Charting Google Pay's 'Tez' growth in India (and other top stories of the day)

Daily Capsule | 27th November Hello In 2017, when Google Pay (then Tez) launched in India, the country's digital payments market was already quite full. Yet, within 40 days of launching, the app recorded 30 million transactions. And this was just the tip of the iceberg. After a year of its launch, the company rebranded the app to Google Pay and continued to focus on making it the simplest way to send or receive money across India. And it paid off. From 22 million monthly active users (MAUs) in September 2018, it recorded 67 million in September 2019. It has now evolved into Google’s next big ecosystem play in India, in line with its strategy to design products that can inter-operate with every other player in the space collaboratively. [We spoke to Sajith Sivanandan, MD and Business Head for Google Pay and Next Billion Users initiatives at Google India, to understand this growth, and what lies ahead.]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwMOSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) Cheers, Team YourStory Stories you shouldn't miss [Why domestic investors shy away from embracing Indian startups]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwMBSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) It is easier to sell the India story to overseas investors rather than their domestic counterparts. While India is emerging as the world's next startup and innovation hub, thanks to an improvement in its ease of doing business, and becoming one of the world's top-three startup-friendly ecosystems, investors back home are not actively contributing to its growth story. [Dharmesh Shah wanted to be a mechanical engineer but went on to build HubSpot]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwMASQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwMASQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0& [Ride-hailing unicorn Ola Cabs sets sights on London]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQJSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) Bengaluru-based ride-hailing unicorn Ola has received an operating licence from the Transport for London (TfL) earlier this year and will soon launch its operations in London. Ola has already begun registering licensed drivers in the city. The team added that Ola is already available to over seven million users across 27 boroughs in the UK. [Anand Mahindra-backed Thinkerbell Labs helps the blind learn]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQISQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQISQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0& [Aadhaar ubiquitous, but updating details is the toughest part]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQLSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) A survey by Dalberg and Omidyar Network India reveals that 95 percent of adults and 75 percent of children have Aadhaar, and about 92 percent of people are satisfied with the unique identity number. However, 90 percent incorrectly believe that providing the number is mandated by law for bank accounts. [Homemaker-turned-entrepreneur Gouri Gupta tasted success with artisanal snacks]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQKSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQKSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0& [Uber India is creating art with upcycled ink from pollutant particles]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwQNSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) Uber tied up with cleantech startup Chakr and Delhi Street Art for a unique graffiti and street-art show at Lodhi Colony which used paint upcycled from pollutants. This initiative of the rideshare giant comes as a culmination of its #LeaveYourCarBehind campaign, which highlighted the need for citizens to leave their cars behind and adopt ridesharing and carpooling VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSF0DUABF&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0& If you’re a startup 'building for Bharat', working on any digital solution for small and medium businesses across India, [apply now for the 11th edition of JioGenNext programme]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSF0DUABF&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) - a startup mentoring and market access programme for early stage technology startups. [Last date to apply: 28th Nov, 2019]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSF0DUABF&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&). VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwIBSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0& [For Rekha Sharma of NCW, It’s Still Day 1 in Her Fight for Women’s Rights in India]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwIBSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&) As the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW), Rekha Sharma is at the helm of the country's apex organisation that is mandated to protect and promote women’s interest. Yet, she rarely introduces herself as such. The reason: she believes she has only just started in her fight for women’s rights in this country. [Read more]( VAEOBUoESBBGD0NNR1ZfVQdYBURYDV1TIQUMBQpYGwZfD0UVF1BAQxZQDldXXlwVC1pbDiYCXQJRCBpbWlVN&ml=UAUPAkoFSFUEVwIBSQ==&sl=I0h6S2NmSDd5MkxVW1wAGQhXT0peFhcWFQ0THU1XWghMUg==&pp=0&). 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