Startup Realm’s Changing Guard: Founders & CEOs Who Bid Farewell In 2023

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Bengaluru, Nov 16 (PTI) Indo-Canadian pop singer Raghav Mathur, known for hits like ‘Angel Eyes’ and ‘Desperado’, says best is yet to come for the Indian-influenced soundscape in global pop music. Mathur, who has just released ‘Chingari’, his second single this year, featuring Mumbai-based rapper Divine, has been one of the pioneers to introduce Indian-influenced hooks and samples from old Bollywood songs, redefining the sound of global pop music. “I think we’re entering a brand new dawn of what being Indian in the arts means. The Western record labels are threatened by the impact of the numbers and the way our culture can take a record to the top of the charts around the world. I think the best is yet to come for us,” Mathur told PTI in a Zoom interview. Show Full Article
In ‘Chingari’, Mathur has also sampled a couple of lines from Kishore Kumar’s song, ‘Aadmi Jo Kehta Hai’ from the 1974 film ‘Majboor’, starring Amitabh Bachchan. “Divine is the most instrumental artist in the subcontinent in terms of legitimising hip-hop as a sound that is the future of pop music. It’s such a privilege to work with him,” says Mathur. In the beginning of his career, Mathur says it was not easy to incorporate Indian sound into pop music. His first single, ‘So Confused’, released in 2003, in fact, had no traces of his Indian roots. But it gained a foothold for him in the pop music world by reaching number 6 in the UK Singles Charts. “On the back of that, I was able to put out some of my more Indian-centric work, starting with ‘Can’t Get Enough’, which samples ‘Kabhi Aar, Kabhi Paar’ from ‘Aar Paar’. A few more singles and an album kind of changed my trajectory,” says Mathur. In ‘Angel Eyes’, which he released as a music video in 2004, he found his groove – and what he says is known as ‘Raghav sound’ among his fans. Instead of sampling old songs, he says he opted for Indian-influenced original hooks and tabla beats. This method, he says, came handy in the late 2000s, when sampling Bollywood songs became a complicated affair. He also collaborated with other artists – reggae singers Jucxi and Frankey Maxx – for the first time. Later, collaborations, mostly with hip-hop artists, became his signature approach to a song. “I think hip-hop is the most influential genre of our lifetime. I grew up listening to Snoop Dogg and Dr Dre and later, Eminem and Tupac (Shakur) and Biggie and those were such a big part of the soundscape of who I was. But I could never perform that on my own. So, I started collaborating,” says Mathur, who grew up in Calgary, Canada. The success of his brand of pop music, unfortunately, opened a Pandora’s box for him, he adds. “The industry changed so much in the mid 2000s. There was a reaction to the success that a few of us had, particularly NRIs, in the Indian market. It was quite a shake up to the scene,” says Mathur. It meant that working with Indian labels to sample records became difficult, says Mathur, especially as he is not a remixer. While remixing, or what is referred to as ‘Jhankaar’ beats in the music industry, exploits legal loopholes, Mathur says incorporating original recordings involves copyright hassles. The perfect example to understand the difference between what Mathur does and the regular remixes is the handling of the song ‘Kabhi Aar, Kabhi Paar’ from the film ‘Aar Paar’. While Mathur sampled snatches of it seamlessly into his song, without missing a beat, in the remix version it is merely overlayed with an additional soundtrack of catchy beats and lots of base. “Post 2006, it became cumbersome to take something that was part of my signature sound and put it into a piece of work that would create exactly the kind of the sound that I’m known for,” says Mathur. For a while, says Mathur, he was just keeping his head above water, even taking up Bollywood offers – he sang a duet with Shilpa Rao, ‘Ishq Shava’, which was composed by A R Rahman, for instance. But Covid turned the tide for him again, he adds. “Some of my old songs were trending again. This reunited me with Mushtaq (Omar Uddin), who produced ‘Storyteller’, my debut album, and now we’ve come up with these new songs – ‘Desperado’ with fellow Indo-Canadian rapper Tesher (of ‘Jalebi Baby’ fame) and ‘Chingari’,” says Mathur. What also changed in his favour is the explosion of platforms to showcase musicians and their work. Mathur says it gives more power in the hands of the listener. “And for someone like me, that’s great. To remain independent, I just have to make sure that I connect with my fans through these platforms,” he adds. These platforms have also paved the way for new artists who are taking it very seriously in the arts, says Mathur. “Well into my 20s, I was the only brown guy in the room, especially in Canada, and that has changed now,” says Mathur. He also believes that there is a viable career path in the arts. “Those of us who’ve had some success can really do a lot to help folks find what that career path is. There weren’t many people that could help me with that when I started,” he says. PTI JR BK BK
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We’re entering a new dawn of what being Indian in music means: Raghav Mathur

Chingari App Introduces Live Astrology Consultations…
Connect with Expert Astrologers for Personalized Guidance
Bengaluru, 07 Nov 2023: Chingari, the popular social app announces its latest feature that will bring personalized astrology consultations to its users. In a move aimed at enhancing user experience and providing valuable services, Chingari has introduced Live Astrology Sessions on its platform. This feature, designed to provide users with personalized insights and predictions, connects them with a network of over 1500 astrologers, tarot readers, numerologists, and Vastu experts. Chingari is committed to empowering its users with valuable insights related to marriage, love life, career, and health through this innovative platform. Users interested in an astrology consultation can choose from a list of certified astrologers available on the Chingari app. Users can connect with their chosen experts for as low as Rs. 30 per minute, making expert guidance accessible to a wide range of individuals. To make things even more enticing, Chingari is offering the first three calls for free, allowing users to experience the benefits of this new feature without any cost. In addition to enhancing the user experience, Chingari has set an ambitious revenue target of Rs. 25 crore by 2024 from just this feature alone. With its rapidly growing user base and the addition of this new feature, Chingari is well-positioned to achieve its financial objectives while continuing to provide innovative and engaging content to its community. Sumit Ghosh, CEO and Co-Founder, Chingari said, “ Chingari has always been committed to providing engaging and valuable content to its users. With the introduction of Live Astrology Consultations, the platform is expanding its offerings to cater to the growing interest in astrology and spiritual guidance. This feature aligns with Chingari’s mission to empower users with meaningful and personalized experiences.”

Chingari App Introduces Live Astrology Consultations…

Let's learn about India via these 49 free stories. They are ordered by most time reading created on HackerNoon. Visit the /Learn Repo to find the most read stories about any technology.
1. Slogging Insights: Are Russians and Indians Considered Asian?

Are the technicalities of what continent the country is located in the end-all-and-be-all or do you take culture and genetic origins into account?
2. Chingari Raises $15 million in Funding from Republic Capital, Onmobile and JPIN Venture Catalysts

Chingari Raises Investment for its Social Media Token, $Gari with Republic Capital leading the round with 15 million in funding. 
3. Stop Complaining About Being at Home

You got what you wanted.
4. India Now Ranks 3rd Worldwide With 27 Unicorn Startups

Unicorn is a term in the business world used to indicate a private startup company that valued over USD 1 billion.
5. What Will Happen to Zepto?

What will happen to Zepto (India's 10min delivery startup valued at $900M)? 
6. IIT Delhi's New, Free Online AI Course

The Indian Institutes of Technology, or IITs, are 23 premiere higher education universities, with around 16,000 students, as of 2020.
7. The Great Lockdown 2020: Worst Recession Since the Great Depression?

8. Why Hasn't Tesla Entered the Indian Market?

The internet has been buzzing since Elon Musk announced that Tesla is coming to India next year. This is big news and not just for the people who are waiting to get their hands on a luxury electric car like Tesla but also for the entire electric vehicles (EV) industry in the country.
9. India Legalizes Crypto: Digital Rupee CBDC and Taxation of Virtual Digital Assets Explained Simply

This is a step in the right direction, towards greater acceptance and greater transparency into how residents of India use crypto.
10. The ZEE5 User Data Leak That The Media Didn't Report On

In an exclusive story reported on my blog about a month ago and on no other mainstream media outlet, credentials of some 1,023 Premium accounts were found floating on the web. These user accounts belong to the popular video-on-demand streaming service, ZEE5.
11. Doordarshan (DD) & its Impact on India's Collective Consciousness of 90s 

With the lockdown in place here in India, to prevent the community spread of COVID-19, most of us have been home bound trying to get work done and also spend some quality time with our families. In addition to this, I m sure most of them are taking this as an opportunity to pickup new skills through various online courses. My only request to my readers is to stay home to stay safe, be focused on what you do and the task at hand and not get stressed about the fact that you are not able to get out.
12. You Don't Need A Degree To Get An IT Job In India [Personal Story]

Hey Hackers, 
13. Is it Appropriate to Ban Cryptocurrency in India?

A panel set up on higher levels has recommended a ban on private cryptocurrencies with penalties including 25 crore INR and imprisonment up to 10 years as well. The supposed recommendations if processed will result in a critical hit to the digital economy of India which is open-ended at this point. 
14. Meet Daulat: A Digital Wealth Management Platform Tailored for India

Daulat is a tech-enabled, wealth-management platform helping Indians invest better. Our expert investment portfolios help people reach their financial goals. 
15. Why Understanding Digital Wallets is Key for Central Banks Desiring Widespread CBDC Implementation

Governments must identify, discuss, and ideate their wallet choices when thinking about CBDCs, incorporating key policy considerations for true defi for all.
16. Account Aggregators: What Are They and How Will They Change the Fintech Ecosystem?

Account Aggregators (AAs) are about to take the fintech market by storm. Remember how UPI completely changed how people send money? No more awkwardly splitting restaurant bills, or digging for exact change to pay off that friend who's been bugging you for months.
17. The Future of EdTech Funding in India

While the K-12 and higher education segments have witnessed significant growth in recent years, investing in the upskilling and reskilling segment can be a bett
18. Forget CBDCs. Traditional Crypto Is the Financial Revolution We Need

Digital assets have completely given us a paradigm shift, allowing us to enter an age where money doesn’t have to be so difficult to relate with.
19. How Licious Turned a Simple Idea Into a Billion-Dollar Startup

How did Licious created a trustworthy meat brand in the fresh meat industry and a billion-dollary startup in just 6 years?
20. How Under-Resourced Students Are Gaining Access to Scholarships in India

When it comes to education in India, every statistic is incredible. Over 500 million people in the country are under the age of 25. According to The Times of India, in 2014 India had over 315 million students that has only grown since and by some estimates India has more students than the entire population of the United States.
21. Big Tech vs. Indian Authorities [An Overview] 

The world’s largest technology companies have all faced criticism over their global tax practices. Back home too, tech heavyweights are grappling with the Indian taxman.
22. Investment Areas for 2022: Lithium, Small Businesses, India, and More

Here are 5 investment areas to watch out for in 2022 including metals, semiconductors, small-cap companies, and more.
23. The Myriad Benefits of Contributing to Open Source Projects with Piyush Badkul

Piyush Badkul's work involves designing, deploying, scaling, and optimizing the core IMS network for the Indian Government's Telecom Technology Centre.
24. Aarogya Setu: How India’s Contact Tracing Tech Works? And How It Endangers Fundamental Rights

Amid nation-wide lockdown, the Government of India released their contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu.
25. How Big Data and Computers Leveled Up India in the 1950s

When we think of computers, we think of the twenty-first century. But did you know that India started using them back in the 1950s?
26. KuCoin Partners with Chingari to Distribute $20 Million Rupees Worth of Tokens

KuCoin, one of the major cryptocurrency exchanges, has partnered with Chingari, a short video-sharing app to distribute tokens worth $20 million rupees. 
27. What Does India's Potential Crypto Ban Mean for Startups?

India’s long-standing aversion to cryptocurrencies has never been a secret. 
28. Crypto Adoption or Abandonment: What Will India Decide?

As a result, the rushed RBI 2018 proposed ban on crypto trading left the Indian traders uncertain about the future for over two years.
29. Google Pay’s 2020 Diwali Campaign Is The Marketing Campaign You Need To Learn From 

2
30. India’s Growing Role In The Space Industry: The Path is in Doing

Did you know that India has one of the biggest economies in the world? It ranked as the fifth's largest by nominal GDP. India also has an important demographic trend. With the second largest population on Earth, more than half of its people are in the working-age group. A great percentage is under 34 years old. 
31. Cryptocurrencies and Stablecoins Could Make Remittances Faster and Cheaper

Sending money to certain countries remains a ludicrously expensive affair. Initiating a transfer from the UAE or US to India, for example, falls into two categories. It is either extremely expensive, or inexplicably slow to do so. Innovative solutions can make a meaningful impact in this regard, 
32. RuPay: The Indian Card Payment Alternative Rivals Visa and Mastercard

Story of how RuPay, an Indian alternative for Visa and MasterCard became a giant in the plastic card industry within a span of a decade.
33. Case Study: India's Ad Fraud Problem Sends Marketers in the Wrong Directions

Grab some popcorn for this: we're going down the rabbit hole of ad fraud and Indian case studies. Depending on various sources, anywhere between 15%- 25% of ad spend gets wasted due to ad fraud. 
34. Web3 Foundation Arrives In India with a Polkadot Buildathon

Polkadot announces the launch of their India hackathon “Polkadot Buildathon: India” for developers & entrepreneurs driving the Web3 wave; $14k in prizes
35. Could India's Remittance Sector Pave The Way For Crypto Adoption?

The historic judgement by the Supreme Court of India in March this year overturned the banking ban imposed by the Indian Central Bank RBI. The decision brought a lease of new life into the Indian crypto ecosystem where many were living in uncertainty for almost two years. The Supreme Court hearing not only helped the very few existing crypto startups and exchanges but also paved the path for many other entrepreneurs who were looking to start a crypto business outside India.
36. How India Revolutionised its Digital Payment System

UPI has revolutionised the way Indians used to look at digital payment systems. In four years, it has surpassed Visa and MasterCard.
37. What's the Future of Crypto in India?

I have been in a dilemma For months about whether I should invest in cryptocurrency or not.
38. Reviewing the Eight Leading Global Cloud Providers in India

The cloud storage industry is growing exponentially in India as there is tremendous growth in the country's Information and Technology sector. This has lead to many businesses adopting the use of technology, including cloud storage. 
39. Data Apocalypse No Problem According To Indian QC Startup

Photo by Ishant Mishra on Unsplash
40. Analog Work on Earth for Space: The Need To Embrace Analog Missions

Approaching the human dimensions for sustained space exploration requires a paradigm shift that looks beyond the hardware. Space is an unforgiving environment. 
41. Identifying The Poor in India: A Data Driven Analysis

Ever since I quit the corporate world, the story I have been telling myself is that I want to work on uplifting the poorest. It sounds romantic at the onset but like most things, is a lot more complicated when you get down into the weeds.
42. Can Technology help Kashmir overcome its Challenges?

Kashmir, the pristinely beautiful northernmost territory of India, is no stranger to turmoil. Ever since its accession to India all the way back in 1947, this region has found itself at the centre of a deleterious dispute between neighbours India and Pakistan, resulting in a damaging effect on this strategically located area’s security and consequently, its economy.
43. Comparative Study Of Best Time-Series Models For Pandemic Response

With the effect of the pandemic increasing every day and casting a vehemently toxic influence in almost all parts of the world, it becomes important how can we contain the spread of the disease. In an effort to combat the disease every country has increased not only their testing facility but also the amount of medical help and emergency and quarantine centers. Here in this blog, we try to model Single-Step Time Series Prediction, using Deep Learning Models, on the basis of Medical Information available for different states of India.
44. When Messenger Apps Adopt Fintech: Privacy Issues and Implications

There are many ways in which the world is divided up: borders, differing cultures, and even vast masses of water serve to partition the globe. Preference per region for Messenger apps is one of the less initially visible ways this is done. 
45. The Opportunities That Lie Before The Indian Crypto Ecosystem and What's Being Done With It

On March 04, 2020, India finally got the trigger for the resurgence of its crypto ecosystem. The ruling came a stifling two years after RBI banned banks from facilitating banking services to crypto exchanges.
46. How I built Pushstart, one of the most active startup communities of India

PushInterview 01:
47. The Rajkumari Ratnavati Girl’s School: An innovative,safe and playful study environment.

This edifice rises from the sand to offer a safe and enjoyable learning environment.🔥
48. Six Indian SaaS Startups Products To Watch in 2022

After Silicon Valley a6 Indian SaaS Startups Products that will disrupt the market in 2020nd Israel, India is the 3rd largest tech ecosystem in the World.
49. What's Developing In The Indian Crypto Ecosystem [An Overview]

The Global Recession of 2008 sent unprecedented shockwaves and disrupted Financial Markets worldwide. With Banks of International repute going insolvent to Financial Institutions turning towards the governments for bailouts and mergers, many woke up to the fact and sought alternate ways of financial transactions which would be least affected by sudden unprecedented fluctuations and Market Corrections. 
Thank you for checking out the 49 most read stories about India on HackerNoon.
Visit the /Learn Repo to find the most read stories about any technology.

49 Stories To Learn About India

Employees from areas like product, customer service, design, and marketing were let go by Chingari, which earlier this year let go 20% of its employees. In order to reduce corporate expenses during a severe cash crunch, Chingari also requested that some of its staff accept wage cuts of up to 50%.

Chingari fires over 50% workers in second round of layoffs

SwaLay provides content distribution solutions in the digital industry. The company promotes independent artists, groups, and small and local businesses through music distribution, lyrics distribution, content promotion, and more. It was founded in 2021 and is based in New Delhi, India.

SwaLay

Through this partnership with Chingari , SwaLay Digital aspires to promote and deliver its Indie Music artists and music content on a platform that reaches 166M + users across India .

Chingari and SwaLay join forces to bring the Indie Revolution to India

OnMobile is a global leader in mobile entertainment, operating in the mobile gaming and digital entertainment industry. The company offers a range of products including a cloud gaming platform, a customer engagement SAAS platform, a mobile casual gaming platform, a digital mobile web store for curated content, a mobile entertainment product called Tones, and a contest platform for trivia quizzes. These products primarily cater to the mobile gaming and digital entertainment sectors. It was founded in 2000 and is based in Bengaluru, India.

OnMobile

Benchmark Entertainment is a record label for all artists. It provides a platform to all those talented artists who do not have a stage to showcase their talent. It was founded in 2015 and is based in Ahmedabad, India.

Benchmark Entertainment

TrueFan is a celebrity-fan engagement platform that allows users to answer questions and win personalized videos from celebrities.

TrueFan

Google

Apigee

LivePerson

Baynote

Adchemy

I2 Technologies

Kraft Foods Group

Procter & Gamble

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Banking is only the beginning: 65 big industries blockchain could transform

Series A

Chingari is a Computer Hardware & Services/IT Services company based in Palo Alto, California. Chingari's investors include Azure Capital Partners, Charter Venture Capital and InterWest Partners.

Name	Anurag Wadehra
Work History	Google, Apigee, LivePerson, Baynote, Adchemy, I2 Technologies, Kraft Foods Group, Procter & Gamble, and SLB
Title	Founder
Status	Current

Wells Fargo Success Story

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Platform Overview

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