Microsoft joins India's ONDC WHAT HAS HAPPENED? US firm Microsoft has become the first big tech company to join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), A government-backed project which is aimed at enabling small merchants and mom-and-pop stores in parts of the country to access processes and technologies that are typically deployed by large e commerce platforms such as Amazon and Flipkart. The software giant intends to introduce social e-commerce - group buying experience in the Indian market, Which would include a shopping app for Indian consumers along with their social circle, harnessing the ONDC network to discover the best pricing among retailers and sellers. WHAT IS OPEN NETWORK FOR DIGITAL COMMERECE ? It is an initiative aimed at promoting open networks for all aspects of exchange of goods and services over digital or electronic networks. ONDC is to be based on open-sourced methodology, using open specifications and open network protocols inde...
Why Zomato’s shares fallen to lowest ever? WHAT HAS HAPPENED ? Zomato’s shares fell to under Rs 50, an all-time low, on Monday (July 25), as the year-long lock-in period for its pre initial public offering (IPO) ended on Friday (July 22). In the early hours of trading, the company’s scrip fell to as low as Rs 46, nearly 40 per cent down from its issue price of Rs 76. WHY THIS SELL OFF IN ZOMATO STOCK ? On Friday, the mandatory lock-in for promoters, employees, and other shareholders who bought Zomato’s stock before its IPO, ended. This means that these shareholders are now free to sell their shares — which, according to analysts, is the major reason behind Monday’s massive sell-off. According to rules laid down by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), if a company has no identifiable promoters, then its pre-IPO shares are locked in for a period of one year....