Shafaque Patkari

ONDC: The Game Changer   source:News9  Image source: Pinterest The Indian e-commerce market is projected to reach USD 188 billion by 2025 and USD 350 billion by 2030. However, Amazon and Flipkart currently dominate with over 60% market share. In response, the Indian Government introduced ONDC (Open Network for Digital Commerce) in 2022 to compete with these giants. ONDC aims to establish a presence in the Indian e-commerce market by targeting buyers in both big cities and rural areas, offering significant discounts to encourage their participation. It also charges sellers a modest 3% commission, in contrast to competitors like Zomato and Swiggy, which charge 25%. Digital payments in India are set to triple from 300 crores in November 2019 to 1000 crores by January 2023. To join ONDC, local stores must have a digital payment system. The platform is being developed by a network of members with various specialties, including logistics. ONDC is facing initial challenges due t...

 Shattered Aspirations: Untangling Turbulent   Unicorn Startups    Source:News9plus                                                                             (Image Source: Pinterest)                                   Paytm, which was founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma in 2000, faced a turbulent period as investor confidence waned, causing a significant drop in its $17 billion valuation. After going public, the company's stock price plummeted by 27%, falling to ₹511 in May 2021 and ₹800 in September 2022. Amit Tondon, the founder of Institutional Investor Advisory Services, expressed strong dissatisfaction with Vijay Shekhar Sharma's leadership, leading the organization to recommend that Payt...

 The Downfall of Rajapaksa Regime     Source: News9plus          (Image source: Pinterest) Months of ongoing unrest have deeply shaken Sri Lanka. Following the encirclement of the presidential palace and the residences of several leaders by protesters, the nation's president fled first to Singapore and then to the Maldives. The president's resignation was subsequently announced by Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, the Speaker of the Sri Lankan House, who stated, "I have received the letter of resignation sent by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The president has legally resigned from his post on July 14, 2022." Sri Lanka is currently grappling with its most severe economic crisis since gaining independence, with its 22 million citizens enduring months of shortages in food, fuel, and medicine. The Rajapaksa family, often referred to as "The Rajapaksas," has been targeted by the "Struggle" movement, known as Aragalaya in Sinhalese, for their role in the countr...

 India's Bond Market Advancement: Expanding into Global Indices and More     Source: Twitter                                                            (Image Source: Pinterest) India's bond market has experienced significant changes and is currently undergoing a transformation. Historically, India was the only major emerging market that did not include global securities in global bond indices. While India fully opened its equity market to foreign investors in 1993, there has been a debate about opening the bond market to foreign investors due to concerns about the potential impact on the currency market due to large money inflows and outflows. Several developments have taken place to address this issue: Consolidation of Investors: Qualified Foreign Investors (QFIs) and Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) have been merge...

The Medical Confrontation in India: Branded Medications versus Generic Alternatives   Source: Twitter  (Image source: Google) In India, the term 'generic' refers to medicines that are marketed without a specific brand name. Another term used is 'branded generics,' which refers to off-patent medicines sold under a brand name. This category encompasses almost all drugs in the Indian pharmaceutical market. The National Medical Commission (NMC) of India has issued a notice mandating doctors to prescribe medicines using generic names instead of brand names. The objective of this move is to promote affordable healthcare and prevent overpricing of medications. However, many doctors are concerned about potential confusion and lack of quality control that may arise from this change. The NMC's notice addresses a significant issue related to prescriptions, rather than merely focusing on handwriting. The government has instructed doctors to cease prescribing branded drugs a...