e-commerce
Startups thriving on mutual synergies
MUMBAI According to a recent industry survey, the total amount invested in the startups more than doubled between 2014 and 2016. The rate of growth was high in India, with the country accounting for more than $4 of every $10 invested in startups. This growth of capital investment in start-ups highlights the significant role that technology and the internet are playing in radically changing the nature of start-ups on a global level.
Partnership and collaboration is key to any successful mentoring arrangement and it is not just the start-up that benefits. Small but growing companies can introduce mature partners to more creative and flexible ways of thinking. Likewise, they can provide access to new customers and innovative products. This is especially true in the start-up sector which is characterised by rapid change and innovation.
One of the biggest examples of this phenomenon is Onspon.com. Onspon.com is a unique start-up that focusses on founded with the objective of automating the process of making sponsorship decisions, and securing access to timely sponsorship.
If you thought this was interesting, Hitesh has more in store. “Sponsorships have become a very vital tool for the start-ups of today. They have started realising that discovering brands and companies that provide them with value in terms of an association or powering an event that can create value for them.”
Onspon.com is providing early-stage start-ups with a brilliant medium for effective outreach and early traction which can be considered gold-dust in today’s fast paced start-up world. Hitesh Gossain, CEO,Onspon.com, elaborates on this, “There are several start-ups and brands nowadays that are in requirement of associations and synergies to leverage each other’s strengths. Our platforms have the special ability to provide brands with the most befitting / high ROI yielding avenues. What they also arereliasing that in this sphere, collaborating together on events and picking up platforms to expose their brand is an effective tool which can make a bigger difference than a media plan at times.”
“We have over 11000 event managers regsitered with us. They range from college sponsorship seeking individuals to IPL teams looking for brands on their jersey. Some of these cases provideStartups with an intriguing opportunity to engage their brand identity and reach out to a concentrated and effective audience. We are one of the examples of a startup offering other companies an opportunities to leverage our strengths and contribute to our platform in return,” says Hitesh smiling.
The success of Startup Bootcamps and similar mentoring initiatives lies in the fact that entrepreneurs and corporate executives now need each other more than ever. Indeed, their requirements and their strengths are often complementary.
Therefore, startups can brighten their global prospects by forming collaborative partnerships thatcapitalise on their complementary strengths while respecting the independence of each party. Nowthats a food for thought. Isn’t it ?
e-commerce
Amazon unveils first Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report
32,000 bad actors targeted, 15 million fake products removed in 2025.
MUMBAI: In a marketplace where trust is the real currency, Amazon is showing its receipts. Amazon has released its first-ever Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, offering a detailed look at how it polices its vast digital shelves from counterfeit crackdowns to scam detection and review authenticity. At the heart of the report is a four-pronged strategy, proactive controls, risk anticipation, enforcement against bad actors, and consumer protection. The scale is staggering. Since 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued over 32,000 bad actors globally through litigation and criminal referrals spanning 14 countries.
The clean-up drive accelerated in 2025, with the company identifying and disposing of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide. Legal action also led to the takedown of over 100 websites linked to fake reviews and scams, an ongoing battle in the age of algorithmic manipulation.
Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence and machine learning are doing the heavy lifting. Amazon says it monitors billions of daily interactions across listings, reviews, and seller activity to spot trouble before it surfaces. Its predictive systems can even flag potentially infringing listings for trending products before brands raise the alarm.
Tools like Omniscan, which verifies product safety information at scale, and SENTRIX, designed to detect and eliminate phishing websites, are part of this expanding tech arsenal. Together, they aim to reduce risk while keeping the platform usable for legitimate sellers.
That balance between protection and friction is a tightrope Amazon acknowledges. Rohan Oommen, Vice President of Worldwide Customer and Partner Trust, noted that while safeguards are critical, they must not stifle genuine businesses. Features like the Account Health Dashboard are meant to give sellers clearer visibility into compliance and performance.
Consumer-facing measures are also getting sharper. From direct safety alerts to recall notifications and refund guidance, Amazon is leaning into transparency, backed by partnerships with consumer organisations to raise awareness.
The report’s release follows the expansion of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit into India, signalling a deeper push into one of its fastest-growing markets, with closer coordination planned between brands, sellers, and law enforcement.
In short, as online shopping grows more complex, Amazon is betting that trust built through data, enforcement, and a fair bit of algorithmic vigilance will be its most valuable product yet.
