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BookMyShow Acquires Restaurant Discovery Platform Burrp

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BookMyShow Acquires Restaurant Discovery Platform Burrp,Startup Stories,Startup Stories in India,Startup News,2017 Most Read Startup Stories,BookMyShow,BigTree Entertainment,Reliance Industries,MastiTickets,BookMyShow Buys Restaurant

Mumbai based online ticketing firm BookMYShow, has acquired Network 18 owned Mumbai based food delivery and restaurant discovery firm Burrp for Rs. 6.2 lakhs. This all cash deal has been termed as a slump sale when compared to the Rs. 4.25 crores that Infomedia18 paid to buy Burrp in 2009.

This divestment is being carried out by Foodfesta Wellcare Private Limited which is a subsidiary of BigTree Entertainment which owns and operates BookMyShow. The sale was finalized 2 months after the board of Network18 gave an in principal approval to sell Burrp. Employees, existing restaurant partnership and other key assets will be transferred to BookMyShow in accordance with the deal.

Burrp founded in 2006 by Deep Ubhi and Anand Jain competes with food discovery and delivery startup Zomato. The founders moved on to pursue their own ventures in 2009, after the buyout and from 2010 to 2014, Burrp saw several top management changes. In 2014, Reliance Industries bought Network18 and relaunched Burrp with a new management team. Burrp has also ventured into offer redemption and couponing along with the ticketing of food and beverages events and currently list over 60,000 restaurants in 14 cities.

However, leading online ticketing firm BookMyShow does not plan to get into the food delivery business even with the current acquisition and both the apps will operate independently for now. A spokesperson for BMS said that there could be a possibility of integration of services. BookMyShow users can also pre book food and beverages at cinemas while booking their movie tickets. The spokesperson also added that at the food and beverage segment for BookMyShow has been growing rapidly and has witnessed a 6x growth between FY-16 and FY- 17.

BookMyShow also offers executive and free discount coupons at popular restaurants near cinemas and has partnered with more than 2,100 food retail brands in about 80 cities. They cover over 6,400 outlets around 1,100 cinemas across India. This is their third acquisition this year after raising Rs. 550 crores from Stripes Group last year. The company previously acquired Hyderabad based MastiTickets in January and Pune based even platform Townscript in February.

The head of merger and acquisitions for BookMyShow Mani Vora said the food is an integral activity of the movie going experience in India and this is where Burrp will fit in for them.

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Sundar Pichai Reaches Billionaire Milestone as Alphabet CEO

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Sundar Pichai, the visionary CEO of Alphabet Inc., has officially entered the ranks of global billionaires, accomplishing this rare feat after a decade at the helm of one of the world’s most influential tech giants. Pichai’s net worth hit $1.1 billion—according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index—fueled by Alphabet’s incredible market performance and the company’s growth of more than $1 trillion in value since early 2023. Achieving billionaire status without being a founding member sets Pichai apart, highlighting his significant impact among non-founder tech leaders.

Born in Tamil Nadu, India, Pichai’s success story is rooted in humble beginnings. He spent his childhood in a modest two-room apartment, only gaining access to a telephone at age 12. A scholarship took him to Stanford University in 1993, with his family making great sacrifices for his education. After joining Google in 2004, Pichai played a pivotal role in the development of Chrome and rose steadily, ultimately becoming CEO in 2015. His leadership through Alphabet’s restructuring and his stewardship over high-growth areas like YouTube, Google Cloud, and Google Play have been critical to the company’s success.

During his tenure, Pichai has championed aggressive investments in artificial intelligence and cloud infrastructure, positioning Alphabet at the forefront of technological innovation. While his annual salary sits at $2 million, the majority of his fortune stems from stock awards and financial incentives tied to performance. Pichai’s journey exemplifies the rise from modest beginnings to extraordinary success, serving as an inspiration and proving that transformative leadership and strategic vision can redefine what’s possible—even without a founder’s equity stake.

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IIT Hyderabad Unveils Palyanka, Heavy-Lift Drone for Air Ambulance Use

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Hyderabad - Drone

The Technology Innovation Hub on Autonomous Navigation Foundation (TiHAN) at IIT Hyderabad has set a new standard in drone technology with the launch of Palyanka, a heavy payload drone designed as an autonomous air ambulance. Capable of carrying up to 200 kg, Palyanka is engineered to swiftly transport patients, medical equipment, or critical cargo across challenging terrains, bypassing traditional barriers like road congestion and remote inaccessibility. This advanced UAV operates autonomously, making it highly effective for rapid response in both urban and rural emergencies, and stands at the forefront of disaster relief operations in scenarios such as floods and fires.

Built for versatility, Palyanka doesn’t just function as an air ambulance. Its robust design enables use in rescue missions, cargo deliveries, and even as an air taxi for metropolitan connectivity. Inspired by the Sanskrit word for palanquin, the name “Palyanka” reflects the drone’s role as a safe and efficient carrier. All components, from conceptual design to IP, have been developed in-house at IIT Hyderabad, ensuring the drone meets stringent standards for durability and performance under extreme conditions.

With a development journey spanning over five years and led by Prof. P. Rajalakshmi, TiHAN’s team has transitioned from early drone prototypes to a full-scale, high-capacity solution like Palyanka. The team is now preparing pilot projects in hilly terrains and working on further enhancing the drone’s endurance with innovative heat-resistant materials. By pioneering such indigenous solutions, IIT Hyderabad’s TiHAN is transforming emergency medical services and logistics, marking a pivotal advancement in India’s urban mobility and public safety landscape.

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X’s Major Price Cut in India: Premium Plans Now More Accessible Than Ever

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X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has announced a major reduction in its subscription prices across India, slashing fees by up to 48%. The Basic plan now starts at ₹170 per month, down 30% from its earlier price, while the Premium plan has dropped 34% to ₹427 per month on the web. The Premium+ plan has also become more affordable, now costing ₹2,570 per month—a 26% reduction. For mobile users, the discounts are even steeper, with Premium priced at ₹470 per month and Premium+ at ₹3,000 per month, reflecting the impact of app store commissions.

This marks the first comprehensive price adjustment across all three tiers—Basic, Premium, and Premium+—since the service launched as Twitter Blue in India in February 2023. The move comes shortly after Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, rolled out the new Grok 4 model and follows xAI’s acquisition of X earlier this year. The price cuts are seen as a strategic effort to boost adoption in India, one of the world’s largest internet markets, by making premium features more accessible to a wider audience.

Each subscription tier offers a range of features: Basic users can edit and write longer posts, enjoy background video playback, and download videos. Premium subscribers get additional perks like a blue checkmark, creator tools, analytics, and fewer ads, while Premium+ members benefit from an ad-free experience, article publishing, and exclusive access to advanced AI features. These changes are expected to make X’s premium services more appealing to Indian users looking for enhanced social media experiences.

 

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