As much as 42% of companies in the IT, startup and SME sectors find getting top tech candidates as the biggest challenge during recruitment, according to a report by talent assessment firm Mercer|Mettl. The report, titled ‘Tech Hiring & Technology Adoption Trends 2019’, is based on a survey of 350 top executives from more than 200 companies. Of these companies, 40% were SMEs, 30% were startups and the remaining were big IT services providers. Lack of budget came in a close second for nearly a quarter of the respondents during recruitment.

Publication: Economic Times

Date: August 19, 2019

In a first, the e-commerce sector comprising e-tailing platforms, food aggregators and ride-hailing platforms, has formulated certain self-governing principles for the sector. The national e-commerce committee at the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) formulated the voluntary guidelines and has also shared these self-governing principles with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DPIIT). The national e-commerce committee at Ficci comprises 30 companies including e-tailing platforms such as Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, Paytm Mall and Indiamart.

Publication: CNBC Tv18

Date: August 16, 2019

Retail giant Walmart keeps on pushing back against Amazon, winning more on-line sales. Last week, the company reported a 2.8% jump in same-store sales and a 37% jump in online sales for the fiscal second quarter. That’s on the top of a 3.4% jump in U.S. Q1 comp sales, and a 37% jump in online sales for the first fiscal quarter. All in all, Walmart has reported 19 quarters of positive transactions, and the future looks brighter according to comments from its CEO following last week’s report. This means that the retail giant’s big comeback is for real. And that’s bad news for Amazon.

Publication: Forbes

Date: August 17, 2019

Start-ups and technology companies will be able to issue shares with differential voting rights (DVRs) with the government amending the Companies Act provisions to help entrepreneurs retain control even as they raise equity capital from global investors. The ministry of corporate affairs (MCA) has raised the existing cap of 26 per cent of the total post issue paid up equity share capital to 74 per cent of total voting power in respect of shares with DVRs of a company. Such shares have rights disproportionate to their economic ownership. In June, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) had issued a framework for filing shares with DVRs.

Publication: Business Standard

Date: August 17, 2019

Having declined in both numbers and valuations this year, initial public offerings may shrink to a trickle in the second half, hit by continuing volatility in the markets on account of domestic and global issues, investment bankers said. After a lacklustre first half, three IPOs hit the markets in the last fortnight—those of Affle Ltd, Spandana Sphoorty Financial Ltd and Sterling and Wilson Solar Ltd. But while Affle’s IPO was heavily subscribed, the other two deals barely managed to cross the finish line.

Publication: Livemint

Date: August 17, 2019