Indian startups to reverse flip quicker?; One-stop solution for enterprise devices

Hello,

It’s a precarious perch at the top. Tesla can certainly attest to that. 

The EV maker is ready to report results, amid drooping sales and rising competition alongside the backlash from Elon Musk’s political involvements. Investors are eager for answers to some pressing questions: when will Tesla release its long-anticipated affordable EV model, and is the company’s ambitious robotaxi plan still on schedule?

So far, Tesla’s wins have been few and far between. Its plans for a cheaper, stripped-down version of its best-selling Model Y SUV have been plagued by production delays, while its plan to deploy robotaxis still raises several safety and related litigation concerns. 

The cutthroat competition in the EV and hybrid automobile industry isn’t likely to let up anytime soon, especially with the upcoming Shanghai auto show. Over 70 Chinese and international automotive brands, including BYD, Geely, Volkswagen, and Toyota, will showcase more than 100 new or refreshed models. 

To add on, CATL, the world’s largest producer of EV batteries, just unveiled a gamechanger for the EV industry: a new sodium-ion cell which can offer over 500 kilometres of range after just five minutes of charging. 

It’s a bold new world for electric mobility. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Helping startups reverse-flip faster
• One-stop solution for enterprise devices
• Novo Nordisk’s India GCC outreach

Here’s your trivia for today: What city was known as and almost permanently named “Batmania”?

Startup Ecosystem

Helping startups reverse-flip faster

The Startup Policy Forum (SPF)—which represents over 50 tech firms—said it has urged the Indian government to create a dedicated “Ease of Reverse Flip Taskforce” to streamline the complex process of shifting a company’s holding structure, usually from the US or Singapore back, to India.

“Streamlining the reverse flipping process will not only help reduce compliance costs, but also offer greater clarity on timelines when planning for an IPO,” Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President and CEO of SPF, told YourStory.

Homecoming:

• With India’s capital markets booming—and public investors rewarding consumer tech IPOs with generous valuations—companies like Zepto, Groww, PhonePe and Pine Labs have already flipped back. Razorpay, and Meesho are in the process.
• One of the main concerns is the limited applicability of the fast-track merger mechanism. According to the current rules, this expedited route is restricted to mergers involving wholly owned subsidiaries. Most startups, however, operate through structures that include minority investors or multiple entities.
• SPF is also preparing a ‘Reverse Flip Playbook’ in partnership with law firm AP & Partners and tax consultancy Aeka Advisors, aimed at guiding founders through the still-cumbersome steps of re-domiciliation.

Startup

One-stop solution for enterprise devices

Businesses in India primarily have two choices when it comes to procuring devices for their employees. They either have to make massive investments upfront to buy new laptops and smartphones or lease/rent second-hand devices through third-party dealers. 

Swish Club enables companies to procure brand-new laptops, smartphones, PCs, servers, and tablets for their employees, through an “affordable” subscription model—instead of purchasing expensive devices outright or relying on legacy leasing systems. 

Key takeaways:

• Swish Club sources devices from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) such as Apple, HP, Dell, Lenovo, Samsung, and Google Pixel. It has also partnered with financial institutions to provide businesses access to suitable financial plans. 
• Another differentiator is the proprietary digital platform, which allows enterprise clients to manage assets, track device allocation, and order devices via a custom digital catalogue with pre-negotiated pricing.
• The startup is working on an AI-powered product designed to fully automate IT support for enterprises managing 200–300 devices. The solution is currently in pilot testing with a few companies. 

Corporate

Novo Nordisk’s India GCC outreach

Novo Nordisk, the Denmark-based global pharmaceutical company, has long operated in India not just as a market but also by leveraging the talent in the country for its healthcare and technology advancements.

The company first set up its global capability centre (GCC) in Bengaluru in 2007, which has since evolved as a key pillar for its worldwide operations. The India centre is now part of almost every function of Novo Nordisk be it R&D, technology development or backend support.

Talent hub:

• Novo Nordisk’s Global Business Services has 4,500 employees, supporting global processes across the entire value chain from early research and development to supply chain planning, contributing to bottom line improvement and operational efficiency.
• “With India as an emerging focus market for diabetes and obesity, our centre provides vital data insights and digital innovation to ensure product readiness, enabling us to deliver medicines to patients more quickly and effectively,” notes Corporate Vice President & Managing Director John Dawber.
• “By adopting AI and machine learning, we are streamlining processes in quality assurance and medical writing, allowing our skilled professionals to focus on strategic initiatives,” he adds.

News & updates

• Release: Huawei Technologies plans to begin mass shipments of its advanced 910C AI chips to Chinese customers as early as next month. The chip achieves performance comparable to Nvidia’s H100 chip by combining two 910B processors into a single package. 
• Monopoly: Alphabet’s Google needs strong measures imposed on it to prevent it from using its AI products to extend its dominance in online search, a US Department of Justice attorney said as trial in the antitrust case began on Monday.
• AI boom: Gautam Adani plans to invest an additional $10 billion to build data centers in India, as the billionaire looks to ride the boom in demand for artificial intelligence and business process-led services.

What city was known as and almost permanently named “Batmania”?

Answer: Melbourne, Australia.

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