e-commerce
Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers
MUMBAI: Starkut.com is probably the first and arguably the best online platform for the media & entertainment industry. It caters to the needs of over 30 different talent professions along with that of opportunity providers.
For the talent, it is the need to showcase their credentials on a platform that will reach far and wide, the need to network, apply for appropriate opportunities and share updates in text, pictures and video formats.
For the opportunity providers – that is film production houses, advertising agencies, casting directors, model coordinators, event agencies and corporates etc. – it is the need for posting an opportunity on a robust platform, search and identify the right talent for their projects and managing all of it online.
Starkut provides a platform for 32 professions, including Actor, Model, Dancer, Singer, Band, Choreographer, Cinematographer, Fashion Costume Designer, DJ, VJ, RJ, Make-up Artist, Musician, Music Composer, Photographer, Stand-up Comedian, Voice-over Artist, VFX Expert and Writer, among others.
In a very short span, over 7000 talented professionals across all verticals have signed up. Over 70 registered opportunity providers such as feature film production companies, TV-serial and Ad film production companies, advertising agencies, event agencies, casting directors, fashion designer, photographers and others are enjoying the Starkut experience. Over 100 audition opportunities of varied requirements have been posted so far across various regions and languages, and talents are getting short-listed for the same.
It seems the industry is just loving it, as the subscriber-base is growing in thousands per month and within just a few days of the Android mobile app launch there have been close to 10,000 downloads. Very soon the iOS App will also be available.
With the launch of the android mobile app, the talents can do many things on the go, such as creating and updating profiles and portfolio, getting real-time audition notifications and applying for opportunities online. Talents can also enjoy features such as posting updates, reading blogs, networking, and sharing Starkut profiles on other social networking sites.
In its endeavour to build and nurture a healthy relationship between the various stakeholders in the media & entertainment industry, Starkut is committed towards introducing various innovations. This will be with a vision not just to build a strong bond between talents and the opportunity providers, but also to benefit the entire Indian as well as global media & entertainment industry.
e-commerce
Amazon India slashes fees to boost seller growth
Zero referral fees now on over 12.5 crore products under Rs 1,000, Easy Ship fees cut by over 20 per cent from 16 March 2026.
MUMBAI: Amazon India just dropped fees like confetti because when sellers save up to 70 per cent, even the checkout cart starts celebrating. Amazon India today announced a major fee reduction to supercharge growth for lakhs of sellers, expanding zero referral fees coverage more than 10x from 1.2 crore products in 2025 to over 12.5 crore products priced under Rs 1,000 across 1,800 plus categories. Effective 16 March 2026, the changes also include a more than 20 per cent cut in Easy Ship fees for products below Rs 300, plus savings of up to 90 per cent plus on selling fees for the second unit when multiple units ship in one box.
Easy Ship where sellers store products at their premises while Amazon handles pickup and delivery remains a favourite for small businesses and those scaling up, thanks to lower upfront logistics costs. The revisions aim to make selling more profitable, especially for entrepreneurs in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities.
Amazon India director of selling partner services Amit Nanda said, “Building on last year’s fee reductions, we are now expanding that commitment to benefit a much larger cohort of sellers. By eliminating referral fees across 1,800 plus categories and reducing logistics costs, sellers can save up to 70 per cent in fees.”
Illustrative per-unit savings (effective 16 March 2026, products under 500g):
Fashion jewellery necklace set (Rs 999, Easy Ship), total fees drop from Rs 324 to Rs 100, a 69 per cent reduction (save Rs 224).
Earphones (Rs 798, Fulfilled by Amazon), total fees fall from Rs 248 to Rs 109, a 56 per cent reduction (save Rs 139).
T-shirt (Rs 299, Easy Ship), total fees reduce from Rs 71 to Rs 56, a 21 per cent reduction (save Rs 15).
Earthen Story (a Bengaluru-based seller) co-founder Ashish Agarwal reflected on last year’s changes, “When Amazon axed referral fees on products under Rs 300 last year, it was a game-changer… The result? 50 per cent explosive growth, with more momentum to conquer even bigger categories.”
Sellers can choose from three fulfilment options, self-ship, Easy Ship, or Fulfilled by Amazon (FBA). The fee cuts reinforce Amazon’s push to pass operational efficiencies back to sellers and customers in one of the world’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets.
In a platform where every rupee saved can fuel the next listing, Amazon isn’t just tweaking numbers, it’s handing sellers rocket fuel to scale faster, sell smarter, and keep the cart rolling.
