e-commerce
Dating app Bumble takes a ‘Stand for Safety’
KOLKATA: Women-first dating app Bumble has launched a new initiative, Stand for Safety, as part of its mission to create a safer, kinder and more respectful internet.
In partnership with Red Dot Foundation's flagship public safety platform Safecity, Bumble is releasing a safety guide to empower women in India to identify, prevent and combat rising digital abuse; a furtherance of its commitment to a zero-tolerance policy for hate, aggression or bullying of any kind.
“Through Bumble’s Stands for Safety initiative, we hope to equip and empower women in India with crucial information to understand and recognise, prevent and fight digital abuse. We are happy to collaborate with Safecity who has been doing incredible work on creating safer spaces for women worldwide. We will continue to demonstrate our commitment to creating safer, healthy relationships on our platform and in our communities,” Bumble VP global strategy & operations VP Priti Joshi.
A recent nationwide survey by Bumble found 83 per cent of women surveyed in India experience online harassment of some kind, and one in three women experience it weekly. A further 70 per cent of women believe that cyberbullying increased since lockdown was announced in 2020. Over half (59 per cent) of women surveyed said they feel unsafe and just under half (48 per cent) feel angry.
Red Dot Foundation founder ElsaMarie D’Silva commented, “Many women are silenced and intimidated in online spaces due to harassment and bullying directed towards them. Today's environment requires everyone to be comfortable and knowledgeable when accessing and utilising digital spaces for various aspects of life. We hope our safety guide will help them navigate these spaces safely and confidently.”
The Bumble community in India can access the safety guide within the app under its recently launched Safety + wellbeing centre, a resource hub built to help our global community to provide them with a safe and healthy dating experience.
Bumble is committed to fostering a safe and inclusive space for its community to connect for healthy and equitable relationships. As a geographic-specific feature for Bumble community in India, a woman can choose to use only the first initial of her name to create her Bumble Date profile and can share her full name with connections when she feels ready and comfortable. Bumble has a robust block and report feature within the app, and has made it easy for its community to block and report anyone who makes them uncomfortable on our app, or anyone who's behaviour goes against the community guidelines.
The social networking app also has a photo verification feature to help prevent catfishing within the app. Another Bumble feature that leverages AI, Private Detector is able to capture, blur and alert users that they've been sent an unsolicited nude image making it the user’s choice to either delete, view or report the image. Bumble recently updated its terms and conditions to explicitly ban any unsolicited and derogatory comments made about someone’s appearance, body shape, size or health, and became one of the first social networking apps to ban body shaming.
The app uses automated safeguards to detect comments and images that go against its guidelines and terms and conditions, which can then be escalated to a human moderator to review.
e-commerce
Flipkart rolls out 105 per cent bonus for 20,000 employees
Strong FY25 performance drives payouts even as layoffs and shifts unfold.
MUMBAI: In a year where belts were tightened and rewards loosened, Flipkart seems to be playing both offence and defence trimming roles on one hand while handing out a generous 105 per cent bonus on the other. The Walmart owned e commerce major has rolled out a 105 per cent bonus payout for 2025, covering nearly 20,000 employees, signalling a year of steady operational momentum even as the company navigates restructuring pressures. The payout, communicated internally by chief human resources officer Seema Nair, is tied to performance across key metrics including growth, operational efficiency, financial outcomes and people indicators, a combination that suggests the company is inching closer to its long stated goal of sustainable profitability.
Employees at SD level and below are set to receive their bonuses in March, while payouts for senior leadership, including vice presidents and senior vice presidents, will follow after the close of the performance cycle. The elevated 105 per cent multiplier stands out in a sector where cautious payouts have increasingly become the norm, pointing to what appears to be a relatively strong internal scorecard for FY25.
Yet, the announcement arrives with a noticeable contrast. Earlier this year, Flipkart reduced its workforce by around 300 roles as part of its annual performance review process. While officially framed as performance driven, the juxtaposition of layoffs alongside above target bonuses reflects a more nuanced balancing act, one that prioritises cost discipline while continuing to reward and retain high performing talent.
This dual approach is becoming increasingly common across the technology and e commerce landscape, where companies are navigating an uneven hiring environment while under pressure to deliver profitability. Rewarding top contributors, even amid selective workforce reductions, allows firms to maintain morale and retain critical talent without losing sight of financial prudence.
At the same time, Flipkart is also undergoing leadership shifts that hint at a broader strategic recalibration. Nishant Verman has been appointed senior vice president for corporate development and partnerships, while group chief financial officer Sriram Venkataraman is set to step down. Ravi Iyer will take on expanded responsibilities within the finance function, marking a reshuffle at the top as the company gears up for its next phase.
These changes come amid reports that Flipkart is planning to shift its holding structure back to India, a move widely interpreted as groundwork for a potential public listing. While timelines remain fluid, the combination of stronger financial discipline, leadership restructuring and employee incentivisation suggests a company preparing itself for greater scrutiny and scale.
For employees, the 105 per cent payout offers a welcome boost in what has otherwise been a period of adjustment. For Flipkart, it is a signal that even as it cuts where necessary, it is willing to spend where it counts. In the high stakes game of growth versus profitability, the company appears to be hedging its bets carefully, rewarding performance while reshaping itself for what could be its most defining chapter yet.
