On the 27th of May, a Civil Court in Mumbai issued an order restraining the e commerce giant Flipkart, from selling GOQii’s wearable products at large discounts. The restraint order came shortly after the Ratan Tata backed GOQii, issued a legal notice to Flipkart, saying they were facing a massive loss because of the huge discounts offered by Flipkart on GOQii’s products.
According to the legal notice filed by GOQii on the 18th of May, Flipkart was selling its products at a discount of 70% to 80% on the website, a practice which GOQii calls predatory pricing. Not only were these discounts going against the original agreement between GOQii and Flipkart, they are also violating foriegn investment policy in e commerce– since Flipkart is owned by Walmart.
In the issue notice against Flipkart, GOQii said because of this predatory pricing, a lot of their existing orders were also being cancelled. The wearable products manufacturer said its partners were not happy with the lowering of the prices as a result of which their profits were being slashed as well. Partners like Croma and other distributors are extremely unhappy with GOQii right now and are not taking any further orders.
Before the restraint order was filed against Flipkart, the e commerce platform responded to the allegations and said the complaints were baseless. Walmart owned Flipkart said the sales of the products were declining not because of their pricing policy, but because of the nature of the products.
In response to this, Vishal Gondal (founder and CEO of GOQii) said, “We urge Flipkart/Walmart to not use its position of dominance to compromise SMEs/startups. Such practices are not in the best interest of the ecosystem. Deep discounting continues to hurt GOQii business.”
This is not the first time a complaint like this was filed against Flipkart . In the year 2017, similar issues of predatory pricing were also brought to the attention of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) and the Competition Commission of India (CCI) by the All India Online Vendors’ Association. Even though GOQii had issued the legal notice, Flipkart refused to stop the discounts. Hence, with no other way out, the GOQii had to go to court.
In its order, the Mumbai Civil Court and Sessions Court said it was necessary to place this restraint order in an attempt to level the playing field and to reduce the amount of damages incurred by GOQii.
Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) has introduced Meta AI, an AI assistant, powered by Llama 3 language model, designed to be your one-stop shop for information, chat, and creativity. This means you can get real-time information on Facebook, WhatsApp, Messenger, and Instagram without ever leaving the app!
Meta AI’s search strategy is an intriguing twist. While it may appear to be a competitor to Google and Bing, it contends that Meta AI is not a competitor, but rather a collaborator. Here’s why:
By relying on established search engines as sources, Meta AI positions itself as a user-friendly tool that combines the best of Google and Bing. Imagine getting results from both Google and Bing in the same search. As you are exposed to different points of view, you may gain a more comprehensive understanding of the subject. They’re calling it the “most intelligent AI assistant that you can freely use,” so it will be interesting to see how it compares to other assistants on the market.
How does Meta AI help you?
Search Powerhouse: Meta AI combines Google Search and Microsoft Bing results to provide you with a more comprehensive view of your queries.
Chatty companions: Need answers or simply want to talk? Type “@MetaAI” into Facebook Messenger, Instagram, or WhatsApp and let the conversation begin.
Creative Spark: Feeling artistic? Meta AI allows you to create custom stickers and photos based on your text descriptions.
Where to Find Your Meta-AI Buddy:
Look for Meta AI in the search bars on Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, and WhatsApp.
To respond to posts, interact with Meta AI directly in Facebook’s main feed.
Explore the new meta.ai website for extended conversations.
Type “Imagine” into your WhatsApp chat to generate real-time images.
The future may even include access via Meta’s VR headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses.
The Future of AI Assistants
Only time will tell how Meta AI integrates into our lives, but it certainly offers a glimpse into an interactive future where AI assistants cater to our search, chat, and creative needs. Whether Meta AI becomes a true partner to search giants or forges its own path remains to be seen.
Meta AI promises a brand new way to search and interact with information. Do you think this AI assistant will change the way we use social media? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Farming has been an integral part of India’s history and culture for ages. It’s been the foundation of the Indian economy, supporting millions of people with food and jobs. Crops and agriculture hold immense importance in Indian society, not just in terms of money, but also in terms of culture, community, and spirituality.
Farming is a way of life for many people in India, but it can be a difficult and unpredictable business and farmers face a number of challenges, from erratic weather patterns to low market prices for their crops. Kheyti is a social enterprise founded in 2015 by Saumya, Kaushik Kappagantula, and Sathya Raghu. The organisation provides sustainable solutions to small farmers in India, helping them overcome challenges and improve their lives.
Kheyti’s flagship product is the “Greenhouse-in-a-Box,” a low-cost modular greenhouse that allows farmers to grow high-value crops year-round, even in unfavourable weather conditions. operates on a subscription-based model, where farmers can purchase a “Greenhouse-in-a-Box” kit or sign up for crop advisory services on a monthly or annual basis. Kheyti.com also earns revenue by connecting farmers with markets and buyers, taking a small commission on sales. They work to keep the costs low by partnering with local manufacturers to produce their products and leveraging tech to provide personalised crop advisory services at scale.
They also provide crop advisory services to farmers, offering personalised advice on crop selection, planting, and management. In total, The company has helped over 6,000 small farmers increase their incomes by an average of 300%. You call them small farmers, Kheyti calls them Smart farmers!
While there are other companies in India that offer similar solutions to small farmers, Kheyti stands out for its focus on sustainability, innovation, and community involvement. It works closely with farmers to develop tailored solutions that meet their needs while focusing on sustainable farming practices. Through its efforts, Kheyti has improved soil health, reduced water usage, and increased yields of various crops.
Looking ahead, Kheyti plans to expand its reach to more farmers in India and beyond and aims to continue developing new products and services that can help small farmers overcome the challenges they face. With its commitment to sustainability and innovation, The visionaries at Kheyti claim it has the potential to transform the agricultural sector and contribute to a more equitable future for all.
Imagine the joy and hope Kheyti brings to struggling farmers in India. With Kheyti’s help, over 6,000 small farmers have transformed their lives, becoming Smart farmers who handle challenges and succeed. With sustainable solutions, Kheyti is not only revolutionising agriculture but also spreading hope for a brighter future.
Clubhouse is a new type of social networking platform which is an audio only platform. This means every conversation takes place through audio where users speak to let their thoughts known. Users can create and host rooms where speakers will talk about a particular topic. Originating in the Silicon Valley, Clubhouse attracted some major names onto its platform like Elon Musk, Evan Williams, Reddit co founder Alexis Ohanian, former Y Combinator President Sam Altman, AngelList co founder Naval Ravikant, Ashton Kuthcer, Oprah Winfrey, Drake, Kevin Hart and many others are some of the influential personalities who are on Clubhouse. There is however a catch as Clubhouse is currently limited to iOS.
Leher is an Indian made alternative to Clubhouse and is a similar audio sharing and listening startup. Leher also has video support unlike Clubhouse and is also available for both Android and iOS. However, Leher does not have the biggest names in the world on its platform but it does have significant micro influencers and is growing at a rapid pace. Within 180 days of its beta version launch, the company claimed to have its users spend about 44 minutes every day and 250,000 minutes per month for live video sessions.
We at Startup Stories are curious to see which among Leher or Clubhouse would our readers choose to take part in a virtual discussion. Please let us know your answer in the poll below.
