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Welcome to the Daily Rundown! These are the top news stories for Friday, October 18 — Startups go on a CXO talent hunt, Car sales hit the brakes, and more. 1️⃣ Startups go on a CXO talent hunt: From Chief Financial Officers and Chief Business Officers to CEOs and Business Heads, startups in India are hiring more C-suite talent, Livemint reports. Tech-driven firms are leading the way, with more funding coming in. Could fractional CXOs also be an answer? Ambuj Agrawal says yes: https://lnkd.in/gi_yyTSz 2️⃣ Car sales hit the brakes: The growth in the sale of passenger vehicles has remained sluggish for the first six months of FY25, The Economic Times reports. But, is it all doom and gloom? No, say industry executives, as demand is growing for utility vehicles over hatchbacks and sedans. Niranjan N Prabhu dives into September car sales: https://lnkd.in/g3KZ-6Fn 3️⃣ More millennials dip into the digital goldmine: Close to seven in 10 millennials are now choosing to invest in digital gold over physical gold, according to a survey by Moneyview. What is working in its favour? Low-entry ticket sizes that allow smaller investments. But digital gold is much more than just that, says Sudharsan D R: https://lnkd.in/g2MhShdk 4️⃣ Brands bank on nostalgia: More consumer brands are going retro in a bid to drive recall value, The Economic Times reports. Replaying yesteryear jingles and reusing iconic taglines are among initiatives these brands are taking to stand out in a D2C-heavy market. Harinder Singh Pelia explains how nostalgia is a cheat code to consumers’ hearts: https://lnkd.in/gDv745kj 5️⃣ Restaurants brace for bland profits: Dine-in restaurants are gearing up for profitability challenges this festive season, The Economic Times reports. Reason? Rising prices of essentials, and eateries not being willing to pass that on to customers. Shrikant Mundra says that a recent GST ruling could impact restaurants further: https://lnkd.in/gCFkBBrX 💬 What’s your take on today’s stories? Share in the comments section. ✍️: Abhiraj Ganguli 📷: Getty Images #DailyRundownIndia

"Getting across your ideas in the language of the customer is important," says Tariq Ahmad, Vice President - Global Sales at Top Startup Sprinto. Tune in as he shares what are the must-have skills for sales professionals, especially in SaaS. What do you think is a crucial skill to thrive in this career? Share your take in the comments, and check out the Top Startups in Bengaluru here: https://lnkd.in/eUQh8MeV #LinkedInVideo #TopStartups2024

The sales of premium smartphones in Tier 2 cities and beyond have outpaced those in the metros this festive season, Subhrojit Mallick reports for The Economic Times, citing data by Counterpoint Research. Around 70-80% of the sales of smartphones priced over ₹30,000 have come from Tier 2 cities, in comparison to 50-60% during other periods of the year, the data shows. Reason? Attractive discounts from leading brands like Apple and Samsung, among others, the report says. Tarun Pathak, Research Director at Counterpoint, says that consumers in Tier 2 cities and beyond aspire to own high-end smartphones, but prices have been a barrier. However, online sale events, where products are offered at steep discounts, help convert aspirations into sales. The availability of easy financing options has also bolstered sales, the report adds. “The working population in these cities, with channelised and regular sources of income, prefer to go through financing schemes and low-down payment methods to avoid a ‘one-time’ financial strain while purchasing a handset,” says Upasana Joshi, Research Manager at IDC India. Source: The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/gx5edNWG ✍: Ankita Sajal 📷: Getty Images #SmartphoneSales #Tier2 #Tier3

India Inc's semiconductor investment is surging — and bridging the skill gap is in focus, Brinda Sarkar reports for The Economic Times. Talent shortage remains a challenge in realising India's semiconductor vision. The industry will face a potential shortage of 250,000-300,000 skilled professionals by 2027, according to TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship data. Semiconductor giants like AMD, Micron India, and LAM Research are looking to upskill employees through initiatives like technical bootcamps, setting up research labs in universities, and mentorship opportunities. AMD India is also teaming up students with employees working on next-gen CPU and GPU technologies. “Currently, the areas we are focusing on upskilling include verification, physical design, design for test, microarchitecture, AI modelling, LLM and other niche software skills,” said Jaya Jagadish, Country Head of AMD India. Meanwhile, Micron India's technical bootcamps aim to upskill early talent in design and verification, analog design, and firmware development. India's engineering talent will play an important role in the global semiconductor industry, The Economic Times reports, citing Motilal Oswal data. Almost 20% of the world's semiconductor design houses are based in India, adds the report. Source: The Economic Times: https://lnkd.in/ehvSReCZ https://lnkd.in/ebi4xApU #Semiconductors #SemiconductorIndustry

Closing a meeting strong is a byproduct of starting it properly. An expert told Fast Company's Stephanie Vozza that meetings should open with understood goals. They may be adjusted, but having participants agree on the meeting's purpose early on helps move it along. Use the middle of a meeting to knock off steps toward those goals. The middle is also a time to connect. Research shows people recall the "peak emotional" portion of a meeting and the end. Reconnect to the emotional peak and outline the next steps at the meeting's close. Both will stick with attendees. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gpqZPfQs Summary ✍: Todd Dybas 📸: Getty Images

Curiosity is one of the most valuable assets one can have especially in the age of AI, says LinkedIn Top Voice Alpana Razdan. The ability to ask insightful questions and explore deeper truths is what distinguishes humans from machines, she says. Therefore, in order to become irreplaceable, one "needs to cultivate their curiosity, seek out challenging questions, and avoid settling for superficial answers," Razdan adds. What approach do you follow while learning new things? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

In today’s News Wrap, we ask: What are your tips to build accountability? Also in the News Wrap: Gross office leasing space skyrockets, and Gen Z goes big with upskilling. Thanks to Naveen Gadde for his comment on real estate trends, Dakshdeep Singh for his insights on the Gen Z work trend, and Shailesh A Kantak for sharing tips on how to foster accountability at work. #EveningNewsWrap Source: The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/gxRdj33B The Indian Express - https://lnkd.in/gtkMn6HM https://lnkd.in/gpdtWirk https://lnkd.in/gxg_ZbWc ✍ : Novinston Lobo, Rakshit Ravindranathan

Bengaluru-based startup Primus Senior Living has raised $20 million in its latest funding round, Sobia Khan reports for The Economic Times. The funding round was led by General Catalyst with participation from Nikhil Kamath and Gruhas, the investment firm co-founded by Kamath and Abhijeet Pai, the report says. The corpus will be used to build a comprehensive eldercare platform that will provide a range of services including healthcare, wellness, lifestyle, and social engagement directly to homes, the report further says. "India could become a really exciting destination for retirement migration in the next decade," says Nikhil Kamath, founder and entrepreneur. He believes India's hospitality, culture, and landscape makes it suitable to build an ecosystem for retirees, both local and international. Apart from Bengaluru, the company is also located in cities such as Chennai, Kolkata, and Pune, and is expanding in Hyderabad and Mumbai too, the report adds. Source: https://lnkd.in/gW8fjbDC ✍: Divya Pathak 📷: Getty Images

Welcome to the Daily Rundown! These are the top news stories for Thursday, October 17 — India to lead APAC in salary hikes next year, Fintech gets a funding boost, and more. 1️⃣ Indian firms to pay the highest hikes across APAC… again: Like this year, India Inc is slated to roll out a median salary increment of 9.5% in 2025 — higher than countries like China and Indonesia, a WTW report shares. Rathiesh Mohan says a performance-driven increment plan is the order of the day for HR managers. Here’s why: https://lnkd.in/gyGFKEky   2️⃣ Australia rolls out the red carpet for Indians: Australia has announced that 1,000 Indians  aged between 18 and 30 years can apply for “Work and Holiday” visas. It joins Thailand, Sri Lanka, Germany, Oman, and the UAE in attracting Indian travellers through lucrative travel policies. What is the eligibility criteria for the “Work and Holiday” visas? Mohan Rao Yellapragada explains: https://lnkd.in/gntkbGNW 3️⃣ Fintech players get funding boost: Fintech startups in India have raised $778 million in the third quarter of 2024, compared to $471 million during the same period last year, according to Tracxn data. Investment tech, payments, and alternative lending are the top-performing sectors. How is the fintech sector driving sustainable finance? Rishika Dave unpacks this trend: https://lnkd.in/g7C7VZXy 4️⃣ GCCs to go on a hiring spree: Global Capability Centres (GCCs) are planning to hire a substantial number of people in the next six months, The Economic Times reports. Reason? Increased demand for skilled talent and favourable government policies. Rakesh Murali delves into the challenges GCCs face in attracting talent. https://lnkd.in/gm7zrSBS 5️⃣ Investments take root in real estate: Equity investments in India’s real estate sector surged to $8.9 billion between January and September this year, against $7.4 billion in 2023, CBRE data reveals. Dr. NIRANJAN HIRANANDANI shares how real estate investment trusts could revolutionise the industry: https://lnkd.in/gtj_AyeG 💬 What’s your take on today’s stories? Share in the comments section. ✍️: Abhiraj Ganguli 📷: Getty Images #DailyRundownIndia

Housing prices across the top 10 cities in India have surged by 88% in the last five years, Hindustan Times reports, citing data from PropEquity. Factors like infrastructure development, growing interests from NRIs, investors looking to generate income, rise in home-ownership sentiments, and shift towards luxury and super luxury homes are contributing to this trend, says the report. Srinivasan Gopalan, CEO of Arisinfra Solutions, says that the real estate market has faced challenges due to project delays and the monsoon season in Q3 of this year. “Despite that, strong demand from end users has driven a noticeable increase in sales from serious buyers. This is fuelled by rising corporate activity and an increasing need for quality housing,” he says. The highest rise in prices was seen in Gurugram, followed by Noida, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad. In terms of per square feet prices, Mumbai continues to be the most expensive with an average price of ₹35,500, adds the report. Source: Hindustan Times - https://lnkd.in/gsMG_htY ✍: Novinston Lobo 📷: Getty Images #RealEstate #HousingPrices