This development comes after the All India Mobile Retailers Association (AIMRA) had written to the mobile phone manufacturers on January 10.

The mobile retailers association had also said that they might boycott smartphone brands if online prices are not controlled.

In December 2019, AIMRA had sent another letter asking smartphone manufacturers to look into the deep discounting issue.

Similar to the recent letter, the mobile trader association had called for boycotting the brand unless the discounts are controlled.

The letter was sent to the country’s leading smartphone players, including Oppo, Vivo, Realme, Xiaomi, Samsung and OnePlus among others. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578983406.8654277/Smartphone-Prices-To-Go-Up-As-More-Companies-Agree-To-AIMRA’s-Demands?ref=audio_experience

There is no doubt that fantasy games have hacked the millennial brain by triggering the innate reward systems.

Exponential growth of fantasy gamesOver the past few years, fantasy gaming has seen exponential growth.

Sportspersons influencing the rise of fantasy gamesWell-known sports personalities are endorsing fantasy gaming platforms thus encouraging the millennials to take a turn from spectators to stakeholders.

Fantasy games are perhaps one of the most rewarding ways in which one can spend their leisure time.

Promoters are fast venturing into startups of online fantasy gaming with a vast prospect of growth. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578981606.3781059/How-fantasy-gaming-is-providing-millennials-with-huge-career-opportunities?ref=audio_experience

“..the government would neither amend nor withdraw the zero merchant discount rate (MDR) policy (on Rupay/UPI), nor compensate these companies on losses due to the waiving off the transactional charges in the upcoming budget.” [Finance minister to Fintech founders/ via | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578979909.91548/Govt-on-MDR:-No-compensation-on-losses-due-to-waiving-off-of-transactional-charges?ref=audio_experience

NextBigWhat team : The best way to reach out to us is via email: [email protected] | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578978006.9220152/Rahul-Dravid:-On-learning,-growth-and-the-process..?ref=audio_experience

The key to a successful team, and, therefore, success in the achievement of business objectives, is in the leadership provided by the business.

Leaders inspire and learnLeaders inspire their team, recognize individual strengths/weaknesses, and challenge team members to grow.

They help team members stay on the same page and ensure that there’s a collective goal the team is working towards that is clear and measurable.

Leaders are hands-on teachersAlthough leaders allow autonomy to their team members, they know when to step in and guide their team.

They capitalize on team members’ strengths and guide them to overcome challenges, being more approachable and accessible to the team. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578976206.6769574/Boss-Vs.-Leader:-The-Never-Ending-Battle-Between-Power-and-Leadership-(Infographic)?ref=audio_experience

BENGALURU: Consumers buying winter fashion and lifestyle products on Flipkart will get less time to return products as the Walmart-owned e-tailer is tightening its returns policy.

This is the first such change in its returns policy with a direct impact on consumers under the new parent Walmart .

"To reduce these fraudulent activities and to save you from such fraud buyers, the return/replacement policy for the below list of verticals is being changed from 30 days to 10 days," Flipkart has told merchants.

"Also note that this change has been done to protect your interest and to save you from fraudulent returns," it added.

Jackets, sweaters, sweatshirts, coats and thermals are some of the categories that will come under the new policy.A Flipkart spokesperson confirmed the development. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578974406.08113/Flipkart-tightens-returns-policy-on-rising-frauds?ref=audio_experience

MUMBAI: Many e-commerce platforms and mobile apps are set to do away with the second-factor authentication of one-time passwords (OTPs) for regular customers on payments up to Rs 2,000, making online transactions quicker and smoother.

Flipkart has already done so, and others like Swiggy and ride-sharing apps are about to follow.

A key driver for this has been the phased relaxation of rules by RBI-most recently last Friday-on one-time passwords.

With pre-authorisation, they do not face any such risk.Unlike in India, many overseas e-comm platforms and apps do not require second-factor authentication.

Now while requirement of OTP has been withdrawn, RBI has put the onus on banks and merchants to verify the user. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578972605.548344/More-e-tailers-doing-away-with-OTPs?ref=audio_experience

HYDERABAD: Microsoft India has selected 54 technology startups for its ‘ Highway to a Hundred Unicorns ’ programme, as part of which the software major will work closely with local governments to strengthen the startup ecosystem in respective states.The startups, selected from Gujarat, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Kerala and Telangana, out of 530 applications, will win Azure credits and a host of benefits.The top-three startups from each state gain access to a year-long mentorship programme and a two-day founder Bootcamp.“The entrepreneurial energy of startups is rising well beyond the known metropolitan hubs and is remarkably high in Tier-2 cities, despite the obvious challenges,” said Lathika Pai, country head, Microsoft for Startups — MENA and Saarc. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578970804.8205957/Microsoft-selects-54-tech-startups-in-its-Unicorn-hunt?ref=audio_experience

And, the name is quite apt for the city, which is home to several MNCs, startups, and corporates.

It remains at the forefront of experimentation and adoption of new technology innovations, especially in the current dynamic world of the internet economy.

As the startup capital of the country, Bengaluru is home to a significant number of dynamic internet economy companies like Flipkart, Ola, Amazon, Swiggy, and BYJU’s, and the trend continues with the emergence of new startups.

Bengaluru Innovation Report 2019, a joint study by leading institutional investors Accel, 3one4 Capital, Ideaspring Capital, and the Government of Karnataka, highlights how the city has been receptive to new ideas, especially those that are technology-driven.

The instant lending platform has disbursed a million loans since 2016, driven by the rising need for short-term credit. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578969019.7303412/Why-Bengaluru-has-been-an-early-adopter-of-innovations-(and-other-top-stories-of-the-day)?ref=audio_experience

Singapore-headquartered fintech startup Klub has raised $2 million in a pre-seed round from Surge, Sequoia India’s rapid scale-up programme, and a group of angel investors.

For Klub, raising a pre-seed funding round did not entail a fancy celebration.

Klub team with InMobi's Naveen Tewari at the tree planting.

The 40 angel investors who participated in the round through AngelList include some top names from the startup ecosystem.

At present, Klub is in stealth mode and is doing limited pilots with select brands, including some international ones entering India. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1578967206.036529/[Funding-alert]-Fintech-startup-Klub-raises-$2M-pre-seed,-celebrates-fundraise-by-planting-trees?ref=audio_experience