Sumit Chakraberty
Tech in Asia
Bengaluru, KA, India
Contact Sumit
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Past articles by Sumit:
Google Docs bug locks out users at random, raises privacy questions
Google promised to fix the bug. But it has flagged problems that arise from automated scanning of cloud-based content with AI tools. → Read More
Brief: Amazon suspends top exec after sexual harassment charge by Hollywood producer
Amazon is the latest tech firm forced to deal with sexual harassment charges against senior executives, following scandals at Uber and 500 Startups. → Read More
Brief: Uber’s board clips Kalanick’s wings, clears way for SoftBank deal and IPO
SoftBank wanted a change in Uber’s governance structure before moving ahead with an investment. → Read More
Q&A: InnoVen’s Chin Chao on venture debt’s rise in Asia, after closing largest deal
InnoVen Capital’s $15.4m loan to Yatra shows that venture debt is becoming a useful option for both early stage startups and later stage companies. → Read More
Trump administration eases throttle on visas for techies
Fast processing of visas resumes six months after it was suspended. → Read More
Hyperloop to link two cities in India with pods traveling at nearly the speed of sound
The southern state of Andhra Pradesh will have India’s first hyperloop levitating pods whizzing between Amaravati and Vijayawada. → Read More
Lab to oilfield: how student entrepreneurs hooked the world’s largest refinery
To get an oil company to deploy sensors developed on campus is hard. The founder of Detect Technologies shares the 4-year journey that led to this. → Read More
Size matters: Bangalore sees action at both ends of startup spectrum in red-letter day
SoftBank made its biggest bet in India. And Axilor graduated the largest cohort of startups for an Indian accelerator. It’s all happening in Bangalore. → Read More
Smart stove knob talks you through cooking any dish, and it goes live on Indiegogo today
Here’s a peek into how IoT with a large dollop of AI could transform your kitchen. → Read More
PayPal finds India ‘a hotbed for innovation,’ opens 2 labs like those in US, Singapore
PayPal India labs will focus on deep tech: ML/AI, computer vision, IoT, wireless communication, AR/VR, and robotics. → Read More
Traveloka raises $350m from Expedia as another US giant eyes growing SEA market
The investment comes close on the heels of the launch of Amazon Prime Now in Singapore, the US ecommerce giant’s first foray into Southeast Asia. → Read More
FreeCharge sold for $60m, a big drop from the $400m Snapdeal paid for it: report
The huge drop in valuation is akin to that of Snapdeal which was at over $6 billion at the start of 2016, and is now at $900-950 million. → Read More
Snapdeal board accepts $900m-$950m revised buyout offer from Flipkart: report
The curtain is coming down on the biggest consolidation in India’s ecommerce after months of negotiation. → Read More
Asian cities suck for programmers in terms of real earnings: study
How much do developers really make in cities around the world? Codementor study factors living expenses to calculate ‘real income’ and make a comparison. → Read More
India gets a new phone, and it’s free
Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Jio is out to disrupt the telecom space in India. The latest salvo is a 4G phone it’s giving away for free. → Read More
Airbnb’s Chinese rival Tujia widens the war to Asia. The unicorn has an ace up its sleeve.
China now leads the world in outbound tourism. That, among other factors, could tilt the scales in favor of Chinese unicorn Tujia’s expansion in the rest of A → Read More
How Chinese unicorn Tujia altered the Airbnb model – and why Airbnb hasn’t adapted, yet
China’s answer to Airbnb is now scaling up across Southeast Asia, Korea, and Japan as well, to serve the rapidly growing numbers of outbound Chinese travelers → Read More
Alibaba takes another step into India, acquires movie ticketing company
This follows Alibaba taking control of Paytm’s ecommerce arm earlier this year. → Read More
$19.3b in 458 deals: VC funding bounces back in Asia, but crucial gaps remain
VC funding in Asia appears set to surpass the 2015 level after a lull in 2016. But a closer look reveals crucial gaps which are hurting startups. → Read More
SoftBank makes its biggest investment in India, pumps $1.4 billion into Paytm
Japanese giant comes good on Masayoshi Son’s long-term commitment to the India story. This is India’s biggest funding by a single investor. → Read More