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Hello Reader,

Let’s start with some good news! 

The Indian economy will grow at 6-7% in 2023-24 even though uncertain global conditions may affect it, said former Niti Aayog Vice-Chairman Rajiv Kumar, adding that there is no prospect of recession in India.

Meanwhile, as the FIFA World Cup 2022 kicks off in Qatar, here’s a throwback to all the Amul topicals around FIFA.

Oh, and did you know Fox’s The Simpsons has successfully predicted the future several times across its 700+ episodes? Yep, there’s a list. 

From mutant tomatoes to three-eyed fish, reality doth be stranger than fiction. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Inside Marico’s D2C push 
• Helping students manage stress
• Building Urban Company

Here’s your trivia for today: In 1900, who introduced the Brownie, a simple box camera with a removable film container?

Direct-to-consumer

Inside Marico’s D2C push

Marico is keen to develop a “roaring” direct-to-consumer (D2C) engine that would fuel its next phase of growth in the digital and ecommerce era. “Roaring Engine 2”—as Saugata Gupta, MD and CEO of Marico, calls it—is expected to be fuelled by the personal care and food categories, which lend themselves well to the D2C business. 

The playbook:

• In FY22, Marico reported a revenue of Rs 9,512 crore. 
• It operates in key categories such as personal care, foods, and digital-first or D2C brands. 
• Marico expects 15% of its overall revenue over the next couple of years to come from its online/ecommerce business—from 9% at present.

Startup

Helping students manage stress

PeakMind is a digital platform focussing on the mental health of students. Founded in 2020, the startup’s end goal is to equip students with capabilities like stress management and traits like optimism and mindfulness for competitive success.

Stay calm:

• The startup has partnered with coaching institutions like Aakash Institute and Sri Chaitanya to help NEET and JEE aspirants. 
• It has worked with approximately 25,000 students so far. 
• Students can get in touch with counsellors over WhatsApp, and arrange one-on-one Zoom calls. They can also attend webinars and coaching classes.

Entrepreneur

Building Urban Company

Abhiraj Singh Bhal, the Co-founder and CEO of Urban Company, talks about the challenges of creating a consumer services brand that has now become a household name.

Finding success:

• The company entered the coveted unicorn club last year, and closed a $255 million funding round just a few months later, in June 2021, at a valuation of $2 billion. 
• Over the last four to five years, Urban Company followed a bottom-up approach for building capabilities using training, product procurement, standardisation of tools, and financing among others.
• It recently said it would allot company stock options worth Rs 150 crore to its gig workers, comprising plumbers, electricians, cleaners, groomers, and so on.

News & updates

• Climate pact: Government ministers and negotiators from nearly 200 countries finally secured an agreement Sunday to create a new fund to compensate poor nations for the “loss and damage” they’re experiencing as a result of extreme weather worsened by climate change.
• Drop in value: The dollar has tumbled in the past fortnight from a 20-year high as signs of inflation easing in the US fuel speculation that the Federal Reserve will soon slow down its rate rises. The greenback has fallen more than 4% against a basket of six peers so far in November.
• Parenting: The way the body reads the children’s DNA might change as a result of strict parenting. These alterations may become ‘hard-wired’ into the DNA of children who perceive their parents to be harsh, raising their biological risk for depression in adolescence and later life.

What you should watch out for

• Five Star Business Finance to make stock market debut.

In 1900, who introduced the Brownie, a simple box camera with a removable film container?

Answer: George Eastman. 

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