It also covers OPD costs and blood tests.

“Being in the logistics space, employees are exposed to multiple people throughout the day; this benefit gives them added protection in these times,” said Srinivas Lingamuthu, cofounder of 72 Networks.Home services startup Urban Company, formerly UrbanClap, has partnered with Srinidhi Foundation to set up a relief fund to support gig workers and independent contractors on its platform and their families over the next few months.

“We have also set up a Rs 11-crore corpus to extend interest-free business advances to service partners, besides providing free Covid-19 health insurance and income protection,” said Abhiraj Singh Bhal, cofounder of Urban Company.Hostel chain Zostel provides its employees with accurate information about Covid-19 in their vernacular languages and free consultation with doctors across the country.

“We are constantly innovating to protect the interest of our on-ground staff,” he said.Earlier, shared living company Stanza Living set up a dedicated contingency fund from employees’ and cofounders’ voluntary contribution.

The Rs 10-lakh fund was set up to cover basic medical expenses for any employee in need, in the unfortunate incidence of contraction of Covid-19. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585377213.2030966/Services-startups-take-steps-to-protect-frontline-employees?ref=audio_experience

Ola, on Friday announced the launch of ‘ Drive the Driver Fund ’ under the aegis of its social welfare arm, Ola Foundation .

The fund aims to support auto-rickshaw, cab, kaali-peeli and taxi drivers, through contributions from the Ola group, investors and via a crowdfunding platform for citizens and other institutions.

Drivers and their families will also have access to free medical consultation.

To support them in this testing time, we are launching the ‘Drive the Driver’ fund which will provide bare-necessities to all driver partners, across auto-rickshaws and kaali peelis in the form of essential supplies and free medical and emergency support.

To this effect, the Ola group has come together to contribute the initial capital for the fund, which can be used to provide immediate aid.”To contribute to the Drive the Driver Fund, citizens can log in here | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585375415.5032153/Ola-launches-fund-for-the-driver-community;-Bhavish-Aggarwal-to-forgo-1-year's-salary?ref=audio_experience

Lyft is worth only $9 billion today, less than it was as a private company at the end of 2017.

Uber told investors this month that it expected to close out the year with between $4 billion and $6 billion in cash.

Uber may be partially insulated by its food delivery business, which could help offset a collapse in ride-hailing volume.

Airbnb and Uber have been lobbying the government to extend unemployment benefits to independent contractors and sole proprietors.The sharing economy companies in the worst shape may be those who aren’t so asset-light.

Scooter companies Lime and Bird Rides Inc. have electronic two-wheelers that are sitting around, depreciating in value. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585373405.1069958/The-sharing-economy-faces-the-abyss-in-a-pandemic?ref=audio_experience

We apologize for the inconvenience......but your activity and behavior on this site made us think that you are a bot.

Note: A number of things could be going on here. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585371711.6996882/ShieldSquare-Captcha?ref=audio_experience

We apologize for the inconvenience......but your activity and behavior on this site made us think that you are a bot.

Note: A number of things could be going on here. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585369911.3490198/ShieldSquare-Captcha?ref=audio_experience

Walmart India has promoted Sameer Aggarwal as the chief executive officer of Best PriceWe bring to you the latest edition of movers and shakers of the week in the Indian startup ecosystem.

But beyond this, the real economic impact from the coronavirus pandemic will come in the weeks and months to come.

Movers And Shakers Of The WeekWalmart India Promotes Sameer AggarwalWalmart India has promoted Sameer Aggarwal as the chief executive officer of its supermarket retail chain Best Price effective April 1, 2020.

He had joined Walmart India in April 2018 as the executive vice president.

Stay tuned for the next edition of Movers and Shakers of the week! | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585368005.4301832/Important-Movers-and-Shakers-Of-The-Week-[23--28-Mar]?ref=audio_experience

For a change, everyone is at home, finding ways to manage work, stress and stay safe from the Covid-19 pandemic.

For instance, cab aggregator Ola has set up a fund for drivers who are unable to work during the lockdown.

Zomato also launched a crowdsourced fund called ‘Feed the Daily Wager’, to which Zomato employees have also donated.

Further, ITC is also setting up a Contingency Fund of INR 150 Cr to address and manage the challenges arising out of this adversity.

Also, ShopKirana has received government approval to supply essentials to kirana stores to help the supply chain. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585366204.6744602/Day-3-Covid-19-Lockdown:-Deliveries-Resume,-Ola's-Driver-Fund-&-More?ref=audio_experience

However, if you are starting a business for the first time, letting everyone know that you are open for business can be daunting.

If you want to spread the word online, you should create a social media account to create viral posts.

However, there is no better way to spread the word about your business than through connecting directly with other people in a face-to-face capacity.

However, you do not only want to spread the word about the initial opening of your business.

This also increases the likelihood that they will recommend your business online or through word-of-mouth. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585364408.324612/How-To-Spread-The-Word-About-Your-First-Business ---Young-Upstarts?ref=audio_experience

So, accountants need to understand Blockchain technology and keep up-to-date with the latest innovative developments if they want to stay on top of their game and be prepared for the changes and opportunities Blockchain brings.

Read on to find out more about the development of Blockchain and how it is creating opportunities for accountants.

To discover what Blockchain means for the accounting profession, it is highly advisable you read up on Blockchain technology as much as you can.

Reading Blockchain books is a fantastic way to learn the ins and outs of Blockchain.

To help you get started, check out these top Blockchain books that are most-recommended by Blockchain professionals. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585362607.4838896/The-Development-Of-Blockchain:-Creating-Opportunities-For-Accountants---Young-Upstarts?ref=audio_experience

But given the lower coverage area for online pharmacies, a large portion of the Indian population would not be able to avail these services.

Many cities and smaller towns are still dependent on retail pharmacies and consumers here are facing difficulties in procuring medicines.

To solve their woes, the union health ministry, citing lockdown, announced that retail pharmacies can now directly deliver medicines to customers.

For this, the health ministry has invoked Section 26B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.

In the initial days of the lockdown, most of the online pharmacies have witnessed a surge in the number of orders, according to a Business Standard report. | To read full story, visit https://startuparound.com/read/1585360806.0416567/Retailers-Step-In-To-Fill-Medicine-Demand-As-Epharmacies-Struggle-In-Lockdown?ref=audio_experience