9 in 10 Indian SMBs Now Bet on AI - With Tier-2 Cities Taking the Lead: Linkedin Study

India’s small and medium businesses (SMBs) are entering their most confident decade yet. New LinkedIn research finds that 9 in 10 SMBs (95.6%) are already investing in or planning AI adoption, indicating how technology has moved from experiment to infrastructure. At the same time 92% of SMB decision-makers expect business growth in the next 12 months - signalling a sector that’s not just hopeful but rebuilding around smarter systems, skilled talent, and trusted digital platforms.

For Indian SMBs, evolution is survival, not optional

Behind their confidence lies urgency. AI is no longer a buzzword, but the new baseline for growth. The research shows that 57% of SMBs view AI and automation as essential to stay competitive, 54% cite operational efficiency as key to protecting margins, and 51% say digital transformation is critical to survival.

Across India, different regions are evolving in distinct ways. SMBs in Delhi (61%) and Pune (60%) lead AI adoption to manage costs, those in Bengaluru (63%) are focusing on operational efficiency, and those in Chennai (62%) are concentrating on building a skilled talent pipeline. Meanwhile, SMBs in some of the fastest growing cities in India such as Chandigarh (100%), Jaipur (94%), and Ahmedabad (94%) are setting new benchmarks for business confidence and technology adoption, often pulling ahead of larger metros in AI readiness and momentum.

Kumaresh Pattabiraman, Country Manager, LinkedIn India said,

Indian SMBs are moving from ‘startup hustle’ to ‘strategic muscle’. Entrepreneurs are reimagining how business is built, using AI to drive efficiency, skills-first hiring to build capability, and trusted digital ecosystems to expand their market footprint. At LinkedIn, our focus is simple - give every entrepreneur, in metro or non-metro cities, the right network, the right clients, and the right talent, all in one place, so they can grow with clarity and confidence in the AI economy.

AI becomes the new operating system for growth

AI has become the engine behind how SMB’s hire, market and grow. Nearly all surveyed businesses say they use it to automate workflows (92%), strengthen analytics and business intelligence (93%), and streamline hiring, marketing, and sales (over 90%).

Hiring models are being rebuilt around capability, not credentials. SMBs now value digital literacy and AI fluency (63%), problem-solving (57%), and data analysis (50%) over traditional qualifications. To find this talent, 65% already use AI hiring tools, citing better assessments and higher engagement.

Marketing and sales, too, are becoming intelligence-driven. 76% of SMBs use AI marketing tools, with three-quarters investing up to half their budgets in them. 74% now rely on AI in sales for sharper targeting and automated follow-ups, allowing them to operate with the sophistication of larger enterprises.

Rahul Karthikeyan, Chief Marketing Officer, Scaler said,

Scaler’s recent campaigns have seen strong performance through precise audience targeting and data-driven optimisation. Sponsored Content, especially vertical formats, delivered a 20% higher lead-to-payment conversion than static formats on other channels. In August alone, LinkedIn generated about 70–80 new payments with a return on spend (RoS) of 2.2. We plan to further scale this high-impact channel while maintaining cost-per-sale efficiency

Trust is the new competitive advantage

Even as they adopt AI at speed, SMBs are discerning about where they place their trust. 95% say platform credibility matters more than cost or convenience. Their top considerations are data security (83%), seamless integration (79%), and clarity on ROI (75%). Together, these shifts signal the rise of a smarter, more resilient SMB ecosystem - one that is not just adapting to the AI era but actively shaping it.

Methodology

LinkedIn commissioned YouGov to conduct an online survey of 1,027 SMB and MSME owners, entrepreneurs, directors, and senior managers across India. The study covered 10 key cities including Delhi NCR, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Pune, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Kolkata, distributed across North & Central, West, South, and East regions.

Respondents represented businesses across the Micro (up to ₹10 crore), Small (₹10–100 crore) and Medium (₹100–₹500 crore) turnover segments. Participants were aged 25 to 65 years, capturing perspectives across both emerging and seasoned decision-makers.

About LinkedIn

LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms how companies hire, learn, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has over 1.2 billion members and has offices around the globe. www.linkedin.com / mobile.linkedin.com

Linkedin Fined €310 Mn for GDPR Infringement

The Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined LinkedIn €310 million (approximately $335 million) for violating the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The fine was issued due to LinkedIn's inadequate handling of user data for behavioral analysis and targeted advertising. 

LinkedIn was fined for inadequate handling of user data for behavioral analysis and targeted advertising. The DPC found that LinkedIn did not obtain valid consent from users and failed to provide clear information about how user data was being used. 

This fine is one of the largest ever issued under the GDPR and serves as a strong reminder of the importance of data protection compliance. 

Key points of the infringement include:

• Invalid Consent: LinkedIn did not obtain valid consent from users for processing their data. 
• Lack of Transparency: LinkedIn failed to provide clear information about how user data was being used. 
• Fairness and Lawfulness: The. processing of personal data was found to be unfair and unlawful 

LinkedIn has stated that it is working to ensure its ad practices comply with the DPC's decision.

LinkedIn attempted to justify its data processing practices using consent, legitimate interests, and contractual necessity, but the DPC found these justifications invalid.

The professionals networking platform did not properly inform users about its data processing activities, violating the GDPR principles of transparency and fairness.

LinkedIn has been given three months to bring its data processing practices into compliance with the GDPR

Last year in May, Meta was fined €1.2 billion (approximately $1.3 billion) by the Irish Data Protection Commission for transferring personal data of European users to the United States without adequate data protection mechanisms.

In July 2021, Amazon was fined €746 million (approximately $888 million) by the Luxembourg National Commission for Data Protection for its advertising targeting system that operated without proper consent.

In 2019, Google was fined €50 million (approximately $57 million) by France's data protection authority for failing to provide clear information about its data processing activities and not seeking proper consent for targeted advertising. 

54% Indian leaders Worry their Organization Lacks An AI Plan – Microsoft and LinkedIn 2024 Work Trend Index

91% Indian leaders believe they need to adopt AI to stay competitive, 54% worry their organization lacks an AI plan

The 2024 Work Trend Index released by Microsoft and LinkedIn provides a comprehensive view of how AI is shaping the workplace. Here are some key insights from the report:

• 75% of knowledge workers now use AI at work, with many bringing their own AI tools to the workplace.
• AI is seen as a business imperative by 79% of leaders, yet 59% worry about quantifying AI's productivity gains.
• The report suggests a hidden talent shortage and a massive opportunity for those willing to skill up in AI.

The report titled, “AI at work is here. Now comes the hard part”, highlights the importance of AI in democratizing expertise and driving better decision-making and business outcomes.

In addition to the insights mentioned above, the 2024 Work Trend Index highlights the following trends related to AI in the workplace:

1. Employees Want AI at Work: Three out of four knowledge workers (75%) now use AI at work. Employees find that AI saves time, boosts creativity, and allows them to focus on their most important tasks. While 79% of leaders agree that AI adoption is critical for remaining competitive, 59% worry about quantifying the productivity gains of AI, and 60% feel their company lacks a vision and plan for implementing it. Interestingly, 78% of AI users are bringing their own AI tools to work, demonstrating a strong desire for AI integration.

2. AI Raises the Bar and Breaks the Career Ceiling: AI is beginning to impact the job market. While concerns about AI and job loss persist, the data reveals a more nuanced story. More people are considering a career change, job opportunities are available, and employees with AI skills are in high demand. As AI democratizes expertise across the workforce, professionals who skill up in AI have a significant advantage in the evolving job landscape.

These trends underscore the transformative role of AI in reshaping work and the labor market. Organizations and individuals alike need to adapt to this new reality to thrive in the AI-driven workplace.

Types of AI users

Four types of AI users emerged in the research report —from skeptics who rarely use AI to power users who use it extensively, with novices and explorers in between. Compared to skeptics, AI power users have fundamentally reoriented their workdays with 90% of Indian AI power users beginning their day with AI and 91% relying on it to prepare for the next day. They are also 37% more likely to seek guidance from co-workers regarding useful prompts and 47% more likely to experiment with AI.

AI power users are nearly 20% more likely to receive training, particularly on prompts and role-specific AI usage, compared to other employees. They are also 65% more likely to receive communication from the CEO on generative AI, 34% more likely from the function or department lead, and 44% more likely from their manager’s manager.

LinkedIn Launches in Hindi to Boost Access to Opportunities for 600 Million People

With the launch of Hindi, LinkedIn is now available in 25 languages globally

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today marked a new milestone with the launch of Hindi, the first Indian regional language on LinkedIn, with the goal to support 600 million Hindi language speakers globally. With this launch, LinkedIn aims to break down language barriers, providing greater access to professional and networking opportunities to Hindi speakers in India and around the world. With the launch of Hindi, LinkedIn now supports 25 languages globally.

Starting today, as part of the Phase 1 roll-out of LinkedIn in Hindi, members will be able to access their feed, profile, jobs, messaging, and create content in Hindi on desktop, and on their Android and iOS phones. As the next step, LinkedIn will work towards widening the range of job opportunities available for Hindi speaking professionals across industries, including more banking, and government jobs. The platform will also continue to add more Hindi publishers and creators in the coming weeks to boost member engagement and conversations in Hindi.

India is a core market for growth at LinkedIn and the second largest market in terms of members after the US, accounting for 82 million members as part of a global community of 800 million members. India’s member base has grown by 20+ million in the past three years (15% year-over-year growth) and it has witnessed a spike in engagement and conversations on the platform since the pandemic.

"In India, LinkedIn has been mission critical to helping people connect, learn, grow and get hired during the pandemic and in this new world of work we are in. With the launch of Hindi, now more members and customers can unlock greater value from the platform through content, jobs, and networking, and express themselves in a language that they feel comfortable in.

We have witnessed high engagement and member growth in the last year, and it is at this exciting inflection point that we are strengthening our vision to create economic opportunity for ‘every’ member of the workforce, and taking down language barriers for Hindi speakers across the world,” says Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn.



LinkedIn in Hindi is now available to all members globally on Desktop and Android, and will gradually roll out to all iOS users in the coming days

How to use LinkedIn, and set up your profile, in Hindi

Smartphone users will need to select Hindi as their preferred device language under phone settings to view the LinkedIn mobile application in Hindi. For members who are already using Hindi as their preferred language on their smartphones, the LinkedIn experience will automatically be available in Hindi. On desktop, members will need to click on the ‘Me’ icon at the top of their LinkedIn homepage and select ‘Settings and Privacy’. Members then need to click on ‘Account Preferences’ on the left, select ‘Site Preferences’, click ‘Change’ next to ‘Language’, and select ‘Hindi’ from the drop down list.

Once selected, the user interface and platform experience, including the navigation bar, will be displayed in Hindi, to help members quickly and easily locate features they are looking for. User-generated content, such as posts on a member’s home feed, will be displayed in the language that they were originally created in. However, for members whose primary language selection is set to Hindi, clicking on ‘See Translation’ option will display Hindi translations of the respective posts. If members are not already using a Hindi keyboard, to create Hindi content on LinkedIn, they will need to switch their keyboard input language to Hindi, or add the Hindi keyboard on their desktop or smartphone.

With the launch of Hindi, members also have the advantage of creating their LinkedIn profile in Hindi, and make it easier for Hindi speaking members and recruiters to find them for relevant opportunities. New LinkedIn members can sign up for LinkedIn in Hindi by visiting LinkedIn.com and registering for a new account. Members with existing English profiles can add a second language profile in Hindi. Adding a second language profile is currently only available on Desktop. To create a second language profile, members will need to click on the “Me” icon, followed by “View Profile”, and then “Add profile in another language”.

To display their existing profile in Hindi, members will need to create a secondary language profile in the same language as their existing profile. This will prompt them to choose a preferred language for their existing profile from a drop down list of 25 languages, which now includes Hindi.

The launch of LinkedIn in Hindi saw LinkedIn Influencers such as international life coach Gaur Gopal Das, monk-turned-entrepreneur Dr. Vivek Bindra, and nearbuy.com founder Ankur Warikoo share their first Hindi posts on their LinkedIn profiles.

The launch of Hindi is part of LinkedIn's vision to become a more equitable platform, and to allow more diverse professional communities to unlock greater value from LinkedIn. Other global initiatives include Project Every Member and the LinkedIn Fairness Toolkit that build equality into LinkedIn’s products and remove systemic biases and barriers to opportunity.

This is the Phase 1 roll-out of LinkedIn in Hindi, and the platform will evaluate member feedback and adoption to improve the member experience over the next few months. To get the latest news and Hindi creators to follow, check out this Storyline here. Read the blog here.

LinkedIn in Hindi is now available to all members globally on Desktop and Android, and will gradually roll out to all iOS users in the coming days. Visit the LinkedIn Help Centre to learn how you can view LinkedIn in Hindi, choose Hindi as the primary language on your profile, create or delete a profile in another language, and edit your secondary language profile.

LinkedIn connects the world’s professionals to make them more productive and successful and transforms the way companies hire, market, and sell. Our vision is to create economic opportunity for every member of the global workforce through the ongoing development of the world’s first Economic Graph. LinkedIn has more than 800 million members and has offices around the globe.

LinkedIn is now accessible in 25 languages, including English, Arabic, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Czech, Danish, Dutch, French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Malay, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Russian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, Thai, and Turkish.

Localized Version of LinkedIn in China is Shutting Down

Microsoft has announced that it will shut down the localized version of LinkedIn in China amid a "significantly more challenging operating environment and greater compliance requirements in China."

In a new strategy for China LinkedIn said that it will focus on helping China-based professionals find jobs in China and Chinese companies find quality candidates. 

In addition, LinkedIn will launch InJobs, a new standalone jobs application for China, later this year. Unlike LinkedIn, InJobs will not include a social feed or the ability to share posts or articles. 

LinkedIn launched a localized version of the professional social network in China back in 2014, which was followed by acquisition of LinkedIn by Microsoft in 2016. 

LinkedIn was the last major US-based social media site operating openly in China. Other social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter been blocked in China for a long time.

HackerEarth Announces Integration with LinkedIn Talent Hub to Streamline Technical Recruitment Workflow

The LinkedIn Talent Hub integration with HackerEarth Assessment enables companies to screen tech talent efficiently and scale their entire hiring process

BANGALORE / SAN FRANCISCO, June 22, 2021 - HackerEarth, a leading solutions provider for remote developer hiring needs, today announced a new integration between its online technical-recruitment tool HackerEarth Assessment and LinkedIn Talent Hub. This integration brings the power of HackerEarth’s highly accurate coding assessments and developer screening to the only ATS built on the LinkedIn network with more than 690 million members.

Linkedin Talent Hub allows customers to source, manage, and hire via a single integrated platform. This integration with HackerEarth Assessment will layer in the ability for recruiters and hiring managers to easily screen applicants and create customized coding assessments, pulling from an extensive library of questions that cover 80+ skills and 12+ job roles — all without leaving Talent Hub.

"Competition for developers, data scientists and other tech talent is hotter than ever before”, said Sachin Gupta, CEO of HackerEarth. “Ensuring every candidate is placed in the right role based on their skills is critical to reducing employee turnover and increasing job satisfaction. This integration with LinkedIn Talent Hub hones the screening and assessment process for recruiters and hiring managers, but also ensures the most positive experience for candidates before, during and after the interview.”

When utilizing the LinkedIn Talent Hub integration feature, users will be able to:

• Schedule and invite candidates to take assessments from within Linkedin Talent Hub. Each candidate’s HackerEarth Assessment score and performance report will be synced with the Talent Hub dashboard instantly, making this data easily accessible for all team members.
• Save time by eliminating the back and forth between the LinkedIn ATS and HackerEarth’s platform. All candidate information, assessment data, status of the hiring stage, and scorecards will be accessible on the LinkedIn Talent Hub platform.

"Partnering with HackerEarth helps to further streamline the candidate hiring experience”, says Katherine Tsay, Senior Manager, Business Development at LinkedIn. “We will continue to work closely to ensure our customers can source, manage, and hire candidates all in one place.”

LinkedIn users can read more about the HackerEarth Assessments integration here: https://business.linkedin.com/talent-solutions/talent-hub/integrations/HackerEarth

LinkedIn Ranks Razorpay #6 in India's Top Startups List

Taking the 6th spot in LinkedIn’s Top Startups List, the leading full stack financial solutions company, Razorpay, adds yet another feather to its hat as one of the most admired places to work for in India.

LinkedIn’s 3rd annual Top Startups List features 10 leading companies that have remained resilient during a tumultuous time, continuing to attract investment, employees and attention. LinkedIn’s editors and data scientists looked across four pillars: employee growth; jobseeker interest; member engagement with the company and its employees, and how well the startups pulled talent from their flagship LinkedIn Top Companies list. These 10 startups point to growing trends in business, from e-learning to fintech, indicating where there might be career opportunities in the future.

Delighted about being featured in the list for the third time in a row alongside some great startups, Anuradha Bharat, Vice President - People Operations said, “This recognition in LinkedIn’s Top Startups list is a huge encouragement and a testimony to the relentless work that the Razorpay team has been putting in, particularly in unprecedented times like this one. Culture has been at the core of what we do and our team and customers come first for us. Over the last 5 years, we’ve been able to create a workplace that encourages innovation, independence, transparency and autonomy. Honestly, if not for our people, none of what the company has achieved would have been possible. To be ranked alongside some of the greatest startups is a reflection of the good work we’ve been doing, the growth that we’ve had as a company and the growth that our employees have had - we’ve all grown together and we will continue to do so."

Razorpay has been listed by LinkedIn’s Top Startups for the third time, consequently. The company’s growth has been uphill, particularly in the last two years. With a 500% growth in 2019, the company has been witnessing a healthy growth rate of 35% month-on-month. Currently powering payments for over 5 Mn businesses including the likes of Airtel, BookMyShow, Facebook, BSE, Reliance, Aditya Birla, Sony among others. The team plans to double this count to 10 Mn by the end of this year. With a headcount of over 1000 employees as of today, the company plans to fill 200 more critical positions across its business, product and engineering teams.

About Razorpay Software Private Limited

Razorpay, a full-stack financial services company, helps Indian businesses with comprehensive and innovative solutions built over robust technology to address the entire length and breadth of the payment and banking journey for any business. Established in 2014, the company provides technology payment solutions to over 5Mn businesses. Founded by alumni of IIT Roorkee, Shashank Kumar and Harshil Mathur, Razorpay is the second Indian company to be a part of Silicon Valley’s largest tech accelerator, Y Combinator. Marquee investors such as Tiger Global, Sequoia India, Ribbit Capital, Matrix Partners, Y Combinator and MasterCard have invested a total of $106.5 Mn through Series A, B and C funding. Around 33 angel investors have invested in Razorpay’s mission to simplify payments and banking and redefine how finance works in India.

LinkedIn Offers Free Job Postings to Accelerate Hiring for Critical Roles to Fight COVID-19

Global professional network LinkedIn on Thursday said it will offer free job postings to companies in healthcare, supermarket, warehousing, freight delivery and disaster relief nonprofits to accelerate the hiring process for critical roles to fight COVID-19.

LinkedIn will be offering companies in healthcare (including medical device, medical practice and mental health care), supermarket, warehousing and freight delivery, as well as disaster relief non-profits the ability to post jobs for free on the platform from April 1 to June 30, to find and hire people needed to fill these mission critical roles.

LinkedIn will help job seekers with the right skills to quickly find open roles by promoting them on its jobs page.

Moreover, in order to help support its healthcare staffing customers, LinkedIn is offering access to 'LinkedIn Talent Insights' for three months to give our customers real-time data and insights to identify critical healthcare professionals efficiently.

Besides, LinkedIn has expanded its 'Recruiting For Good' programme to deploy its own team of recruiters to help source and screen talent for organisations on the front lines so that these organisations can fill urgent paid and volunteer positions.

"Everyday we are hearing heroic stories of how those on the frontlines are working around the clock to protect the public. It's clear, however, that more help is needed to fill the most urgent open roles.

"That is why we are bolstering our efforts to help accelerate the hiring of people with relevant skills that are most needed in India right now," Ruchee Anand, Director of Talent and Learning Solutions, India at LinkedIn said.

Anand further noted that "we are committed to continuing to identify new ways in which we can support the fight against this global pandemic."

Recruitment Startup Talview partners LinkedIn Talent Hub to Put AI-powered Live Video Interviewing Inside the New ATS

Artificial Intelligence (AI) recruitment startup Talview today announces that it's an integration partner with LinkedIn's Applicant Tracking System (ATS), Talent Hub. LinkedIn Talent Hub allows organizations to source, manage, and hire candidates from one place, and Talview's live interviewing capabilities are now integrated into the LinkedIn Talent Hub experience.

Talview's AI-powered Instahiring Experience platform combines three techniques to drastically reduce time-to-hire: automating routine recruiting tasks, anytime interviewing and assessments, and capturing and reusing data from across the hiring process. The platform leverages natural language processing, machine learning, computer vision, and video analytics to speed up hiring by 60% and improve candidate experience.

LinkedIn Talent Hub is the only ATS built on the LinkedIn network with more than 645 million members. The platform also provides companies with insights throughout the hiring process, allowing them to make better talent decisions and gain an edge over the competition.

Talview Live Interviewing's integration with LinkedIn Talent Hub will allow users to interview candidates anytime, anywhere, assess coding, writing, speaking, soft skills, and even verify the authenticity of candidates through secure proctoring.

Live video interviewing is becoming increasingly important in today's job market as it allows organizations to hire the best global and local employees without requiring them to travel onsite for an interview. Talview's video interviewing software also streamlines scheduling and lets interview teams capture and save their comments on candidates.

"Every company needs video interviewing to access the best digital talent globally," said Sanjoe Jose, CEO of Talview. "Over 90% of users we've surveyed are very positive about their experience as it gives them access to more employers across the globe"

"Partnering with Talview helps to further streamline the candidate hiring experience," says Katherine Tsay, Business Development at LinkedIn. "We will continue to work closely to ensure our customers can source, manage, and hire candidates all in one place."

For more information visit: https://info.talview.com/partners/linkedin-talent-hub

About Talview

Launched in 2017, Talview is a HR Tech startup based in San Jose, founded by Sanjoe Jose, Subramanian 'Mani' K, and Jobin Jose. Talview's Instahiring Experience Platform empowers organizations by enabling "anytime, anywhere" remote processes, automating routine tasks, and reusing data across the hiring process. The AI-enabled video interviewing, cognitive remote proctoring, and advanced assessment solutions leverage best-in-class NLP, Machine Learning, Computer Vision and Video Analytics capabilities.

25 Most Attractive Startups to Work for in India, According to LinkedIn

The world’s largest professional network, LinkedIn, has announced the 2018 LinkedIn Top Startups List for India.

The annual ranking is informed by the billions of actions taken by more than 50+ million professionals on LinkedIn in India, revealing the 25 most-wanted startups by professionals.

It's fuelled by proprietary LinkedIn data including employment growth, engagement, job interest, and attraction of top talent combined with an editorial lens.

1. OYO (Gurgaon)

With a global headcount of 4,700, OYO is on an expansion spree. Headquartered in Gurugram, the 5-year-old hospitality startup is already India’s largest hotel network with more than 100,000 rooms in 230 cities (compared to Marriott’s 23,000 and Taj Hotels’ 17,000). Over the last nine months, the budget hotel brand has ventured into Malaysia, China and the UK.

2. Cure.Fit (Bengaluru)

Wellness start-up Cure.Fit has four offerings: no-equipment gyms, health food, primary care, plus yoga and meditation centers. The company raised $120 million from existing investors and acquired premium gym chain Fitness First in a deal worth $30 million to $35 million.

3. dunzo.in (Bengaluru)

Bengaluru-based Dunzo has the distinction of being Google's first direct startup investment in India and is fast becoming a verb in Bengaluru. With a global headcount of 160, users of the concierge services venture are “dunzoing” everything from buying groceries to picking up laundry and arranging last-minute gifts.

4. Rivigo (Gurgaon)

Gurugram-based Rivigo attained near-unicorn status recently when it raised $50 million at a valuation of $945 million. Why are investors betting on the logistics services firm? With a global headcount of 3,700. the company is a unique driver relay model that reduces turnaround time, marquee clients such as Maruti Suzuki, ITC and Marks & Spencer, and a freight e-marketplace that's already India's biggest.

5. Digit Insurance (Bengaluru)

Bengaluru-based online general insurer says that 87 percent of its claims are approved in 24 hours. With a global headcount of 630, Digit believes in simplifying processes: every insurance product is explained to customers in a 2-page document. Billionaire Prem Watsa's Fairfax Holdings recently put $44 million more in the two-year-old startup.

6. LBB - Little Black Book (Delhi)

Delhi-based Little Black Book (or LBB) started as a Tumblr blog with an initial investment of Rs 80,000 before it morphed into an online platform for cultural goings-on. With a global headcount of 80, its recommendations span everything from food and fashion to theatre and shopping across eight cities. Presently, the company is busy scaling up its curated marketplace for local products and events.

7. Republic World (Mumbai)

With a global headcount of 400, Arnab Goswami's Republic TV has ruled viewership ratings in the English news genre since its launch in May 2017, but bigger rival Times Now seems to be clawing its way back. Mumbai-based Republic was successful in monetising eyeballs and went on to clock Rs 155 crore in revenue for FY18. But the channel is often accused of having a pro-establishment stance and being over-dependent on Goswami.

8. The Minimalist (Mumbai)

A bootstrapped design agency, The Minimalist started as a Facebook page for witty content. With a global headcount of 60, Mumbai-based startup works with clients such as Saint-Gobain, Bharti Airtel, Berkshire Hathaway, Coca-Cola and Abbott. The last fiscal year was a watershed moment for The Minimalist, one in which its revenue and headcount doubled.

9. Razorpay (Bengaluru)

Online payment solutions provider, Razorpay, now services more than 100,000 businesses, including names such as Bharti Airtel, IRCTC and Goibibo. With a global headcount of 230, the company is clocking a monthly growth of 35% and it bagged $20 million in a Series B funding round led by Tiger Global and Y Combinator earlier this year.

10. Nineleaps (Bengaluru)

Bengaluru-based Nineleaps accelerates product development for other startups by providing web and mobile application services. With a global headcount of 200, it's expanding into new markets such as Singapore and Indonesia and diversifying into data science, blockchain and other emerging fields.

11. Innov8 Coworking (Delhi)

New Delhi-based Innov8 says it’s in the business of building entrepreneurs. With a global headcount of 75, the Y-Combinator-backed coworking venture has 13 centres across the country. This year, Innov8 aspires to add 100 employees and treble its seat count to 12,000.

12. Schbang (Mumbai)

Schbang is a digital solution agency that also dabbles in original content. With a global headcount of 240, it counts marquee names — Ashok Leyland, Hot Wheels, Amazon Fashion, and RAW Pressery — as clients. Schbang wants to be India’s first agency export and plans to open an international office next year.

13. Acko General Insurance (Mumbai)

InsurTech startup Acko raised $30 million even before its launch and went on to bag $12 million from Amazon exactly a year later. With a global headcount of 115, the digital insurance firm solves everyday pain points with solutions such as in-trip covers for Ola users and screen protection for devices. Its biggest draw? Personalised policies based on user behaviour.

14. Treebo Hotels (Bengaluru)

With a global headcount of 795, Bengaluru-based Treebo scorched its way to 9,000 rooms in three years. The budget hotel chain’s headcount grew by 18% over the past year but it laid off a tenth of the workforce in July, shortly after the data window for this list closed. Bigger rival OYO’s strong investor backing, rapid growth and its rekindled partnership with travel site MakeMyTrip are hurting Treebo, media reports suggest. Treebo did not respond to a LinkedIn survey.

15. InCred (Gurgaon)

Mumbai-based InCred offers personal, education and home loans as well as credit to small and medium-sized businesses. With a global headcount of 1,000, the firm counts former Deutsche Bank co-CEO Anshu Jain as a backer and has secured the banking regulator’s nod for launching wholesale lending operations.

16. Jumbotail (Bengaluru)

Bengaluru-based Jumbotail is a B2B e-marketplace that connects neighbourhood stores with their suppliers. With a global headcount of 125, the Kalaari Capital-backed startup also provides shopfront delivery of groceries and arranges working capital credit for store owners through its lending partners.

17. Zapr Media Labs (Bengaluru)

With a global headcount of 110, Bengaluru-based Zapr Media analyses TV viewership data to provide actionable insights to broadcasters, advertisers and media agencies. To date, the media-tech startup has raised $13 million from Star India, Flipkart, Saavn and Micromax, among others.

18. BrowserStack (Mumbai)

After being bootstrapped for 7 years, Mumbai-based BrowserStack hit the headlines for the largest ever Series A funding round – $50 million, led by Accel Partners. With a global headcount of 165, as many as 2 million developers and more than 25,000 paying customers — including Disney, Tesco, and Facebook — use its mobile app and web-testing platform.

19. Udaan.com (Bengaluru)

Founded by three former Flipkart executives, Bengaluru-based Udaan.com is an online B2B marketplace for food, clothing and electronics. With a global headcount of 401, the company became the first Indian startup to bag unicorn status and expanded its reach to more than 500 cities.

20. SigTuple (Bengaluru)

With a global headcount of 120, Bengaluru-based SigTuple applies robotics and AI to make medical screening tests more accurate. Its offerings include smart hematology analyser Shonit and AI100, a low-cost device that digitises pathology slides. The team has applied for 19 patents in the US and India.

21. UpGrad.com (Mumbai)

With a global headcount of 390, Mumbai-based online educator UpGrad offers industry-relevant courses in subjects such as digital marketing, data science and product management. Co-founded by media magnate Ronnie Screwvala, the startup claims to have empowered more than 300 career transitions in the last year and has earmarked ?200 crore for expansion in Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

22. InterviewBit (Pune)

With a global headcount of 45, InterviewBit is a preparation site for tech jobs. Pune-based self-funded startup also sources pre-screened technical talent for coveted employers such as Facebook, Amazon, Uber and Flipkart.

23. Shuttl (Gurgaon)

With a global headcount of 300, Shuttl is a bus aggregation startup, which recently raised $11 million from Amazon, Dentsu Ventures and existing investors including Sequoia Capital. The company clocks 45,000 daily rides in five cities. It aims to expand to two new cities by the end of the year, even as experts feel achieving healthy unit economics remains a challenge.

24. Meesho (Bengaluru)

With a global headcount of 225, Bengaluru-based reseller marketplace Meesho uses social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook to connect sellers directly with suppliers. In June, the Y Combinator-backed firm raised $11.5 million in Series B funding from Sequoia India and a bunch of existing investors.

25. Exadatum Software Services (Pune)

With a global headcount of 70, Exadatum positions itself as a one-stop shop for everything Big Data. Pune-based company offerings make Big Data implementation faster, cheaper and standardised for Fortune 500 clients, the two-year-old venture says. Exadatum’s next target — developing products and rendering services in machine learning and artificial intelligence.

Source - CNBCTV18

LinkedIn Rolling Out Free "Tinder-Like" Interface To Pair Users With Mentors

Microsoft-owned business-and employment-oriented social networking site LinkedIn is rolling out a new service especially meant for people looking for work. The new service, which began with a small test run last month, will be available free of cost, according to a recent report in techcrunch.

LinkedIn's new service will identify potential mentors and people who might be looking for mentorship in a specific area, and then get them in touch with each other by matching them.

The service, which will be first made available to LinkedIn users in Australia and San Francisco, is similar to Tinder but for professionals who indicate they are interested in getting some mentoring. Initially, LinkedIn has made a hand-selected list of potential mentors, who will be displayed to people who indicate that they are interested in getting some mentoring, so that a match can be made.



Mentors on the platform will have the option on selecting people whom they would like to mentor. It could be users from their first-and second-degree networks, in their neighbourhood or their former school/college.

The option of becoming a mentor will be available to everyone as LinkedIn believes that there's something to learn from everyone, according to Hari Srinivasan, Head of Identity Products at LinkedIn.

When it comes to mentees, after a user indicates that they're interested in getting mentorship in a specific area or topic, the service provides them with further potential parameters to narrow down their search. It also gives the users an option of just having a list of potential mentors that is as wide as LinkedIn’s 500 million+ user base.

Once a mentor and mentee match, they can message each other. The service also provides each of the party to terminate the communication at any point of time.

With the new service, LinkedIn is hoping to fill the gap in the job market: career mentoring. According to the platform, career mentoring from people belonging in the same field can make a huge difference as they know the challenges and opportunities the field has to offer.

While there a lot of professional career coaching services available like Everwise, BetterUp or Out of Office hours etc., they come at an expensive price point and can be too formal at times. This is exactly what LinkedIn's new service isn't. The service has the potential of covering as many jobs as there are lot of users registered on the platform.

LinkedIn is quite positive about the service and is looking forward to how it is accepted by its huge community. According to the company, they were sure about the need of the service when during a research they found out that among the senior ranks of their user base, nine out of 10 people have said they want to give back.

The launch of the service will work in favour of LinkedIn as it will give the company one more service to spur engagement on its platform.

[Top Image: Crain's New York Business]

LinkedIn Rolling Out Free "Tinder-Like" Interface To Pair Users With Mentors

Microsoft-owned business-and employment-oriented social networking site LinkedIn is rolling out a new service especially meant for people looking for work. The new service, which began with a small test run last month, will be available free of cost, according to a recent report in techcrunch.

LinkedIn's new service will identify potential mentors and people who might be looking for mentorship in a specific area, and then get them in touch with each other by matching them.

The service, which will be first made available to LinkedIn users in Australia and San Francisco, is similar to Tinder but for professionals who indicate they are interested in getting some mentoring. Initially, LinkedIn has made a hand-selected list of potential mentors, who will be displayed to people who indicate that they are interested in getting some mentoring, so that a match can be made.



Mentors on the platform will have the option on selecting people whom they would like to mentor. It could be users from their first-and second-degree networks, in their neighbourhood or their former school/college.

The option of becoming a mentor will be available to everyone as LinkedIn believes that there's something to learn from everyone, according to Hari Srinivasan, Head of Identity Products at LinkedIn.

When it comes to mentees, after a user indicates that they're interested in getting mentorship in a specific area or topic, the service provides them with further potential parameters to narrow down their search. It also gives the users an option of just having a list of potential mentors that is as wide as LinkedIn’s 500 million+ user base.

Once a mentor and mentee match, they can message each other. The service also provides each of the party to terminate the communication at any point of time.

With the new service, LinkedIn is hoping to fill the gap in the job market: career mentoring. According to the platform, career mentoring from people belonging in the same field can make a huge difference as they know the challenges and opportunities the field has to offer.

While there a lot of professional career coaching services available like Everwise, BetterUp or Out of Office hours etc., they come at an expensive price point and can be too formal at times. This is exactly what LinkedIn's new service isn't. The service has the potential of covering as many jobs as there are lot of users registered on the platform.

LinkedIn is quite positive about the service and is looking forward to how it is accepted by its huge community. According to the company, they were sure about the need of the service when during a research they found out that among the senior ranks of their user base, nine out of 10 people have said they want to give back.

The launch of the service will work in favour of LinkedIn as it will give the company one more service to spur engagement on its platform.

[Top Image: Crain's New York Business]

LinkedIn Launches #MadeInIndia LinkedIn Lite in More Than 60 Countries

World's largest professional networking site LinkedIn has launched its 'Made in India' product 'LinkedIn Lite' mobile web and Android app in more than 60 countries including South Africa, Philippines, Pakistan, Kenya, Turkey and many others.

LinkedIn Lite, which is a water down version of the main app, is designed for markets where bandwidth is a challenge such as small towns in developing countries like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Nigeria. LinkedIn Lite is a lighter, faster version and includes all key features such as news feed, profile, networks, messaging and notifications, so members can stay informed, get ahead in their careers and be more productive.

This launch comes a fortnight after LinkedIn debuted a native LinkedIn Lite app to Android users in India.

LinkedIn Lite was first launched during LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner's visit to Bengaluru in September last year and is entirely developed by the company's R&D unit in Bengaluru, India. As a matter of fact, this app was inspired by the success of this lightweight mobile website launched at that time for India only.

The LinkedIn Lite Android app is less than 1 MB in size and can reduce data usage by as much as 80 percent, making it easier for every member to connect to opportunity, on-the-go and in areas of low internet connectivity.

The catalyst for LinkedIn Lite was a field research trip about a year ago in Nashik, a small city about 100 miles from Mumbai where broadband challenges prevented page loading. To address this, LinkedIn Lite was developed for mobile web and rolled out to all Indian members earlier this year with quite remarkable impact. Not only does the site load five times faster, but job applications on the mobile website have quadrupled since the launch of LinkedIn Lite in India. Additionally, more than half of new LinkedIn members now sign up on mobile, so this has become a huge enabler for professionals in smaller cities in India to sign up and get connected.

LinkedIn Lite can be accessed on mobile web atwww.linkedin.com, or download the Android app in the Play Store (in countries where the Play Store is available).

Microsoft Acquires LinkedIn For $26.2 Billion

Microsoft, the software giant, made a major announcement today. The US headquartered company has bought out LinkedIn, a social network aimed at connecting working professionals with one another, at a whopping $26.2 billion price tag.

Having over 433 million users and over 7 million active job listing on its platform, LinkedIn is currently the world's biggest social network for working professionals.

Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn is its biggest purchase till date. Industry experts are even pegging it as one of the biggest tech deals in the industry so far, only eclipsed by the purchase of EMC by Dell and Compaq by HP. In fact, the LinkedIn acquisition even leaves behind the much talked about 19 billion WhatsApp acquisition deal by Facebook a few years back.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, LinkedIn will be completely retaining its distinct brand, culture and independence. Jeff Weiner will continue to remain the CEO of company and will report to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft and LinkedIn Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement under which the tech giant will be acquiring LinkedIn at the price of $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion. This will be inclusive of LinkedIn's net cash.

Speaking on the deal, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said, the LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered around connecting the professionals all around the world, and with this deal, Microsoft will work together with the company to accelerate the growth not only of LinkedIn but Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as well. The tech giant's main purpose with this is to empower every person and organisation present on the planet.

Sharing his views on the deal, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said, the deal could prove to be very beneficial to the company and help his company pen down the next chapter in LinkedIn's history.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the deal is expected to close in the current calendar itself and that Reid Hoffman, chairman of the board, co-founder and controlling shareholder of LinkedIn, and Weiner are fully supportive of the deal and the monies involved.

[Top Image - Shutterstock]

Microsoft buys social-networking site LinkedIn for $26.2 billion

Microsoft, the software giant, made a major announcement today. The US headquartered company has bought out LinkedIn, a social network aimed at connecting working professionals from all around the globe with one another, at a whopping price tag of $26.2 billion.

Having over 433 million users and over 7 million active job listings on its platform, LinkedIn is currently the world's biggest social network for working professionals.

Microsoft's acquisition of LinkedIn is its biggest purchase till date. Industry experts are even pegging it as one of the biggest tech deals in the industry so far, only eclipsed by the purchase of EMC by Dell and Compaq by HP. In fact, the LinkedIn acquisition even leaves behind the much talked about 19 billion WhatsApp acquisition deal by Facebook a few years back.

According to a Microsoft spokesperson, LinkedIn will be completely retaining its distinct brand, culture and independence. Jeff Weiner will continue to remain the CEO of company and will report to Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella.

Microsoft and LinkedIn Corporation have entered into a definitive agreement under which the tech giant will be acquiring LinkedIn at the price of $196 per share in an all-cash transaction valued at $26.2 billion. This will be inclusive of LinkedIn's net cash.

Speaking on the deal, Microsoft's CEO Satya Nadella said, the LinkedIn team has grown a fantastic business centered around connecting the professionals all around the world, and with this deal, Microsoft will work together with the company to accelerate the growth not only of LinkedIn but Microsoft Office 365 and Dynamics as well. The tech giant's main purpose with this is to empower every person and organisation present on the planet.

Sharing his views on the deal, LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said, the deal could prove to be very beneficial to the company and help his company pen down the next chapter in LinkedIn's history. According to a Microsoft spokesperson, the deal is expected to close in the current calendar itself and that Reid Hoffman, chairman of the board, co-founder and controlling shareholder of LinkedIn, and Weiner are fully supportive of the deal and the monies involved

PM Narendra Modi Joins LinkedIn

After becoming the second most followed politician worldwide on Twitter and enjoying a great popularity on Facebook, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has joined World's largest professional networking site 'LinkedIn'. You may see PM Narendra Modi on LinkedIn here.

Till date the PM of India have got more than 3.5 Lakhs followers and moreover LinkedIn has chosen Modi under its 'Influencer List'. Modi's phenomenal success in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections can be attributed to his terrific use of social media during poll campaigns. Modi and his political party is known for spending whopping sum of money over social media and online campaigns for him and his party to gain publicity and public outreach.

The whole profile summary of Modi on LinkedIn is very metaphorical and why shouldn't it be, as what a politician could write in summary of his profile and of course it is not written by him personally. Notably, there is nothing in particular in education section of his profile apart from mentioning Gujarat University in it.

After Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and now LinkedIn the only major social media platform left for Modi is Pinterest which is more famous among fairer sex. We hope that IT team of Modi will see Pinterest as its next target to woo female population or better say 'female voters' of India.

India records highest social networking growth

Nowadays people all around the world drink eat and sleep internet and it seems Indians are working hard to leave everyone behind in terms of social network usage.

A recent study has revealed that more and more Indians are signing up to Facebook and twitter everyday and accessing their accounts innumerable times in a day. This statement is backed by the fact that India saw a record 37 percent growth in social networking last year. The study has been conducted by eMarketer.

eMarketer is an independent US based market research firm which excels in providing insights and trends prevailing in digital marketing, commerce and media.

The study also revealed that worldwide the trends are a little different. Globally, the growth rate of social network is gradually decreasing but India seems to be an escalator to reach the top position. The number of social media users in urban idea has grown to an astonishing 80 million in 2014 from 63 million years ago.

According to the study, India is only second to US in terms of Facebook usage and is expected to even supersede the US in 2016 by having the largest Facebook population all across the globe. The study was released at an international conference organized by L.N Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research in association with Academy of India Marketing and IDG Media on “Social Media Marketing in Emerging Trends”.

A survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India has also revealed astonishing facts. According to it, around 78 million netizens all around India were actively using Facebook in early 2013; this figure is a 50 percent growth over the same period in 2012, followed by 33 million people accessing Twitter and 20 million LinkedIn.

According to the institute group director, Uday Salunkhe, social media is the next big frontier and whether people like it or not, they cannot ignore the powerful medium in the virtual world.  He also added that the boom has resulted in the establishment of social media as an imperative part of a holistic marketing strategy as it has proved to be extremely beneficial for businesses to create an online personality, reduce costs and improve customer services.

India records highest social networking growth

Nowadays people all around the world drink eat and sleep internet and it seems Indians are working hard to leave everyone behind in terms of social network usage.

A recent study has revealed that more and more Indians are signing up to Facebook and twitter everyday and accessing their accounts innumerable times in a day. This statement is backed by the fact that India saw a record 37 percent growth in social networking last year. The study has been conducted by eMarketer.

eMarketer is an independent US based market research firm which excels in providing insights and trends prevailing in digital marketing, commerce and media.

The study also revealed that worldwide the trends are a little different. Globally, the growth rate of social network is gradually decreasing but India seems to be an escalator to reach the top position. The number of social media users in urban idea has grown to an astonishing 80 million in 2014 from 63 million years ago.

According to the study, India is only second to US in terms of Facebook usage and is expected to even supersede the US in 2016 by having the largest Facebook population all across the globe. The study was released at an international conference organized by L.N Welingkar Institute of Management Development & Research in association with Academy of India Marketing and IDG Media on “Social Media Marketing in Emerging Trends”.

A survey conducted by the Internet and Mobile Association of India has also revealed astonishing facts. According to it, around 78 million netizens all around India were actively using Facebook in early 2013; this figure is a 50 percent growth over the same period in 2012, followed by 33 million people accessing Twitter and 20 million LinkedIn.

According to the institute group director, Uday Salunkhe, social media is the next big frontier and whether people like it or not, they cannot ignore the powerful medium in the virtual world.  He also added that the boom has resulted in the establishment of social media as an imperative part of a holistic marketing strategy as it has proved to be extremely beneficial for businesses to create an online personality, reduce costs and improve customer services.

LinkedIn Reached 200 million members, India being second: Inforgraphics

Just now LinkedIn has reached 200 million members worldwide and India being second with 18 million members just after US with 74 million members. According to LinkedIn 2 new members join second across the globe.  LinkedIn has a interesting infographic for same that says that most viewed profile of year 2012 is Barack Obama.

The infographic also says that in India most common first name in India is - Amit & Neha in male and female LinkedIn members respectively.