Latest news with #Gurgaon-based
Time of India
2 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Indian students refuse to give up on Harvard dream despite SEVP hiccup
Hyderabad: Despite the recent revocation of Harvard University's Student and Exchange Visitor Programme (SEVP) by the US govt, Indian students are resolute in their plans of joining the Ivy League institute, in the upcoming academic term that starts in Aug. The development, however, has left some of them jittery — particularly those who've booked visa interview slots and are just one step away from realising their 'Harvard dream'. Montoring developments "I was in the middle of the visa process when I heard the news. Though I am worried I am certainly not reconsidering my decision. I may, at best, reschedule my visa appointment if the situation does not become clearer within the next week or so," said a student from north India who has secured a MBA seat at Harvard Business School. "For now, I am monitoring the developments through the student community and the university's Slack group (forum for internal communication)," the student added. Shweta Gurnani, chief academic mentor at Gurgaon-based consultancy, Academy One, which specialises in Ivy League admissions, also said that students are anxious but willing to fly out for Aug term. "There are 35 students who have secured admission through us this year. All of them are travelling for their master's in business administration (MBA)," Gurnani said, adding, "Since the university has also assured that it is addressing the issue through legal channels and promised that the academic year will proceed as planned, students are willing to take the risk. On that basis, we too are advising students to stick to their original plans unless there is a significant policy shift in the near future. " Multiple reassurances Harvard University has issued multiple reassurances via its official website and through a series of emails to current students, copies of which are in TOI's possession. In one such email, the university stated: "As many of you may be aware, the University received a letter from the US Department of Homeland Security revoking Harvard's SEVP certification. We understand the extreme anxiety and uncertainty this has caused, and we share your deep concerns. The programmes have since been reinstated. The situation remains highly fluid, and we will keep you informed as further updates become available." Another email read: "Please know that we are committed to supporting you. We want to clarify that students should be able to come to campus. The news of visa restrictions involving Harvard has left incoming executive education participants questioning whether they will be permitted to enter the US. In reality, the proposed action should not affect these individuals." There are currently 788 Indian students (in master's and PhD programmes) at Harvard. Among these, Graduate School of Art and Science, Medical School, and Business School have 2,23,131 and 108 Indian students respectively. Apart from the incoming batch, some current students and recent graduates from Harvard are also feeling the heat of the development. One such student who recently completed his degree said: "We are worried about our job prospects," even as some others sounded more hopeful. "I personally feel things will work out because Harvard cannot afford to lose 30% of its student community," said an Indian student in first year added: "I also don't think it makes sense to single out one varsity. I believe the court will rule in our favour though none of us have full clarity at this point."
NDTV
2 days ago
- NDTV
Bengal Man Kills Parents, Stabs 4 People At Orphanage. Arrested: Cops
Kolkata: A man allegedly murdered his parents in West Bengal's Purba Bardhaman district and hours later stabbed four people at an orphanage run by a madrasa in another district, over 120 km away, a senior police officer said on Thursday. The accused was arrested soon after the violent attack at Sharif Orphanage in Bongaon in North 24 Parganas on Wednesday, where he stabbed two teachers and two staff members. Soon after his arrest, a mob rushed in the Bongaon police station demanding that the accused, identified as Humayun Kabir, an alumnus of a prominent state university and former engineer at an MNC, be handed over to them. Two police personnel - a constable and an assistant sub-inspector - were injured in the mob attack, North 24 Parganas SP Dinesh Kumar said. Bodies of Kabir's parents Musfatizur Rahman and Mumtaj Parveen were found in a pool of blood on the road in front of their Memari residence with multiple stab injuries. Kabir, who worked with a Gurgaon-based MNC but quit the job, was staying with his parents. After being taken into custody, Kabir disclosed his identity and address, revealing his connection to the double murder in Memari. SP Kumar said there is a strong possibility that he had murdered his parents. He was being interrogated, but had yet to confess to the crime of murder, he said. A senior police officer in Purba Bardhaman said locals had claimed Kabir was suffering from mental health issues following a divorce and the loss of his job. "We are exploring all possible angles to determine the motive behind both the killings and the stabbing spree," the officer said. Ten people have been arrested for rioting and attacking police officers. Additional raids are ongoing in the area, the SP said. Kabir's sister Tamanna Rahman, teacher of a madrasa in Howrah district, had lodged a complaint against unnamed persons about the discovery of blood-stained bodies of her parents. She, however, refused to speak about the developments in Bongaon.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
VCs smell a big opportunity as petcare expands beyond food
A surge in pet adoption since the Covid pandemic, coupled with the rapid expansion of petcare services and the rise of quick commerce, is prompting both risk-capital and strategic investors to seek opportunities in the petcare startup space. ADVERTISEMENT On Monday, Swiss multinational Nestlé SA announced a minority investment in Drools, turning the Bengaluru-based pet food brand into a unicorn, or a privately held firm valued at $1 billion or more. Supertails, a digital petcare platform backed by Fireside Ventures, is in talks to raise $24–25 million in a fresh round, people aware of the matter said. Heads Up For Tails, a petcare brand and retail chain backed by Peak XV Partners, is also in discussions for a new round of funding, sources a Gurgaon-based veterinary care startup, recently closed a $26-million funding round led by Bessemer Venture the last five years, petcare startups — which are broadly categorised as either product-driven offerings or services — have raised $198 million in funding across 20 deals, according to data provided by Venture Intelligence. ADVERTISEMENT Petcare startups have raised $198 million 20 deals over five years. 'Investors see this as a very healthy category because on the one side, there is growth and on the other side, it is a pure retention-based category with good margins,' said Vineet Khanna, cofounder of Supertails. ADVERTISEMENT Founded in 2021, Supertails has raised $30 million so far, including $15 million from RPSG Capital Ventures in February 2024. Prior to the Nestlé investment, Drools had raised $60 million from L Catterton in 2023. ADVERTISEMENT India's petcare market, currently valued at $3.5 billion, is expected to reach $7–7.5 billion by 2028, according to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants. The number of pets in Indian households has grown from 26 million in 2019 to 32 million in 2024, the report noted.'Higher disposable incomes, delayed marriages, and lower fertility rates are contributing to increased demand for companionship (of pets),' Khanna said the industry is growing consistently with strong retention of consumers, 'especially as people spend more across categories.' ADVERTISEMENT Legacy FMCG players and consumer companies have also entered the fray. In August 2023, Godrej Consumer Products committed Rs 500 crore to the category through a joint effort with Godrej Agrovet. Earlier, Nestlé India acquired Purina Petcare India from its global parent for Rs 125.3 crore, and Emami picked up a 30% stake in petcare brand Cannis Lupus Services India. Currently, Mars, the maker of Pedigree and Royal Canin, remains the market leader in pet nutrition in larger players, startups like Heads Up For Tails, Supertails, Goofy Tails, and Just Dogs have built product-led offerings, while Vetic, Petmojo, The Pet Nest, and Happy Pettings are focused on services like vet care, grooming, and product purchases are increasingly made online, especially on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and quick commerce services like Blinkit and Zepto.'Ecommerce created the initial demand, but quick commerce is what's taking it to the next level,' said Renu Bisht, founder of brand consultancy Commercify360. 'Now, even in tier-II cities, pet owners can access a wide range of products without visiting niche offline stores.'Non-food categories such as grooming, supplements, toys, and accessories are now growing faster than core pet food, industry experts said.'If food is growing at 18–20% year-on-year, non-food segments like healthcare and accessories are clocking over 25% growth,' Khanna noted. 'Pet parents today are far more aware of their pets' needs.' Prayag Mohanty, principal at Fireside Ventures, said, 'The pandemic was a clear tailwind. People were at home and started looking for companionship. That growth has continued across the category.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
VCs sniff opportunity as petcare expands beyond food
A surge in pet adoption since the Covid pandemic, coupled with the rapid expansion of petcare services and the rise of quick commerce, is prompting both risk-capital and strategic investors to seek opportunities in the petcare startup space. On Monday, Swiss multinational Nestlé SA announced a minority investment in Drools , turning the Bengaluru-based pet food brand into a unicorn, or a privately held firm valued at $1 billion or more. Supertails, a digital petcare platform backed by Fireside Ventures, is in talks to raise $24–25 million in a fresh round, people aware of the matter said. Play Video Pause Skip Backward Skip Forward Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration 0:00 Loaded : 0% 0:00 Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 1x Playback Rate Chapters Chapters Descriptions descriptions off , selected Captions captions settings , opens captions settings dialog captions off , selected Audio Track default , selected Picture-in-Picture Fullscreen This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Text Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Caption Area Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Opacity Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Drop shadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Heads Up For Tails, a petcare brand and retail chain backed by Peak XV Partners, is also in discussions for a new round of funding, sources said. Vetic, a Gurgaon-based veterinary care startup, recently closed a $26-million funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. Live Events Over the last five years, petcare startups — which are broadly categorised as either product-driven offerings or services — have raised $198 million in funding across 20 deals, according to data provided by Venture Intelligence. Discover the stories of your interest Blockchain 5 Stories Cyber-safety 7 Stories Fintech 9 Stories E-comm 9 Stories ML 8 Stories Edtech 6 Stories ETtech Petcare startups have raised $198 million 20 deals over five years. 'Investors see this as a very healthy category because on the one side, there is growth and on the other side, it is a pure retention-based category with good margins,' said Vineet Khanna, cofounder of Supertails. Founded in 2021, Supertails has raised $30 million so far, including $15 million from RPSG Capital Ventures in February 2024. Prior to the Nestlé investment, Drools had raised $60 million from L Catterton in 2023. India's petcare market, currently valued at $3.5 billion, is expected to reach $7–7.5 billion by 2028, according to a report by Redseer Strategy Consultants. The number of pets in Indian households has grown from 26 million in 2019 to 32 million in 2024, the report noted. 'Higher disposable incomes, delayed marriages, and lower fertility rates are contributing to increased demand for companionship (of pets),' Khanna said. He said the industry is growing consistently with strong retention of consumers, 'especially as people spend more across categories.' Legacy FMCG players and consumer companies have also entered the fray. In August 2023, Godrej Consumer Products committed Rs 500 crore to the category through a joint effort with Godrej Agrovet. Earlier, Nestlé India acquired Purina Petcare India from its global parent for Rs 125.3 crore, and Emami picked up a 30% stake in petcare brand Cannis Lupus Services India . Currently, Mars, the maker of Pedigree and Royal Canin, remains the market leader in pet nutrition in India. Alongside larger players, startups like Heads Up For Tails, Supertails, Goofy Tails, and Just Dogs have built product-led offerings, while Vetic, Petmojo, The Pet Nest, and Happy Pettings are focused on services like vet care, grooming, and training. Pet product purchases are increasingly made online, especially on platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, and quick commerce services like Blinkit and Zepto. 'Ecommerce created the initial demand, but quick commerce is what's taking it to the next level,' said Renu Bisht, founder of brand consultancy Commercify360. 'Now, even in tier-II cities, pet owners can access a wide range of products without visiting niche offline stores.' Non-food categories such as grooming, supplements, toys, and accessories are now growing faster than core pet food, industry experts said. 'If food is growing at 18–20% year-on-year, non-food segments like healthcare and accessories are clocking over 25% growth,' Khanna noted. 'Pet parents today are far more aware of their pets' needs.' Prayag Mohanty, principal at Fireside Ventures, said, 'The pandemic was a clear tailwind. People were at home and started looking for companionship. That growth has continued across the category.'
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Third time lucky? Oyo eyes $7 billion IPO
File photo Mumbai: Oyo has begun discussions with bankers for a potential IPO in the March 2026 quarter, making its third attempt at going public after weak markets and the company's focus on turning in a profit delayed the startup's listing plans, initially started in 2021. The firm is eyeing a valuation of $6-7 billion for the IPO, sources said, adding that the company plans to file draft IPO papers with Sebi by Sept. "Since its initial IPO attempt, Oyo has undergone significant change, focusing on profitability and sustainable growth. The company's improved financial metrics and operational efficiency have renewed investor confidence, prompting the fresh attempt at going public," sources told TOI. Oyo declined to comment. Oyo is set to hold key discussions on the IPO process with the company's board and largest shareholder SoftBank's representatives next month. Japan's SoftBank holds over 40% stake in the Gurgaon-based startup led by Ritesh Agarwal. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
