Cost to Company is a brand new podcast from The Ken that covers careers, workplaces, and most things in between. Every week we tell you how your workplace is changing, before you hear it on slack.

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As the EV space picks up pace in India, so is the fuel behind it all: charging. And big players like Tata Power and Jio-BP are pushing their weight to establish themselves in the budding infrastructure. Add to it all, an all-electric cab fleet operator BluSmart is scaling and paving the way for broader charging infrastructure. But with both charging biggies making big moves, who really has the upper hand in the foreseeable future?   Stories originally reported by   Seetharaman G: ‘Low...

Ola Electric has tried to replicate the Tesla story in India. With a lofty vision to convert all two-wheelers sold in India to electric by 2023, has Bhavish Aggarwal bit off more than he can chew? Delayed delivery dates, angry customers, senior leaders quitting—what’s going on at Ola Electric?   Story originally reported by Olina Banerji, with COO and author of The Nutgraf Praveen Gopal Krishnan.   Produced by Nithin Shamsudhin, editing by Rajiv CN, music by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa...

Stoa school is riding on the wave of cohort based courses in online learning with the promise of getting a business education, a salary hike, a job at a shiny startup and the confidence to hold your own in a room full of MBAs. But taking a look at the business and its courses, it’s unclear just how it all works as a system. While some fellows have a serendipitous success story with the disruptor, is one year old Stoa really ready to challenge the decades-old MBA system?   Story originally...

A relationship manager has to make 20 calls, generate 8 leads and convert 5 of those to sell banking products. Daily. What was fundamentally set up to strengthen a relationship between a customer and their bank, the role has become a sales-heavy channel. And when RMs are  subject to high targets and rampant abuse, mis selling becomes the mainstay. So when a 70 year old is sold life insurance, and the relationship manager behind it is under pressure to meet their targets, we need to take a...

The pandemic has seen a boost in online shopping across India, and Reliance backed Ajio is no stranger to that. But it’s not just good timing and luck that has brought it neck-to-neck with market leader Myntra. The company has been fixing bugs and building strengths to rise the ranks and holds the promise of toppling Myntra from its throne. But that’s not the end of the road for Ajio, they want to become omni-present in Indian retail and their strategy for it goes deep.   Story originally...

Remember those neighbourhood aunties with their side-hustle of selling women’s apparel to their social circle? E-commerce company Meesho built a tech-layer over that and has risen to dominance in India’s tier-2 and below cities. The multi-million dollar industry known as social commerce is set to grow to twice the size of all e-commerce in India, and Flipkart wants to get in on the action. The giant is sending its own fleet to fight for what Meesho has, and then some. It’s a battle for...

When smallcase began operations in 2015, it took the retail investment world in India by storm. Investors flocked to the service for their intuitive and idea-based stock bundling options. Now, smallcase finds itself at the top of the market that has only grown in popularity, but the environment around it is changing. With new competitors gaining momentum, partnerships changing faces and the imminent threat of a price war, what will smallcase do to maintain its lead in the space it has...

Open Network for Digital Commerce or ONDC is the Indian government’s alternative to the American “laissez-faire, completely market-driven model”. It aims to be seller-first and consumer-focussed and to shift power away from the e-commerce giants. But many stakeholders bring many problems and if not solved, the network might end up creating many more.   Story originally reported by Arundhati Ramanathan. Want to dive deeper into this story? Access it for free:...

Disney+ Hotstar is India’s largest streaming platform, a feat that is largely owed to its prized licensing of the IPL, the cricketing tournament makes up 50% of its ad revenue. But the company is working to reduce its dependence on cricket, and with that come ambitious strategies and plans.    Story originally reported by Munsif Vengattil. Want to dive deeper into this story? Access it for free: https://the-ken.com/podcastoffer/   Hosts: Olina Banerji and Rohin Dharmakumar.   Music and...

LIC is the Indian government’s crown jewel as far as public sector undertakings go. The 65-year-old insurance behemoth has grown as part of India’s history and has found a home in all economic households across the country. Its IPO, set to launch soon, will be yet another milestone. But as a state-owned entity, going public will not be easy—it will bring fundamental changes to the forefront.   Story originally reported by Seetharaman G and Anand Kalyanaraman: ...

800 million vaccine doses is almost half of what India needs to vaccinate its entire adult population by the end of 2021. So why, and how, did they disappear in a span of 3 weeks from the centre’s list of vaccines needed for the drive? And with a third wave looming, what will it take to protect the population against the continued wrath of COVID-19?   Stories originally reported by Maitri Porecha and Seema Singh.   With guest Gagandeep Kang, virologist and professor at CMC Vellore. ...

In IT companies, contrary to popular belief, employees have cooled towards their old office spaces. What's replaced is an unholy mash-up of WFH work-cations where the formerly loyal worker bees have now set up side hustles and moonlight for other gigs in their spare time. All of this is changing the fabric of work relationships like never before. How will companies survive the brewing storm? This episode is based on a two-part story by Arundhati Ramanathan and Olina Banerji: Part 1: Longer...

Beauty is not just about make-up anymore. The rise of the “feel-good” economy mirrors the rise of two skin and hair care brands from India. WOW Skin Science and Mamaearth have had different growth trajectories, but together they’re crafting a whole new skincare routine for the world– a confluence of hip ingredients and age-old DIY remedies. Their essence builds the concept of I-Beauty, but will they make it big in the global market?   Story originally reported by Bhumika Khatri:...

The Indian streaming space is filled with over 40 OTT streaming platforms, all trying to capture and sell to niche audiences. Enter Amazon Channels--a new feature by Prime Video that will unite the fractured ecosystem, and put regional/niche OTT channels onto its own platform. The deal will put these channels in front of millions of subscribers. But in turn, Prime is seeking its pound of flesh.  If Amazon pulls this off, it stands to become India’s unparalleled streaming giant. Story...

The pandemic has flipped the economics of private hospitals, in both large and small cities in India. While they have been scrambling to provide Covid care to hundreds and thousands of patients in the past year, their earnings have taken a massive blow. Hospital chains need to fundamentally shift their business models to address COVID as a force to be reckoned with over the years, rather than a temporary problem to be fixed. They’re experimenting with different ventures to survive in a time...

The Serum Institute of India has been at the center of vaccine production for COVID-19. But as the second wave crashes down on the country, an export ban via the Indian central government has put the company in a tough spot, with CEO Adar Poonawalla even fleeing to London. SII is at a point where it no longer holds the promise of production monopoly, and must expand to newer geographies and technology to strengthen its position as a global biotech company.   Story originally reported by...

The past year has been hard for both students and educators alike across government and private schools in India. WIth lack of access to tech and internet, inability to complete syllabus, blows to social learning, and many more challenges, students are faced with serious learning gaps. The need now is for remediation programmes to address loss of learning and to mitigate their effects over the trajectory of students’ education.   Story originally reported by Olina Banerji ...

The National Stock Exchange is the most popular exchange in India, seeing 95% of all market activity. Being the first exchange in India to be hosted online, the once disruptive entity is facing constant glitches and outages. Factoring this in, the Securities Exchange Board of India seeks to break up its dominance, with a much criticised move. Story originally reported by Anand Kalyanaraman How India’s National Stock Exchange turned from solution to problem...

The decades-old auto rickshaw space had a monopoly over urban mobility in India, and then came the Ola and Uber disruption. They offered cars with comfort and air condition over the hot and dusty auto rickshaw. While these companies expanded with an auto rickshaw vertical, the two industries battled it out for years. Now the rise of an airborne pandemic has seen a decline in the cab business. Suddenly autos seem to be the answer, with their open structures and ventilation. Even bike taxi...

The Indian Institutes of Management have a legacy of delivering quality business education across India. Through the evolution of the brand, the IIM graduate tag has been a valuable one for both aspirants and recruiters alike. Starting with three in the 1960s, there are now 21 IIMs across the country. But is more really better for the IIM brand? Stretching the brand has floated existential questions for these hallowed institutes. And the time has come for the IIM ecosystem to reckon with...

Since its entry into India in 2014, Amazon has known and conquered its biggest competitor Flipkart, to become India's number one e-commerce seller. But since its victory a few years ago, leaders in exploding sectors like edtech, epharmacy and food delivery have become formidable giants. With this influx of new rivals, including Reliance and regulators, Amazon is well into its new strategy to face its new reality.   Story originally reported by Seetharaman G ...

Raw Pressery started a few years ago to solve a niche problem—to provide fresh juices to elite, urban India. And within that niche, it found roaring success. It even saw a valuation of Rs 500 crore in 2020. Then why did it get acquired by Wingreens for 1/5th that price in 2021? What went wrong? In the second segment, we are joined by special guest Nitin Pai as we discuss India’s aatmanirbhar digital strategy and the current state of the vaccine rollout. Additional read ...