Over the past many months, metaverse has captured the zeitgeist. It is increasingly finding mentions from top CxOs as well as on investor calls. Wherever one looks, it is tough to escape a conversation that involves the metaverse. There is some hype, and a whole lot of speculation around what Metaverse entails. At its most …
Diving into Microsoft’s FY22 Q2 Earnings
Microsoft reported strong FY22 results. Driven by the continued shift to a hybrid/remote-first work and consequent solid demand for distributed computing fabric, Microsoft Cloud continued to gain momentum growing 32% YoY. Beyond Cloud, I love the razor-sharp focus of Microsoft on steering “community-centric bets” that offer strong value; drives engagement as well as long-term revenue. These …
Xiaomi’s Quest for the Premium Market
For Indian consumers, the smartphone is an extension of their lifestyle. Indian consumers are value conscious, aspirational and demanding. They seek the best-in-class specs, and are, for the most part, brand agnostic, especially in the entry-level premium segment. For a smartphone brand to be considered premium, it would need to deliver on the hardware as …
Analysing Microsoft’s historic Activision Deal
Microsoft’s acquisition of Activision Blizzard, the maker of ‘Call of Duty’ and ‘Candy Crush’, for $68.7Bn is one the biggest-ever tech and gaming industry deals ever. Microsoft becomes the world’s third-largest gaming company by revenue, behind Tencent and Sony. Driven by the pandemic-induced uptick, gaming has taken centrestage today. The deal marks a bold bet on …
Super Apps vs Super Tech Ecosystems: The Jio Playbook
While ‘super apps’ are where the conversation is currently centered, I believe the focus should instead be on ‘super tech ecosystems’. A case in point: Jio. The tech stack at Jio, via a series of acquisitions and investments, now includes a conversational Artificial Intelligence (AI) layer, a vernacular voice tech layer, a logistics layer, as well as …
Apple India continues its stellar run, doubles business in last fiscal
Apple posted a double-digit revenue growth in India in the quarter ending June, and has since doubled its business in India in FY 2021 with a stellar performance. As per Apple, it generated a quarterly revenue of $83.4Bn in Q4 2021. Demand was very robust, and Apple set another quarterly record despite larger-than-expected supply constraints. …
India’s tryst with a ‘digital-first economy’ via Mobiles
Throughout the course of the pandemic, connectivity has been at the core of enabling human lives. Whether it be working from home, learning from home, or unwinding at home, connectivity enabled Indians to lead lives from within the confines of their homes. The ubiquitous mobile phones helped us connect, collaborate, create and consume digitally. In …
India’s Rise as a Deep Tech Start-up Nation
The year 2021 could well be the year of Deep Tech. Over the course of the pandemic, the visibility and impact of Deep Tech have become much more accessible to a wider audience. Whether it be the first ever mRNA-based vaccine to combat the pandemic, or the space race, Deep Tech has secured mainstream interest. …
OnePlus and OPPO strengthen bonds for future growth
For over a year now, OnePlus and OPPO have been focused on bringing more synergies to their operations, and script their future. For OnePlus, this new chapter is a pivotal one. The company that Pete Lau and Carl Pei started together as a flagship challenger brand, has attained scale over the years. Last year, Pete …
Apple doubles down on privacy at WWDC21
Privacy has been a major cornerstone for Apple’s business. For long now, Apple has championed Privacy as a “fundamental human right”. In doing so, Apple has clearly built a unique differentiator for itself, and set a clear challenge for other market players. The WWDC21 is no different. Apple doubled down on privacy with a slew …