Author: Rahul Mehra
News Editor

In the past, Hedonova has invested in trailblazing startups such as SpaceX, Swiggy, Robinhood and Flexport, among others. New Delhi, February 02: LegalPay, India’s first and only tech-driven alternative-investments platform specializing in insolvency, legal and debt financing, within insolvency, has raised an undisclosed amount from US-based Hedge fund Hedonova.  This investment extends LegalPay’s pre-Series A round in December last that was led by Venture Catalysts and Amity Technology Incubator. Hedonova is an alternative-investment hedge fund that invests in multiple asset classes such as art, unicorn startups, wine, equipment finance, ligation finance, music, and a few more. On the recent investment, Suman…

Ms. Shrishti Bhandari, Chief Marketing Officer & Executive Director, Mangalam Information Technologies Pvt. Ltd., said, “The thrust on digitisation in the Union Budget augurs well for the post-pandemic world. In a heartening measure, the Budget gives a push to emerging technologies such as blockchain, drones, etc., and recognises animation, e-sports and gaming as sunrise sectors. Moreover, strengthening digital infrastructure through DESH stack e-portal and granting infrastructure status to datacentres will catalyse the growth of the Indian IT sector. Overall, the emphasis on tech-enabled growth is a major positive takeaway from the Union Budget. These, along with the implementation of the 5G…

Prashant Jain, CEO, Oswaal Books, said, “The vision of the budget is welcoming not only to the current needs but also to the global demands of the future. While there is a clear emphasis on digital education and skilling programs that will boost learning outcomes and methods, the students and teachers who have nearly lost two years of learning and patience due to the pandemic may find the remedy a little delayed. One Class One TV Channel will expand the reach of education to the leisure of homes across the economic divide, and centres of excellence will help focus on quality…

Mr. Juzar Khorakiwala, President, IMC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said, “Union Budget 2022-23 unveiled by the Finance Minister today has laid a blueprint for the country’s economic journey over the next 25 years. This forward-looking budget provides a direction for the country’s progress in the future and is laced with welfare orientation. The budget highlights the progressive vision for rapid infrastructure development through the Gati Shakti program that can create millions of jobs, build world-class facilities for easy mobility of people and goods, and reduce overall transportation costs. A multimodal approach encompassing railways, roads, ports, and so on is…

Dr. Shyam Bhat, Chairperson, LiveLoveLaugh, said, “The pandemic and its aftermath have aggravated mental health issues, and this situation requires renewed focus. Therefore, it is encouraging to see plans in this year’s annual budget to bolster mental health care infrastructure in the country. The setting of new mental health institutions and a national tele mental health program provide a robust platform for more research, better treatment and follow-up, and an overall improvement in health outcomes. We look forward to the implementation of the policies announced in this year’s budget”. Dr Veena Aggarwal, Trustee Dr KK’s Heart Care Foundation of India, said,…

Dr. Navneet Gupta, Founder & CEO at YPay, said, “India’s fintech system was a silver lining in the difficult times of lockdown and the pandemic. The nation has been bullish with digital payments, and the current budget has further fueled the same by announcing 75 digital banking units in 75 districts. Including 1.5 lakh post offices under a banking system with digital infrastructure, enablement will promote financial inclusion and accelerate shifting the micro-economy in the mainstream banking system. Gradually, all the efforts will strengthen credit access, and payments in the MSME system will certainly reflect in the nation’s economic growth at…

Ms. Kanika Gupta Shori, Founder and COO, Square Yards, said, “The Union Budget 2022 has provided a sound fillip to the affordable housing sector, with the government allocating Rs 48,000 crore towards the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The completion of 80 lakh houses for identified eligible beneficiaries in rural and urban areas will keep the real estate sector in good stead and support the demand buoyant for affordable housing in 2022 and beyond. Further, the decision of the central government to work cohesively with state governments for land and construction approvals and uniform registration of deeds is heartening to see.…

Varun Goenka, CEO and Co-Founder, Charge up, said, “One of the most pressing needs of the day is to establish a network of battery charging and swapping stations across India that can eliminate the range anxiety and encourage people to adopt EVs with greater confidence. The government’s announcement to encourage private sector players to develop sustainable and innovative business models in this arena is a welcome move. Further, the support for interoperability would lead to battery standardization. We had been anticipating the push towards public transit usage by establishing more EV exclusive zones wherein private or non-electric vehicles will be…

Mr. Sohail Mirchandani, Chief Operating Officer & Co-Founder, Ekostay, said, “Young India has become synonymous with the term – Startup. The dream of having one startup per district is almost coming true, but one of the biggest hurdles startups face is being bootstrapped. And so the difficulties that come along, affecting the sustainability of these startups. The extension of ECLGS will only do good to young India in many ways. The ECLGS  expansion by Rs 50,000 crores to cover an aggregate of Rs 5 lakh crores to aid MSME’s financial needs will definitely help the hospitality sector, that’s been looking…

January 31: The Finance Minister is expected to come with the provisions for economic revival, as the third wave of COVID-19 has gripped the country and added to the dejection of the previous two waves that caused unimaginable losses of lives and livelihoods. The Union Budget 2022-23 should essentially focus on demand generation, job creation, public healthcare, hand-holding Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) and enabling the economy to regain the lost thrust of ideally double-digit growth. As Covid-19 has severely impacted the economy in the second consecutive year, it is time for well-thought actions for maximizing the revenue while…