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Hello,

All aboard the ONDC train.

Logistics unicorn Xpressbees will now provide delivery services to over 20,000+ pin codes in 2,800+ cities in India through the open network.

In other news, IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has said that the government will come up with new regulations soon to tackle deepfakes, adding that social media companies have agreed on the need for clear actionable work in areas such as detection, prevention, strengthening of reporting mechanism, and raising user awareness. 

Meanwhile, shares of Honasa Consumer—the parent company of Mamaearth, Aqualogica, The Derma Co, and BBlunt—surged nearly 20% on Thursday, a day after the Mumbai-based direct-to-consumer brand reported a 94% jump in year-on-year net profit in the quarter ended September 2023. The firm’s shares closed the day at Rs 423.75, up nearly 30% from the listing price of Rs 328 apiece.

Lastly, a look at the global semiconductor market and the players leading it.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Preventing cyber fraud using AI
• Glastonbury of the Northeast
• The leaders of India’s Techade

Here’s your trivia for today: Which 5 countries in the world don’t have their own airports?

Cybersecurity

Preventing cyber fraud using AI

Online fraud on ecommerce sites is common. Cybersecurity firm Panoplia.io Founder Pratyusha Vemuri’s aim is to safeguard users from cyber fraud and enhance the security of digital transactions. 

Consumers can download Panoplia’s app–called AI Kavach–on the Google Play Store. The app, which is priced between Rs 99 and 179 per year, offers consumers protection from fraudulent websites, messages and apps. 

Safety first:

• According to a survey by Norton LifeLock in 2020, Rs 1.24 trillion was lost in India in the preceding 12 months due to cybercrimes, with 63% of victims incurring financial loss. 
• Panoplia.io seeks to offer advanced real-time fraud detection and prevention solutions using algorithms, machine learning models, and real-time monitoring systems.
• Prior to starting up, Vemuri was the head of product identity, security and privacy at Microsoft.

<Funding Alert>

Startup: Zappfresh

Amount: Rs 30 Cr

Round: Undisclosed

Startup: Conscious Chemist

Amount: Undisclosed

Round: Bridge

Music

Glastonbury of the Northeast

As the largest riverine island in the world, Majuli regularly features in textbooks and serves as a cultural centre in Assam. But the island is more than just a bird watcher’s paradise—it now also jams to indie music.

Mukul Doley and Momee Pegu have been organising the Majuli Music Festival since 2019 to promote independent artists of northeast India and bring footfall and jobs to the people of the island. 

Soulful:

• The fourth edition of the indie music festival will take place from November 24-26, 2023 in the backdrop of river Kherkotia.
• Kailash Kher and his band Kailasa, Sona Mohapatra, and indie musicians from all over the northeast including Anoushka Maskey, Sannidhya Bhuyan, Kaloma, and Abdon Mech,  are expected to be at the event.
• In last year’s edition, 20,000 attendees thronged the festival from across the country. The organisers hope this year will be bigger.

TechSparks 

Meet the leaders of India’s Techade

Jyotiraditya Scindia, Sujith Nair, Sabyasachi Goswami, and Suparna Singh, join the impressive speaker line-up for the premier TechSparks 2023 Delhi edition, scheduled for November 29-30, 2023, at Pullman New Delhi Aerocity. Join us for the first-ever Delhi edition of India’s most influential startup-tech event, TechSparks. 

Stellar:

• Jyotiraditya Scindia, Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Government of India, believes there is no stopping the country from becoming the world’s largest aviation market. Here from Scindia how India can soar to greater heights in the Great Indian Techade.
• Chosen as one of the ‘Most Powerful Women in Indian Business’ by Business Today and Fortune India, Anjali Bansal has invested in and mentored startups like Delhivery, Nykaa, Safari, Alphavector, Lenskart, UrbanClap, and Darwinbox. 
• Co-founder and CEO of FIDE Sujith Nair will break down the critical role that open and interoperable platforms will play in making India a tech superpower at TechSparks Delhi.

News & updates

• Big win: Amazon is set to win unconditional EU antitrust approval for its $1.4 billion acquisition of robot vacuum maker iRobot. The European Commission had warned Amazon that the deal could reduce competition in robot vacuum cleaners.
• Itching: Scientists at Harvard Medical School have shown for the first time that a common skin bacterium—Staphylococcus aureus—can cause itch by acting directly on nerve cells, explaining why common skin conditions like eczema and atopic dermatitis are often accompanied by persistent itch.
• Rising: The global smartphone market grew 5% year-on-year in October after contracting for 27 months, said Counterpoint Research. The growth was led by a recovery in emerging markets, Huawei’s comeback in China, and Apple’s iPhone 15 launch in September, among other factors.

Which 5 countries in the world don’t have their own airports?

Answer: Vatican City, San Marino, Monaco, Liechtenstein, and Andorra.

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