Newsletter | Apple's WWDC kicks off on June 10; Exclusive interview with outgoing Consumer Affairs Secy & more

As Consumer Affairs Secretary Rohit Kumar Singh preps to hand over the department to senior bureaucrat Nidhi Khare on March 31, he spoke at length with CNBC-TV18’s Timsy Jaipuria on a range of issues including inflation, Patanjali’s misleading advertisement, electric vehicles batteries and service charges issue at restaurants and more.

The Delhi High Court will hear a petition by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal challenging his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money-laundering case linked to the alleged excise policy scam. Kejriwal's petition, which has sought his immediate release on account of the arrest and the subsequent remand to ED being "illegal", is listed for hearing before Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma at 10.30 am.

Growing up in a household full of visionaries was quite an exceptional experience. Most know that the story of my company, Jindal Stainless, began when my grandfather, O P Jindal, started a humble bucket manufacturing unit in 1952. He was a man that everyone looked up to. Even now, if you visit any of our manufacturing units, you will hear stories about him — and not just about how he helmed the company. There are countless accounts of how he had an extraordinary insight into the ordinary, how he wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty, how he could look at a manufacturing line and immediately tell which nuts and bolts were not properly aligned, and innumerable stories of how much he cared about his people.

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Apple, on Tuesday, revealed that this year's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) is set to take place from June 10 through 14, 2024. The tech giant said that the event will be available online, with a special in-person gathering kicking off the festivities at Apple Park on opening day.

With a focus on inclusivity, Apple said that WWDC24 will be accessible to all developers free of charge. The conference promises to shine a spotlight on the latest advancements across iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS, and visionOS.

Consumer tech giant HP has unveiled plans to retail Poly — it communication portfolio — products through over 750 HP World Stores across India in the forthcoming weeks. This development marks the first time Poly products will be readily available to retail consumers, signaling a strategic shift in the distribution of premium audio devices.

The introduction of Poly products in HP World Stores follows HP's acquisition of Poly, formerly known as Plantronics & Polycom, a workplace collaboration solutions provider, for $3.3 billion in 2022. This move aims to provide Indian consumers with top-tier audio devices "renowned for their ability to augment communication and productivity experiences", HP said in a press release.

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Alphatron Capital, previously known as SMK Ventures, a prominent venture capital firm based in the United States, has recently announced the successful closure of its inaugural fund. The fund, initially targeted at $25 million, witnessed overwhelming interest from investors, surpassing expectations by 20% and closing at an impressive $30 million.

According to Vishwesh Pai, Founding Partner at Alphatron Capital, the firm has already commenced deploying capital from the fund, with investments made in two promising startups. One of the notable investments includes Pixel, a cutting-edge space technology company with operations spanning across India and the United States. Additionally, Alphatron Capital has backed a promising Indian fintech startup.

Myntra marketplace has reported EBITDA profits since the last quarter of CY23, it said in a corporate blog said. Myntra said it has been on a strong growth trajectory, growing notably faster than the online fashion market since H2 (second half) of CY 2023, with GMV growth nearing two times of the market during the recent festive season.

The platform has witnessed a 33 percent surge in Monthly Active Users (MAUs), rising from 45 million in 2021 to an impressive 60 million by the end of 2023, alongside unprecedented customer growth, the company said in a statement.

Subko Coffee Roasters, a speciality coffee and cocoa startup, has bagged $10 million in a fresh funding round from Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath, valuing the company at approximately $34 million post-money.

This funding round also witnessed participation from Blume Founders Fund, The Gauri Khan Family Trust and actor John Abraham among others.

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Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest sends ripples through the political landscape, presenting a dual-edged sword. For AAP, it’s a test of resilience and public support, potentially galvanising its base by rallying against perceived political vendettas. Conversely, the BJP may seize this to bolster its anti-corruption narrative. However, the move risks the ruling party as it is being seen as a political ploy, possibly backfiring by eliciting sympathy for Kejriwal.

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