BacksNews

Volume 8 Issue 01

31st December,2018
A Little lookback at
2018

Social Much?

The movement to disable and disconnect (from internet -enabled

devices and social media ) gained more momentum in 2018 than ever
before . The awareness that being connected at all times is harming our
productivity , sleep and well- being , became mainstream this year .

Teens nowadays are increasingly turning their backs on the technology .

In September 2018, Pew Research Centre released a report stating 26%
of US adults deleted the Facebook app from their phones in the past
year and adjusted their privacy settings . A desire to build authentic ,
offline friendships motivated some to quit , while some others state
that it is getting in the way of their schoolwork or jobs and that is their
prime reason to quit . Also , privacy concerns and social-media led
anxiety motivated many to stay off social media.
Teenagers are also becoming more aware about the ramifications of an
offensive tweet , or an explicit picture, as well as the health
consequences of too much screen time . They are also more aware of
the amount of the time they waste online .

Then there are scandals related to privacy roiled Facebook in 2018 ,

leading to greater mistrust among the public. Twitters inability to
address issues such as hate speech , vitriolic trolling and rape threats
pushed users to quit in droves. Twitter reported a loss of 1 million
monthly active users between Q2'17 and Q2'18. Even Snapchat saw a
1.5% decline in daily active users between April and June this year. This
was the year Apple introduced screentime in iOS 12, letting users or
parents limit the time spent on the device as well as specific app . Also ,
device de-addiction apps such as Moment and Freedom , digital detox
app called Thrive, and concepts like digital detox getaways gaining
popularity .

On the other side , this year continued to show us the catalyzing and
transformative effects digital connections can have on communities.
We saw social media microcosms gaining significant popularity .
Discord , for example . It is an app built to bring together community of
gamers . Similarly , there are niche social media platforms for a
community of auto enthusiasts. Platforms like this have given talented
people new avenues to make money off their hobbies.

Similarly ,there is tremendous scope in creating social media media

microcosms to connect farmers to agriculture scientists and to others in
their community ; to connect doctor to patients and vice-versa. In 2019,
there are going to be more social media platforms meant for specific
communities , especially in agriculture , health and education , all filed
under social media for good.

Did you see a Unicorn ?

The year 2018 seems to belong to the unicorns. An unprecedented nine
companies crossing a valuation of $1 billion by the end of September.

After almost a lull for two years, India seems to have produced
Unicorns at an unprecedented pace this year . The years 2016 and
2017 together saw only three companies crossing the billion dollar
valuation mark, but a revived optimism among investors in 2018 took
this number to five. Now, the total count of tech companies, which
have achieved Unicorn status in the country stands at 14,. And this
time, investors have backed proven models and most funding went to
market leaders and fast-growing startups.

Edtech startup Byju’s was first off the blocks this year: It turned
unicorn in March after raising funds from Tencent, and ended the year
with a $540-million round at a valuation of at least $3.6 billion. Byju’s,
Oyo Rooms (which raised new capital at a valuation of $5 billion) and
Swiggy are now among the country’s top five most valued internet-
based companies. With 18 unicorns , India is at number three - behind
US and China - in terms of total number of unicorns.

Rapidly deepening market opportunity , growth in mobile internet

users , explosion in data consumption , pervasive 4G coverage , the
expected rise in disposable income , driven by increasing GDP per
capita , are key factors that investors are betting on .
Despite the optimism , there is a need to look deeper and at the larger
debate , the debate of scale versus profitability .

The idea used to that once you have reached that large scale, the
billiom dollar valuation mark , you'll eventually find a way to be
profitable . Now there's no stopping at a billion dollar. You can raise
never ending sums at galactic valuations and justify the burn by
flaunting market share , or even market creation in some cases, with no
clear paths to profitability.

Ride sharing giant Ola , says it is profitable at a unit level and is working
towards making money at a company-wide level , whereas Swiggy has
seen losses double in 2017-2018 as it pors capital for growth . While
Flipkart's story of being founded in a two-bedroom flat and being sold
for $16 billion is the startup story that has set the bar , that path may
not be for everyone . On the other hand , cautionary tales include
Snapdeal , which nearly imploded after once being valued at $5 billion ,
and Housing, once worth $700 million and eventually sold in a fire sale.

So , while funding-fuelled scale is heady and even necessary to some

models , startups that disregard profitability do so at their own peril.

#MeToo- The hashtag that finally rebooted some ways of Workplace

It was the year the whisper network became loud , strong declarations .
It was the year that demanded accountability from a legion of powerful
men , who preyed on women and the system that protected them
while punishing the victims . It was the year the year that women and
men found platforms and listeners who believed in them when they
finally gave voice to the darkness of exploitation they had been forced
to hide under the layers within them . 2018 was the year that the
#MeToo tide finally swept across workplaces in India and exposed
many a sexual predator .

Away from the spotlight of social media , the tsunami of revelation has
left companies scrambling to finally put in place mechanisms to put in
place either mechanisms to prevent and redress sexual harassment as
mandated by law , or to strengthen them . That's a welcome , much-
needed measure to make employees feel much safer at work .
Concerning , however, are reports , especially from the US , of
unwelcome fallouts- male colleagues and supervisors becoming
circumspect about travelling with women colleagues , staying back late
at office with them or even hiring them .

One has to ask - why do people react as if the choice is between

sexually harassing a women colleague and following the Mike Pence
Rule of never dining with a woman who is not your wife.

Then there are incidences, like , the senior executive of Genpact who
committed suicide after facing allegations of sexual harassment at
workplace , that again raise fingers at the movement . Now , apart
from the various other things that women already had to consider
before raising their voice , should there be this added burden of
thinking of the possibility of the accused taking his life ?

Why, in 2018 , do women still need to hope and pray that along with
battling other disadvantages such as gender pay gap , they will not be
sexually harassed at work ? . It would be silly , if it were not so painfully
true.

Men and women do need to be more circumspect at work - but about

making sexist jokes , making unwarranted advances and trying to bury
complaints , not about hiring more women or bogey of false allegations
.

It's Ambani VS Amazon

The crowded battle for India's $1 trillion retail opportunity is
increasingly looking like a two-sided tussle . On one corner is the
homegrown titan , Mukesh Ambani , who wants to expand his
petroleum-centric business into a mega consumer play involving mobile
and internet services, entertainment content and online retail .

The foreign challenger is Jeff Bezoz , among the world's richest men ,
who over the last three decades has grown Amazon from a technology
upstart into a behemoth , with revenue exceeding $100 billion and
penchant for decimating old businesses and industries that happen to
be in the Amazon's way.

Ambani is deeply entrenched in India's commercial and political

establishments and has an impressive track record in seeding and
scaling business rapidly .

Bezoz's Amazon has disrupted businesses ranging from ecommerce to

entertainment to cloud and isn't afraid of standing up to the old guard .

In India , Bezoz has committed $5 billion to become a market leader in

e-commerce and launched Prime services across delivery , video , music
, besides a growing digital payments unit. The firm has invested
extensively in building and buying local content in India to expand its
reach out here . Amazon's arrival in India changed market dynamics
sharply , pushing investors and entrepreneurs away from segments
where the giant had a dominant market share . It even compelled
global rival Walmart to fork out $16 billion for local rival Flipkart. It has
gone offline , too, buying Aditya Birla group's retail venture More in
partnership with a financial investor .

In 2018, RIL acquired the cable and broadband business of Den and
Hathway . The year also saw RIL acquire a small equity stake in Eros
International , which owns one of India's largest Bollywood libraries .
Then came the 2017 acquisition of an equity interest in the streaming
app Alt Balaji . In 2018, it also bought music streaming app- Saavn .
Teleco , broadband pipe, internet services , payments , online
commerce, retail stores , telivision network , Bollywood studio, and
much else - these are the pieces that will eventually roll into a one-stop
communication content and commerce play that RIL is building .

As the tow billionaires power up their businesses and prepare for 2019,
Amazon and Jio will lock horns repeatedly , with funding being no
object in this fight . Jio has over 250 million subscribers already .
Amazon India's ecommerce unit was worth $16 billion , Citi Research
estimated in July 2016 , with the company stating it has 150 million
registered subscribers here . It's going to be a battle of epic
proportions.

Well , how well actually ?

We got passionate about beating plastic pollution, in keeping with the

World Environment Day theme in 2018. Adidas organised Run for the
Oceans 2018, in Mumbai, to raise awareness on the threat of marine
plastic pollution. It has also supported Adv Afroz Shah, the UN
Champion of Earth 2016. The brand has introduced shoes that prevent
plastic bottles from entering the ocean: Female Parley, ₹15,999; male
Parley, ₹17,999.

What got a bump in 2018-

The discussion around sexuality, with the scrapping of Article 377, and
pictures of lawyers in formal black-and-white with rainbow-coloured
badges did the rounds on social media.

Mental health took a front seat with several events, including Imagine:
Building Emotionally Safe Spaces. “We knew we needed to get people
from different fields together — education, mental health, disability —
and see how we can create a space where conversations can happen,”
says Shelja Sen, a child and adolescent psychologist, author, co-founder
of Children First (that organised the event in tandem with Teamwork
Fine Arts Society). The team looked at the core of emotionally safe
spaces, in homes, schools, and communities, putting together an event
in a green space filled with art and inspiration by children. The
foundation of the event was WOW: “Every child must feel ‘I am worthy’
no matter what my background; original: ‘I’m unique’; and welcome: ‘I
belong’,” says Sen, who speaks about the concept in her books, the
latest being Reclaim Your Life.

AI in healthcare became big, with apps such as mfine. The app connects
patients with doctors, reducing the time spent in-clinic. It also stores
records and generates possible diagnoses, treatment modalities
through diverse inputs from scientific studies, doctors’ prescriptions,
reports.
Something we went back to-

Recipe books, because the look and feel just inspires us to get in the
kitchen. The year began with us receiving Nandita Iyer’s The Everyday
Healthy Vegetarian, (Hachette) and ended with Vikas Khanna’s The
Wholesome Grain (DK).

Something we rejected -

Korean beauty. The mask fell off when women across Korea rejected
those many layers of skincare and the need to look ‘flawless’. ‘Escape
the corset’ across social media saw them destroying cosmetics. It’s a
part of a larger movement of women speaking up and speaking out,
whether it’s about beauty standards or sexual abuse. Goodbye BB-CC
creams.

New in 2018-

Fitness fests. Whether it was Virgin Sport in Oxford, LoveFit in Kemsing,

both England; Les Mills Live in Sweden; or We Dare to Bare and the NY
Fit Fest, both in New York.

In-flight health. Even as India rejoiced at being able to keep phones on

in-flight, the rest of the world has progressed to looking at better
nutrition, hydration, sleep strategies, exercises in-flight. Singapore
Airlines announced its partnership with wellness brand Canyon Ranch
to do just this.

We changed our minds about -

Anti-ageing. It got taken down as a part of ageism, and we’re looking at

longevity and minimising age-related decline instead. David Sinclair,
Harvard professor and a pioneer in the field, asked for suggestions on
Twitter for titles for his new book, “about the battle to slow, stop, and
reverse ageing.” Some suggestions thrown up: “Everyone gets out
alive”, “Curing the human syndrome”, “Surely you’re ageing, Dr
Sinclair”.

We looked deeper at-

What we wanted from fitness, and made our goals a part of our
intentions. “Intentions form a part of a larger umbrella and are driven
by an inner locus of control; goals become a vehicle to achieve the
intention. So a goal is external: someone else can set it for me, while an
intention is an inner understanding and motivation,” says Aparna
Balasundaram, a Gurugram-based psychotherapist. In her practice, she
sees people who talk about wanting more energy. A fitness goal (like
doing 150 minutes of walking every week or losing weight) may form a
part of it, but are not the overarching themes.

The World Health Organization set out The Global Action Plan On
Physical Activity 2018-2030. The goal: to reduce inactivity by 10% by
2025, by 15% by 2030. The intention: to create a healthier world,
through active societies, environments, people, systems.

We Embraced -

Differently-abled beauty pageants. Nishtha Dudeja became the first

Indian to win the Miss Deaf Asia 2018 title at the 18th edition of Miss
and Mister Deaf World - Europe - Asia Beauty Pageant. Meanwhile in
Africa, Kenya held an albino beauty pageant to encourage inclusion.

Dark beauty. Rihanna’s Fenty completed a year, and finally gave us

makeup for dark skin, even if it meant we had to ask someone to cart a
product or two for us from abroad. The point was not the products
themselves, but the fact that finally, dark people were no longer a
‘niche’ market!
Tech in toys. Besides the bots and SmartGurlz that gets young girls
interested in coding, several playthings at the New York Toy Fair 2018
responded to touch and voice, with motion and sound:

Zoomer, the playful pup, a robotic dog that snuggles, cuddles and
makes dog noises as you tickle its tummy; Ages 5+, ₹5,776
approximately, Amazon.in

Luvabeau, a doll that moves, talks and plays like a baby, even changing
facial expression; Ages 4+, $34.99, Amazon.com

Grumblies, are literally heads that kids can poke, shake, and generally
manhandle. They’ll produce sounds and reactions, going from angry to
complete meltdown; Ages 3+; $19.99 per piece; Amazon.com

Diets we loved -

Keto , Intermittent fasting and Vegan

Match or only a cricket match?

Two years back , Tata Motors had conducted a survey , ahead of the
launch of its car Tiago , among its car's target audience. And the survey
threw up some surprising result . Cricket , they found had a "desi"
connotation about it . It was then that it came up with Leo Messi
adverts for its new launch , Tiago. Cricket , didn't feel sufficiently
aspiration or international to appeal to their target segment . Football
was the real game for them .
As cricket's appeal has spread across India , with boys and girls with
limited means from non-metros making it to the Indian team , it seems
to be suffering from a decline in appeal in big cities . The primacy of
cricket in television viewership and attendant ad revenues hasn't
shifted , however . In fact , it has grown from 71% of the total
viewership pie in 2017 to 72% in 2018. Football , on the other hand ,
has jumped from 3% in 2017 to 7% in 2018 . In fact , there is a healthy
tussle between sports if we look at television viewership . And cricket
has seen some pressure from real " desi " sports, too, such as wrestling
and kabbadi . But what is concerning cricketers is the perceived shift
away from the socioeconomic cream of the audience.

One barometer of the public mind is the endorsement deals signed by

brands . The new kids on the block come from areas other than
traditional nurseries such as cricket , football , badminton and tennis.
There is Hima Das who grabbed a global contract with Adidas after she
won two gold medals in Asian Games earlier this year . The , Olympic
stars from 2016 , gymnast Dipa Kramakar and wrestler Shakshi Malik ,
have both been hot property in the ad world .

The emergence of women's cricket as a telivison sport was another

significant development of 2018.

Cricket always had challengers for mind-space in the last decade . In a

cricket-dominated city like Mumbai , where cricket coaching centres
boast of their prime real estate across the city , the newest sports
classes focuses on other sports- tennis , football and badminton. As a
result cricket has moved more towards the hinterland in search of new
players and newer viewers.
While other sports are notching up minor victories , cricket remains a
sport where India is at the top , both as a team and as the most
influential spectators of the game.