eNews
Ronnie Screwvala bets big on Oximity
MUMBAI: Entrepreneurs Ronnie Screwvala, Krishnan Ganesh, Sashi Reddi and Anand Ranganathan have co-invested in Oximity, a unique news website that crowd-sources opinions and developments on social and economic issues at a global level. The four Indian investors have jointly co-invested to raise the seed round of $620,000 for this innovative crowd sourced news website.
Oximity goes beyond commercial concerns and concentrates on the latest trends like social, mobile, location based services, cloud computing and big data. “For Screwvala, Ganesh, Reddi and Ranganathan investing in Oximity and actively supporting it with personal networks is a validation of the website’s attempt to bring in systemic change in the news industry,” said the company statement.
“The news media landscape is shifting rapidly, and in a few years there will be an entirely new set of players dominating this space. We believe Oximity has the potential to be one of such dominant players,” said Ronnie Screwvala.
“The paradigm shift that Oximity is planning is huge. There is a clear and present need to replace the Buzzfeed generation with meaningful journalism direct from the source. Oximity’s focus on pertinent news from the community is much-needed and I’m excited to see this collaborative platform grow,” added K Ganesh.
With its modus operandi of crowd-sourcing news, Oximity aims to transform the traditional top-down structure of news media with a bottoms-up approach in writing, reporting, editing and distributing news. By allowing people and organisations to report their news in over 180 languages, and facilitating automatic as well as manual translation, Oximity is removing language as a barrier to the flow of news information globally.
Additionally, it is partnering with various existing user generated news networks worldwide to create one large network of self-empowered news writers and readers.
“We believe all human beings are equal, without exception. The disenfranchised can now have a voice, on a level playing field with the already empowered. And users get to set the news agenda, instead of a few people who run global news media organisations”, said Oximity co-founder Sanjay Goel.
The website has more than 8,000 likes on Facebook and over 6,000 followers on twitter. This only goes on to say that there is space for such news websites where common man becomes the source!
eNews
Rapido launches zero-commission food delivery app Ownly in Bengaluru
New platform promises transparent pricing with no restaurant commissions.
MUMBAI: Rapido just served up a fresh order because when the food delivery menu gets too pricey, someone’s got to deliver honesty on a plate. Rapido has rolled out Ownly, its standalone zero-commission food delivery app, across Bengaluru, stepping into India’s fiercely competitive online food delivery space with a model built on price transparency and fairness.
Unlike conventional platforms that charge restaurants commissions and often lead to inflated menu prices or hidden mark-ups, Ownly levies only a straightforward delivery fee on consumers based on actual logistics costs. Restaurants can list everyday low prices without relying on deep discounts, giving them breathing room while keeping bills honest for users.
The launch is backed by a satirical courtroom-themed digital video commercial that takes aim at industry pain points hidden fees, misleading discounts and price manipulation before positioning Ownly as the transparent alternative. The film is live on Ownly’s Youtube channel.
Rapido and Ownly, founder Aravind Sanka said, “Food ordering has become an integral part of everyday life across India, not just in metros but in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities as well. At Ownly, we see a strong opportunity to build a restaurant-first model that supports partners and caters to the evolving needs of customers. Transparency, honesty and fairness are key drivers of long-term growth for the sector.”
The Bengaluru rollout follows a pilot in Koramangala, HSR Layout and BTM Layout, where the team conducted consumer research and collaborated closely with restaurant partners to fine-tune the offering.
Ownly leverages Rapido’s existing hyperlocal logistics network to scale operations efficiently. By eliminating commissions and focusing on real-cost delivery fees, the platform aims to foster fairer economics for restaurants and more predictable pricing for consumers.
In a market where every rupee on the bill feels like a negotiation, Ownly isn’t just delivering food,it’s delivering a promise: no sneaky surcharges, no inflated prices, just straightforward bites at honest rates.
