Business
Former Vungle CEO,?cleared of crimes, seeks $100 million

Zain Jaffer’s charmed, Silicon Valley life was about to collapse beneath him.
It was October 2017 and Jaffer, founder of a promising mobile ad startup, was suddenly arrested and charged with a series of crimes, including assault and sexual abuse. His company, Vungle Inc., promptly dismissed him.
But the case, it turned out, wasn’t what it seemed. And now that the charges have been dropped, Jaffer, 31, is taking Vungle to court. His unusual lawsuit is testing the limits of redemption in Silicon Valley after a run of troubling revelations about personal conduct at companies from Google to Uber.
Jaffer’s case hinges on a provision in California’s labor code that’s designed to protect people who’ve been exonerated of crimes. His lawyers have cited a suit brought by an insurance salesman who was fired after admitting to striking his girlfriend, even though he’d avoided criminal conviction. A jury subsequently awarded the salesman almost $20 million.
Lewd Act
Jaffer was removed as CEO after he was arrested and charged with performing a lewd act on one of his children, as well as child abuse and battery.
The charges were later dropped after prosecutors concluded Jaffer had suffered a psychotic episode triggered by a cocktail of prescription drugs prescribed to him by doctors. It was during that altered state that Jaffer, a trained martial artist, allegedly attacked his father, punched an infant and performed a jiu-jitsu move on his son that was misinterpreted by police as a sex act, said San Mateo County District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe.
Jaffer now wants his job back, or at least compensation to cover his losses, said Joann Rezzo, his attorney. While his complaint filed Tuesday in San Francisco state court doesn’t specify the damages he seeks, Rezzo said her client has suffered harm worth at least $100 million.
“While Mr. Jaffer would like nothing more than to regain control of the company he started, the law only allows for recovery of monetary damages under the circumstances,” Rezzo said.
Vungle didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment on the suit.
Google Ventures
Just before Jaffer’s 2017 arrest, Vungle had announced it was on track for $300 million in revenue, an impressive clip for a company that had launched just six years earlier. GV, formerly Google Ventures, is among the company’s big-name backers.
Vungle counted among its customers household names like Coca-Cola, the National Football League, Unilever and Warner Bros. — and displayed their logos on its website. Within 24 hours after reports of Jaffer’s arrest, those logos disappeared from the site.
It is unclear what the company’s overall valuation now is, the crux of the basis for valuing any shares in a private sale.
After Vungle dismissed Jaffer, its major shareholders voted to convert their preferred shares to common shares, said a person familiar with the situation, who asked not to be identified because the information is private. The investors wanted to be able to out-vote Jaffer, who was the majority shareholder, to keep him from trying to reinstate himself as CEO, the person said.
Rezzo said Vungle issued a press release that shows Jaffer was fired solely because of the charges against him.
“We are aware of the extremely serious allegations leveled against our former CEO, and we are shocked beyond words,’’ the statement read.
In recent months, Jaffer has expressed interest in selling his stake in the company, which has won back top customers it lost after the incident and is continuing to grow, according to two people familiar with the matter. Jaffer and the potential buyers of his shares haven’t been able to agree on a price, a person familiar with the situation said.
The case is Jaffer v. Vungle, 19-5744541, Superior Court of California, San Francisco County (San Francisco).
Business
Breaking News: Silicon Valley Bank’s Collapse Sends Shockwaves Through Financial World – Is India’s Banking System Next to Crumble?

Image Source: maxpixel.net
Are Indian Banks Ready to Face the Heat of Rising Interest Rates?
As Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) faces the heat of collapsing amidst rising domestic interest rates, Indian banks are left wondering if they are next in line. With the Indian economy still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic, the prospect of rising interest rates could lead to a devastating blow to the country’s banking sector. Will Indian banks be able to weather the storm or will they collapse like SVB?
Indian banks have already faced a tumultuous few years with multiple frauds and defaults taking place, leaving many questioning their resilience. With the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) indicating that it may hike interest rates in the near future, the pressure on Indian banks is set to increase. The question remains – are Indian banks prepared to face the heat of rising interest rates or will they buckle under the pressure? Only time will tell.
Business
Delhi: Businesses can now remain open 24×7, over 300 applications cleared by L-G

Photo by Rehan Fazal on Unsplash
From restaurants to transport services and BPOs to online delivery services, all those who apply for exemptions will be allowed to operate 24×7 in Delhi starting next week, with Lieutenant Governor V K Saxena approving the proposal to exempt 314 such places to operate all day long, some of them pending since 2016, officials said.
“The L-G has directed that notification to this effect be issued within seven days. The decision of providing exemption under Sections 14, 15 & 16 of the Delhi Shops & Establishment Act, 1954, is expected to boost employment generation and promote a positive and favorable business environment that is a prerequisite for economic growth. The decision will also provide a fillip to the much desired ‘nightlife’ in the city,” said an official.
Source: IndianExpress
Business
Swiggy Instamart figures, Mumbaikars ordered 570 times more condoms in the last one year

Customers are also ordering medical-related things through online shopping platforms. In metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore, people are buying goods online in large numbers. People living in metro cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai ordered an average of 6 million eggs in the last year.
These days people are doing online shopping fiercely in the country. Through Grocery Service Platforms, the goods of need are easily reaching people’s homes. From vegetables to medicines, just a few clicks on the smartphone are reaching people’s doorsteps. According to a survey, Swiggy Instamart has provided service to more than 9 million users between June 2021 and June 2022. In metros like Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore, people are buying goods online in large numbers.
Healthcare products orders
Customers are also ordering medical-related things through online shopping platforms. According to a survey, Mumbaikars have ordered 570 times more condoms in the last 12 months. At the same time, in 2021, Instamart received orders for about two million sanitary napkins, menstrual cups, and tampons. Apart from this, a lot of orders have also been received for grocery items.
56 lakh packets of noodles ordered
According to the survey, between April and June last year, there was a 42 percent increase in the demand for ice cream in these metro cities. It was also learned that most of the orders were placed after 10 pm. In metro cities, people have ordered 5.6 million packets of instant noodles. In Hyderabad, users ordered around 27,000 bottles of fresh juice during the summer months.
60 lakh eggs ordered
The demand for eggs has increased manifold in the last two years. People living in metro cities including Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai ordered an average of 6 million eggs in the last year. According to the report, customers from Bangalore and Hyderabad ordered the maximum number of eggs for breakfast. At the same time, people of Mumbai, Jaipur, and Coimbatore have ordered the maximum number of eggs online at the time of dinner.
Demand for dairy products
There has been a huge jump in orders for both tea and coffee. According to the report, there has been an increase of 2,000 percent in its demand. At the same time, 3 crore orders of milk have come for milk. People from Bangalore and Mumbai have placed more orders in the morning. Regular milk, full cream milk and toned milk are the most ordered dairy products.
Ordering fruits and vegetables
Orders for 62,000 tonnes of fruits and vegetables have been received in the last year. With 12,000 orders, Bengaluru tops the list of organic product buyers. At the same time, Hyderabad and Bangalore together have ordered more than 290 tonnes of green chilies in 12 months. Over 2 lakh orders have been received for bathroom cleaners, scrub pads, drain cleaners, and more in the last year.
Source: Aajtak
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