Blog

Hello,

Zuckerberg seems to have made a winning move. 

Meta’s Threads has exploded all over the internet in just two days, recording 70 million sign-ups since its launch. This new Twitter competitor is being fuelled by Instagram’s already massive user base. 

Closer home, Api Holdings Ltd, the parent company of PharmEasy, has approved increasing the authorised share capital of the online drugstore, pending approval from equity shareholders. The process for casting votes has commenced Saturday and the final date is scheduled for August 5. 

The board has informed the shareholders regarding the proposed increase to Rs 3,500 crore, divided into 3,000 crore equity shares and 500 crore preference shares, both with a face value of Re 1 each.

In other news, the BYJU’S saga continues. The edtech major may face an investigation as the Ministry of Corporate Affairs is contemplating engaging the Serious Fraud Investigation Office to scrutinise the resignation of its auditor and the delayed financial reporting by parent entity Think & Learn Private Limited. 

ICYMI: You can now play Pokémon to track your sleep.

The Pokémon Company revealed a new trailer for its app Pokémon Sleep, first teased in 2019, that will help users track their nightly rest. Set to launch sometime by the end of July, it also pairs with the Pokémon Go Plus bracelet.

Time to get friendly with Snorlax!  

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• What’s keeping women away from leadership?
• Tattoos to reconnect with cultural roots
• Indie music artists creating the right noise

Here’s your trivia for today: A study in 2009 found 90% of American dollar bills in circulation have traces of what kind of drug on them?

Women in Tech

What’s keeping women away from leadership?

“We have fewer women in leadership roles because we are not flexible enough to accommodate them in the workforce. There are women who can do a day’s work in just four hours. It would be a win-win for a company to employ them,” says Swethnisha Panicker of the Merck Group.

Panicker, who heads application technology at the company, boasts a varied portfolio, including global IT programmes, new technology PoCs, and enterprise-scale initiatives across marketing and sales, manufacturing, supply chain, R&D, data analytics and ERP.

Continuous learning:

• Panicker believes a big part of her learning has been choosing the right environment. Along with it, she has adapted to changing circumstances and picked up new skills along the way.
• She believes sales is the best profession to teach you humility because you face rejection continuously. 
• Panicker says it’s heartening to see more women entering tech at the entry level. But as they began to climb the upper levels, the proportion of women decreases and culminates into single digits at the top-most level.

Art and Culture

Tattoos to reconnect with cultural roots

An asterisk on wrinkled hands, dotted patterns on the forearms, scorpions crawling around the neck, and a lotus blooming on the forehead. There are some images of indigenous tattoos from across the country by India Ink Archive. A brainchild of tattoo artist Shomil Shah, India Ink Archive began its journey in 2021, and has more than 8,000 followers on Instagram.

Inspiring art:

• In 2018, Shah, a graphic-designer-turned-tattoo-artist from Mumbai decided to get a Kolam design tattooed on his hand while he was living in London. Intrigued by the process, he started exploring tattoos further. 
• He immersed himself in the rich history of the art. Slowly, Shah’s interest in tattooing peaked, eventually leading him to start the India Ink Archive.
• The lack of documentation of indigenous tattoo designs and his interest in tattooing inspired him to create a comprehensive archive of tattoos from across India that have long faded.

Upbeat

Indie music artists creating the right noise

YS Life caught up with musician duo Clinton Cerejo and Bianca Gomes to delve deeper into the story behind Shor Police, their debut album ‘Well Hello’, and how their collaboration with Reel Muzic Werks is likely to give wings to other indie music artists.

Indie-ness:

• The duo has had interesting individual career trajectories in independent, film, and commercial music, making their union a much-talked-about affair. 
• They came together to compose soundtracks for Bollywood movies like English Vinglish (Manhattan), Te3n (Rootha), and Kahaani 2 (Lamhon Ke Rasgulle), and most recently, actor Taapsee Pannu’s Dobaara. 
• “Sometimes, the best scores are the ones that create quiet tension without the audience even knowing it. I’m a big fan of electro textures and sounds that create an undercurrent that could explode when you least expect it,” Gomes tells YS Life.

News & updates

• Cool down: Jobs growth in the US slowed more than expected in June and was revised lower for the previous two months, in a sign the Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate rises are beginning to cool the labour market. The US economy added 209,000 new non-farm jobs last month.
• Potato, Potato: The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority rejected PepsiCo Inc’s appeal against an order that revoked a patent for a potato variety grown exclusively for the New York-based company’s popular Lay’s potato chips. 
• Last one: The last Ford Fiesta rolled off the production line Friday, marking the end of an era that saw the vehicle become a mainstay of millions of drivers around the world. The Fiesta has been sold in over 50 countries, with over 22 million vehicles produced since 1976.

A study in 2009 found 90% of American dollar bills in circulation have traces of what kind of drug on them?

Answer: Cocaine. A study by the American Chemical Society said that scientists found cocaine in up to 90% of paper money in the US, particularly in large cities such as Baltimore, Boston, and Detroit. 

We would love to hear from you! To let us know what you liked and disliked about our newsletter, please mail nslfeedback@yourstory.com. 

If you don’t already get this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here. For past editions of the YourStory Buzz, you can check our Daily Capsule page here.