Paytm extends cashless payments to over 150 institutions
Mobile payments and e-commerce company Paytm has extended its cashless payment solution to campuses through tie-ups with over 150 institutions and entrance coaching centers. Institutions including Delhi Public School, IITs, Sharda University, among others have tied up with Paytm for the facility. Students in these campuses can use their Paytm wallets to pay university fees and dues, hostel fees, cafeteria bills and to buy books and merchandise. Paytm targets to enroll 25,000 institutes by the end of 2016.
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Google to tweak voice in Maps & Search for locations with patchy connections
Google will soon optimize its turn-by-turn voice navigation for Maps, and for voice-based search queries in areas with slower internet connections, reports Economic Times. A spokesperson from told the publication that Google will use machine learning and AI capabilities to help deliver voice navigation without interruptions occurring due to slow or unreliable internet connection on cellular networks. The new tweak comes in favor of countries and locations with patchy (or slow) internet connections, added the spokesperson.
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On-demand laundry startup Wassup acquires Ezeewash
Chennai based On-demand laundry services startup Wassup has acquired Hyderabad based Ezeewash in all-stock deal, reports TechCircle. Wassup is an aggregator, offering services such as laundry, dry cleaning as well as shoes and bag refurbishment. The acquisition will help Wassup to expand opearations in Hyderabad; it currently provides services in 7 cities including Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, among others
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Carpooling app Orahi acquires OddEven.com
Gurgaon based Carpooling app Orahi has acquired Delhi based Odd-Even.com for an undisclosed amount. OddEven.com is platform to share and discover rides with fellow commuters based on the odd-even rule imposed by the Delhi government. Odd-Even’s website domain and assets will soon be re-titled under Orahi’s ownership. Post acquisition of assets, users of both Orahi and Odd-Even.com will be able to share and discover rises in Delhi and NCR cities. The company also plans on extending operations to Bangalore and Mumbai in the second quarter of 2016.
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Promto launches battery powered bike taxi service in Delhi
Promto has announced the launch of its electric bike-taxi service in Delhi’s Connaught Place, commuters can avail this facility within a given range of 5Kms for Rs 5 per/Km. Currently Promto has deployed 20 battery-operated bikes equipped with GPS systems as a pilot project; it plans to add 500 more bikes in another 6 months. The startup was founded by Nikhil Malik, Karan Chadha, Pawneesh Rampal and Romesh Kumar.
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Ola Micro is now available in 6 new cites
Taxi aggregator Ola has extended its economical cab category, Ola Micro (Rs 6/Km) in 6 new cities across India—Jaipur, Coimbatore, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, and Bhubaneshwar. Ola Micro is now available in 13 cities across India including in metro cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, among others. This month, Ola said that it would be will be launching 5,100 Ola electric rickshaws on its mobile app in partnership with Bhartiya Micro Credit (BMC) across Delhi, Gurgaon, Noida, Faridabad and Ghaziabad.
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LoanZen ties up with Treebo Hotels for extending loan facility to hoteliers
Online lending platform LoanZen has tied up with hotel aggregator Treebo Hotels to provide credit support to the latter’s hotel partners. Loanzen will use Treebo Hotel’s database to assess the hoteliers’ credit-worthiness before extending a loan. Treebo’s partner hotels will be able to apply for unsecured loans through this partnership. Treebo is currently present in 12 cities with 65 hotels on its platform.
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Image Credit: Pixabay
