trends, stock updates, tax, IPO, banking finance, real estate, savings and investments. Get in-depth analysis, expert opinions, and real-time updates—only on News18. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! Location : New Delhi, India, India First Published: May 26, 2025, 06:53 IST
Forbes
22-05-2025
- Business
- Forbes
How To Craft A Self-Directed Early Career That Actually Works
Hand drawing businesswoman walking up stairs on subtle background. Leadership and success concept In medicine, no one expects a newly minted doctor to perform solo surgeries on day one. In academia, Ph.D.s spend years of post-doctoral fellowship under the guidance of advisors before leading their labs. In the vocational trades, apprenticeships and sometimes fulfilling many on-the-field hours are non-negotiable. These fields understand that mastery takes time, support, and structure. Yet, in the corporate world, we often flip the script. A new hire out of college gets a laptop, a login, and maybe a brief onboarding session that covers company history and benefits—and then the new employees are off to their jobs. A lucky few land at a major professional services firm like the Big 4 or MBBs of the world and get placed in rotational or dedicated apprenticeship programs with structured experiential learning. But for most jobs out of college? You're expected to figure out your growth on your own despite studies showing that companies with high-quality leadership programs that extend below senior levels are 4.2 times more likely to outperform those that don't financially. This model leaves the discovery of one's strengths and learning of great habits to chance that the new graduate will be fortunate enough to meet a great manager or adequately self-direct their growth. To build durable, agile, high-performing teams, we must borrow from advanced-degree professions or specialized trades and reframe how we think about the early career journey. If you're a recent graduate entering the workforce, here are ways to create a professional and personalized curriculum of learning and exploration that can significantly influence your career growth, even if your new workplace does not offer one. Too often, new professionals feel pressured to perform rather than explore. But the first 1–3 years of your career shouldn't be about titles or immediate mastery—they should be about discovery. Think of this time as your "paid residency" without a tuition bill or a final exam. Just space to ask critical questions: Consider this: a recent LinkedIn study found that 60% of professionals under 30 don't stay in their first job for over two years. That's not a failure of the professionals; it's a signal of natural learning progression. These early roles should serve as learning labs that encourage exploration now to prevent misalignment later. We don't ask medical students to pick a specialty before they ever try scrubbing into an operating room or shadowing an emergency room physician. Why should we expect someone in their first month of marketing to know it's their forever path? Most companies don't have formal guidance tracks or development ladders. But that doesn't mean you can't create your own learning ecosystem. Start by identifying a diverse group of mentors. Great mentors aren't assigned but found and can change over time as your career changes. Learnings don't just have to come from mentors or managers. Invite a peer to debrief on how you could have done better after a big project. Ask if you can sit in on meetings outside your department. Schedule 15-minute virtual coffees with colleagues in other functions and ask what their day-to-day is like and what they enjoy or dislike about their jobs. In our remote-hybrid world, intentionality is even more critical, so invite perspectives, advice, and feedback from your peers and managers, In fact, according to a Gartner study, employees with strong mentors are five times more likely to be promoted. Informal mentorship can be as powerful as formal programs and expand your definition of mentors. Be a student of your workplace, not just an employee. Just as medical residents may switch specialties and researchers shift their thesis focus, you, too, should be open to redirection. Early roles are data points that can help shape the direction of your career paths, including aspects you want to avoid in the future. Many young professionals hesitate to change their career paths out of fear that doing so signifies failure. However, similar to how it's acceptable to switch college majors, as you discover more about what drives your success, you should allow yourself the grace and permission to alter your career trajectory, particularly early in your journey. A job change allows you to move away from misaligned roles and toward positions that better suit your skills, interests, and work styles. Employees who use their strengths at work are six times more likely to be engaged and three times more likely to report excellent quality of life. The goal isn't to ascend the ladder fastest but to ensure it is the one you want to climb. That only becomes clear through intentional reflection and adaptive action. Business meeting, portrait and woman writing with team for planning, strategy and marketing idea in ... More office. Design, collaboration and face of designer with notes for group project, vision and mission Corporate leaders need to understand that talent development is an active process. It is important to create systems and a culture that encourage discovery, adaptability, and long-term excellence. This ultimately benefits the company by fostering better alignment and a more fulfilled workforce. Additionally, early-career professionals should recognize that they are in a self-directed apprenticeship and should not expect to have everything figured out from the start. You don't need a formal rotation to gain different experiences or a residency program to adopt a resident's mindset. All you need is curiosity, courage, and a commitment to learning.
NDTV
11-05-2025
- Business
- NDTV
"Real Double Standard": Founder's Take On Corporate Vs Startup Exploitation Sparks Debate
Aayushi Saraswat, co-founder of FinFloww, sparked a heated debate on LinkedIn by highlighting the double standard in how employees perceive work ethic in global corporations versus startups. She pointed out that overworking at prestigious firms is often glorified, while startups face criticism for similar expectations, despite offering better pay and opportunities. In a long LinkedIn post, Ms Saraswat questioned why working long hours for a multinational company while earning Rs 6.5 lakh per year is romanticised as "the grind," while putting in focused hours at a startup for Rs 15 lakh is labelled "toxic." She also highlighted the bias where corporate burnout is seen as gaining valuable experience, but similar expectations from a startup are mocked as having a "bad culture." She wrote, "At Big 4s and wealth firms, people pull all-nighters for presentations that'll get buried in someone's inbox. They skip weekends, cancel birthdays, and answer emails during funerals—and call it building pedigree. Why? Because they're not doing it for the work. They're doing it for the name on the visiting card. But the moment a startup has fluid roles, urgent timelines, or 2 hours of extra push, suddenly it's: "This is not sustainable."Where's the work-life balance?" "I'm not married to the job." See the post here: Ms Saraswat argued that employees at top firms often sacrifice their personal lives for the prestige of working for a globally recognised brand, rather than genuine passion or purpose. In contrast, when startups demand similar dedication, employees protest, citing concerns about work-life balance. She also acknowledged that startups have their challenges, but they offer competitive salaries, ownership, and hands-on experience, accelerating growth and providing valuable lessons. She concluded that the issue lies not in the culture itself, but in how people perceive it. "You don't mind being exploited, as long as it comes with a foreign logo and a glass building. Startups aren't perfect. Some are chaotic, some lack structure. But they often pay better, offer equity, give visibility, and help you build real skills—from execution to ownership. You learn faster, fail sharper, and grow in ways no slide deck at a Big 4 can teach you. So maybe the real issue isn't the culture. It's the optics," she added. The post sparked a lively discussion online, with differing opinions. Some users noted that people are often more dedicated to major firms due to the career boost provided by the brand name. One user wrote, "This post is a genuine concern or a personal vendetta? Yes, 15 hours a day is toxic at all levels, at all measuring standards. Even if it is a genuine concern, you're a founder and that's from your shoes, you want things done faster for your business etc etc, but from an Employee's shoes, it is a job, where he wants to make an impact. Please work on optimising your work pipeline, plan to make the most out of your employees' working hours, or just create a norm of compensation pay. Find a way to make it work for you, that's your job, that's literally your job, to lead the team." Another commented, "I'd be willing to guess she's a startup founder who is sad that she can't exploit employees without them complaining. I used to work for one such startup, and it was all a one-man show. Toxic af." A third said, "You gotta call a spade a spade. Both situations are terrible, you cannot justify one bad by comparing it to another bad. Why can't you compare both to the European work culture?" A fourth added, "Can we just aim for not exploiting? Instead of saying they do it why cant we do it?"
Hindustan Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
‘You don't mind being exploited': Founder's rant on corporate vs startup culture sparks debate
A blunt LinkedIn post by a startup co founder has gone viral after she called out alleged "double standards" in how people view workplace culture at startups versus big-name corporations. In the post, Aayushi Saraswat, co-founder of FinFloww, claims that overworking at prestigious firms is glorified but startups often receive criticism for similar expectations even if they offer better pay and opportunities. "Working till 3 AM for ₹6.5L in a Big 4 is called 'grind.' Doing a 10-hour shift in a startup for ₹15L is called 'toxic'. When a global brand burns you out, it's 'corporate experience.' When an Indian founder asks for hustle, it's 'bad culture,"" she wrote. She argued that employees at big name companies will battle burnout, miss birthdays and answer emails during funerals as the company has 'a foreign logo and a glass building' but if similar demands are made in a startup, they are labelled unsustainable or exploitative. 'You don't mind being exploited—as long as it comes with a foreign logo. So maybe the real issue isn't the culture. It's the optics," she claimed. Her post, which quickly gained traction and has since sparked an ongoing debate over hustle culture. "Comparing one terrible situation with another and make it sound like the one of the options is better, is what makes Indian labourers open to exploitation. Exploitation is bad regardless of who does it. You want India to become a developed nation but don't want to adapt attitude and work culture that made other nations better," said one user. Another suggested, "Can we just aim for not exploiting? Instead of saying they do it why cant we do it?" A third user said, 'This post really is a genuine concern or a personal vendetta? Yes, 15 hours a day is toxic at all levels, at all measuring standards.' (Also read: Employee fired for putting 'stop crying' sticker in office bathroom: 'Had approval from HR')
Time of India
05-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Global AI spend to rise 60% in 2025 even as Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta share drops: UBS
HighlightsGlobal artificial intelligence spending is projected to increase by 60 percent year-on-year in 2025, reaching $360 billion, and further rising by 33 percent in 2026 to $480 billion. The share of spending attributed to the Big Four technology giants — Microsoft, Amazon, Alphabet, and Meta — is expected to decline from 58 percent in 2025 to 52 percent in 2026, indicating a broader distribution of AI investments. China is anticipated to contribute significantly to AI spending, accounting for 35 percent of the total spend outside the Big Four, driven by low-cost models, strong government support, and the rising use of AI in consumer applications. Global artificial intelligence ( AI ) spending is projected to rise significantly in the coming years, with UBS estimating a 60 per cent year-on-year increase in 2025, to $360 billion. The momentum is expected to continue in 2026, with a further 33 per cent rise to $480 billion. However, the share of spending attributed to the Big 4 tech giants — Microsoft , Amazon , Alphabet , and Meta — is anticipated to decline, falling from 58 per cent in 2025 to 52 per cent in 2026. The report said "we expect global AI spend to increase by 60 per cent y/y in 2025 to reach $360 billion and 33 per cent in 2026 to reach $480 billion... We expect the combined share of these companies as a percentage of AI spend to rise from less than 20 per cent in 2023 to more than 40 per cent in 2025". It also highlighted that this broadening of AI spending across a more diverse set of players is a healthy development for the overall AI theme. A reduced concentration of investment among a few companies could eventually lead to less volatility in the market, the report said. Spending outside the Big 4 is expected to reach a robust $150 billion in 2025. A significant portion of this is projected to come from China , which is likely to account for 35 per cent of the total spend outside the Big 4. According to UBS, the rise in China's AI investments is being driven by the success of low-cost models such as DeepSeek, strong government support, and the growing use of AI in consumer-facing applications like e-commerce, social media, and advertising. The report mentioned that the Neocloud providers — companies offering specialized AI-integrated cloud services — are also emerging as a key segment, expected to capture around 25 per cent of the non-Big 4 AI spending in 2025. The remaining spend is likely to come from other hyperscalers and enterprise or sovereign cloud providers, including players such as Oracle and Softbank. While UBS advises investors to continue monitoring guidance from the Big 4, the report emphasises that other AI-focused companies are now accelerating their investments and are crucial to the ongoing resilience of the sector.
