In the News

From ability to appetite, witness the memorable journey of Indian entrepreneurship in these excerpts and stories! StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our articles of this past week (see the previous post here). Share these 30 gems and insights from the week of July 2-8 with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights. Once you let the inner shackles disappear, the whole world is out there, waiting to be conquered. - Sheenam Ohrie, Dell IT Get big things done; never be irrelevant. - Anuj Srivastava, Livspace Business success is not just from money but from the quality of the relationships you develop. - Dan Klein, Petit Musee Bring the same energy every day as if it was your first day. - Vishnu Vengala, FreshersBuddy It is great to have goals and be inspired to do more, but the most important thing to remember is to be happy with what you are doing and stay in the moment. - Sarah Todd, My Restaurant in India Practice makes perfect; the only way to develop your eye is to keep looking. - Mark London, ELG Insurance technology is a big industry with a large profit pool, and consumer maturity (to technology) is such that genuine disruption can happen. - Yashish Dahiya, PolicyBazaar Logistics adds on a competitive edge for e-tailers as it provides a higher degree of control over cost and customer inflow. - Verun Rastogii, Mufubu As products become more diverse, ecommerce will need to optimise the supply chain to be delivered as quickly as possible to the customers. - Nicko Widjaja, MDI Ventures Whether it is lead generation or content marketing, reaching the target audience through conversational marketing is the newfound Midas for companies. - Vipul Garg, Morph.ai Technology is making the fragmented technology sector come together by connecting gaps considered normal in the pre-tech era. - Piyush Tandon, Meratask The fintech threat to the banking industry is no longer a headline. It is close to an accord. - Shantanu Agarwal, Paisalo Digital Tech-enabled financial and lending products such as P2P lending are not just for borrowers, but are also an emerging asset class for investors. - Rajat Gandhi, Faircent If IoT has to take off as an entire sector, India needs to get its hardware act together. - Jaimin Shah, NASSCOM India is a super important market but it also is a super tough market. - Pepijn Rivers, Booking The average time a person spends in traffic in urban centres in India is three months per year. - Sameer Garde, Cisco India There is plenty of untapped potential towards delivering technological innovation at every individual’s doorstep in India. - Manu Jain, Xiaomi While India has pole-vaulted into global leadership in the mobile broadband space, the country lags significantly in fixed-line broadband. - Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Jio At just one percent of US population, Indians contribute to one-third of Silicon Valley startups. - Atul Nishar, TiE Every fifth shoe you see in the world is made in India. - Veena Ashiya, Monrow Shoes A student today is as much a consumer as a scholar. - Ravi Bhalla, BlackBeltHelp Having a human-centric approach while designing a business process can help in thinking from a broader aspect and foresee unseen challenges. - Aakash Jethwani, Artha Creative Studio The basic aim of cultivation is never only harvesting . It is an attempt to make our lifecycle complete. - Babu Parambath, Niravu Earlier technology came to the farmers as harvesters and transplanters, but now they are opening up to digital services. - Ashutosh Tiwari, AgroNxt Child labour cannot be eradicated until work continues to win over school in a choice between the two. - Puja Marwaha, CRY Millennial women exude confidence like never before, ready to break through the old boys’ networks and make a mark of their own. - Vani Kola, Kalaari Capital With young entrepreneurs taking the plunge into building their own brands, they have a younger audience to cater to, which is larger than any market in the world. - Harminder Sahni, Wazir Advisors The best leaders know when it is time to draw on the wisdom of experience and when it is time to think anew. - Liz Wiseman, ‘Multipliers’ Human beings are, by nature, entrepreneurs and should not be slotted into a “salaried” job. - Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus Entrepreneurship depends not just on your ability but also on your appetite to take the plunge and live on the edge indefinitely. - Sahil Vaidya, The Minimalist Read the original blog on Your Story

Bags play a very important role in your monsoon fashion statement. From your airport look to after office party, they never forget to help you to keep the fashion quotient high. During the monsoon, the travel bag is a must-have before you step out of your house, so make sure you are selecting it wisely. Verun Rastogi, CEO Mufubu and Dilip Piramal, Founder and MD of Skybags share some must have travel bags designed for this monsoon season.   * Duffel bags: Duffle bags are foldable bag and it is great for the light packer who hates wasting space. This bag mostly comes in waterproof nylon material, it is easy to keep your items safe from rain. It is perfect for a small weekend trip or a night out with friends. * Multi purpose bags: Multi Purpose bag is something between a suitcase and a backpack. It can be worn on the back or over the shoulder. This type of bag has a main compartment that unfolds like a book for easy packing, a lined laptop sleeve, and an interior shoe compartment. This is ideal for official trips, mostly preferred for its multi-purpose use and it fits everything you need for a three to five day trip. * Travel bag with the baby strollers: This travel bag is very useful for those traveling with baby strollers, this is must have for new parents because of their unique design and for that segment of travelers. It will be very useful. The durable nylon bag is easy to roll and convenient for carrying strollers and toddler seats. * The smart backpacks: Thanks to technology, today backpacks look ultra-modern and are the standard carry-on for traveling, at least to most people. It's also about time for backpack fashion to evolve once again with the arrival of smart backpacks. Smart backpacks are like your ordinary backpacks, but only more techie. They can charge your devices, get power from the sun, play your favorite tunes, and more. * The outdoor backpacks: If you're always out on the move, meeting clients or attending conventions, you'll often find yourself dreading that low battery warning on your smartphone. It can be difficult to find a charger as you need it then this is outdoor backpack is must for you. It has an external USB charging port and a built-in charging cable, letting you travel with total peace of mind. With a slim profile and a minimalist look, it was designed to deliver seamless functions for the Urban Professional. * Lifepack anti-theft backpack: Travelling to a whole new city is exciting. The idea of you exploring the great unknown is thrilling. Don't make this adventure turn sour for you. Always keep your things safe! It's scary to be robbed of your money and worse, your Smartphone in a foreign land where you know no one. With all anti-theft backpacks available in all shopping portals, this will be your best backpack for this monsoon season, all your favourite gadgets are water proof and safe from theft. * Canvas travel bags: The Canvas travel bags are very chic and affordable weekender bag comes in various colour variations are ideal for women this Monsoon season. It's easy to fit in any airline overhead compartment or under the seat, and great for packing for one or two nights. A back slide sleeve allows you to slide it over the handle of rolling luggage if you're bringing both for a longer trip. Read the original blog on Business Standard

The Indian male consumers’ fashion sensibilities are evolving. Therefore, it is no surprise to see that the demand for accessories has gone up in the market. Today, across the world the times have undergone a massive change, owing to which, the customers’ mindset now wishes to check out unique accessories, especially those that are personalized and bespoke, which “in fact also reflect the personality of the individuals that wear them and in turn make a fashion statement of their own,” shares Gaurav Mehta, owner of the bespoke watch brand, the Jaipur Watch Company.  Here comes the customized option and watches are the real rage. The Indian fashion and lifestyle market is set to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% over the next five years to reach Rs 3,94,000 crore from the currently estimated Rs 2,21,000 crore, said an A T Kearney. This includes a chunk of the total accessory market as well, which is estimated to grow from 8.8% to 14% in the next five years. This includes apparel accessories, bags, wallets, belts, fashion jewelry, time wear, and eyewear as well. “Bespoke is a fairly newborn concept in India. But it has huge entrepreneurial potential. Customers are giving priority to bespoke accessories like watches rather than owning expensive well-known brands,” adds Mehta. Let’s face it; times are gone when a watch would turn to become a family heirloom. Then it is no surprise that entrepreneurs are looking at this as a thronging business segment and many are specializing in one or more kinds of accessories, especially for men. Saket Aggarwal is a young entrepreneur who founded Lazy Jojo in 2017. Fairly new, he has made a business out of supplying customized canvas shoes. Aggarwal shares “People take their shoes very seriously. Today, the accessory market has huge market penetration. It has used the e-commerce boom to its advantage and the male customer is ready to experiment. Thanks also to social media that has made Indian consumers very brand conscious is living up to the anthem that today’s buyer wants to accessorize and live a fuller life.” Today, accessories are no longer viewed as add-ons but have become products in their own right.  Rightly so, Mufubu.com of Verun Rastogii is encashing on India’s fashion sensibilities and providing niche and chic rucksacks and smartwatches for men, who love their accessories. They branched out of smart gifting ideas in 2014 and are making a niche since 2017 into men’s accessories. “The fact that these accessories are popular is because we get repeat orders so much that we are selling literally 300-400 pieces per day,” shares Rastogii. He further adds, “Bags and watches have been a male-dominated segment before it became an accessory market for women.  They essentially mark an identity for the working section of the society and have gradually now become a fashion statement." "Increase in disposable incomes has majorly contributed towards the buying-ability of luxury bags and watches but also the technology advancement leads to an increase in the variety of sports and luxury segments which gives consumer quite a lot of options to select from,” shares Rastogii who prides in his range of utility watches which are rage with men of all age groups. As purchasing power increases, so will the desire to hone some extremely personalized bags, watches, shoes, belts and much more, when it comes to men. Read the original blog here: https://www.franchiseindia.com/content/fashion-franchises-make-way-for-mens-accessories-to-rule-the-market.11553

Raksha Bandhan is around the corner and people are busy buying the perfect gifts for their siblings. How about gifting your sister some healthy food and fitness options Verun Rastogii, Founder of Mufubu and Shampa Banerjee, in-house Dietitician of SastaSundar.com list healthy gifting ideas for sisters and brothers this Raksha Bandhan. * Healthy chocolates and assorted cookies: Healthy chocolates and assorted cookies are one of the best gifting options this festive season. These sweet products are low on sugar and packed with multi-nutrients values. This is a perfect gifting option if she loves indulging in chocolates and sweets. It is convenient, healthy and delicious for an occasion like Rakhi. * Organic tea combos with detox products: Teatox is the new healthy trend in India, drinking teas infused with diuretics, laxatives and stimulants are good for health. It helps to reduce inflate, boost your energy and strengthen your immune system. It is one of the best morning detoxes to lose weight. Every sister wants to have a celebrity inspired body, this gift is surely going to make her happy. * Vegan food hampers: More people around the world are selecting to adopt a vegan lifestyle. * Spa sessions: Gift her a spa session for natural and refreshing spa treatments. It is not only refreshing but extremely good for your skin and hair. There are various types of spa and facial sessions available in the market. * Fitness band: Your sister must be struggling to keep a tab on her health due to our hectic lifestyle and work life. Fitness Band makes it very easy to keep in check your daily health schedule and if your sister is a fitness freak, it will indeed be a perfect Raksha Bandhan gift for her. * Sports watch: Whether it's for your brother or sister, sports watch is a dream come true gift for all. A sports watch is going to change not only their look but also make it as a wonderful gifting option. If your sister is a sports freak, then you can pair a sports watch with her favourite pair of badminton rackets. * Work leisure apparel: The new trend in the fashion world is wearing leggings outside of the gym or comfy clothes are the new attire for your next office look. Gift her fashionable work leisure apparel this Rakhi as it is perfect for work or dinner. * Running shoes: The last thing you want to worry about when you're working out is about the comfort, especially since cross-training sneakers are already less cushioned than your go-to runners. Gift her a pair of running shoes and motivate her to begin her fitness journey. Read the original blog on Hindustan Times