Amazon’s Jeff Bezos now world’s richest with $141 billion net worth

Bezos’ wealth has grown more than $5 billion since June 1 to beat Bill Gates, the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation, who is the second-richest man in the world with $92.9 billion.

International News : Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos has become the richest man in the world with a net wealth of $141.9 billion, the Forbes World’s Billionaires list showed on Monday.

Bezos’ wealth has grown more than $5 billion since June 1 to beat Bill Gates, the principal founder of Microsoft Corporation, who is the second-richest man in the world with $92.9 billion.

Warren Buffet, one of the most successful investors in the world, trailed in the third place with a total of a wealth of $82.2 billion.

Bezos officially became the richest person in the world earlier this year, and his business behemoth of online retailing, Amazon, grew into the second most valuable company in the world after Apple.

Fortune’s last list release showed that Amazon ranked eighth on the 2018 list of America’s largest companies, with revenues of $177.87 billion.

Read More → World’s Billionaires List 2018

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Up the Down Staircase The Story of the Indian Railways Abraham Jacob Vanathi Pathippagam 302 pages; Rs 250 There are several services in the Indian Railways. Among these, the Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) and the Indian Railway Service of Engineers (IRES) ought to be the most important (though this isn’t necessarily the case always), because they deal directly with the running of trains.

Read full Story on → Indian Railways

Microsoft becomes third most valuable firm, surpasses Alphabet

The credit for Microsoft’s rise goes to its CEO Satya Nadella who has been strategically restructuring the company towards Cloud and Office offerings.

Company News : Microsoft has surpassed Alphabet, the parent company of Google, in the market capitalisation for the first time in three years, becoming the third most valuable firm after Apple and Amazon globally.

According to a report in Investor’s Business Daily late Tuesday, Microsoft had a market cap of $753 billion at the close of trading, almost $14 billion ahead of Alphabet.

Apple leads with a market cap of nearly $924 billion and Amazon is at distant second, with nearly $783 billion.

The credit for Microsoft’s rise goes to its CEO Satya Nadella who has been strategically restructuring the company towards Cloud and Office offerings.

Driven by consistent growth in its Office and Cloud solutions, Microsoft posted a revenue of $26.8 billion and net income of $7.4 billion in its third quarter that ended on March 31.

“We are innovating across key growth categories of infrastructure, AI, productivity and business applications to deliver differentiated value to customers,” Nadella said.

Office commercial products and Cloud services revenue increased 14 per cent — driven by Office 365 commercial revenue growth of 42 per cent.

The Azure cloud offering had 93 per cent revenue growth. Revenue in Productivity and Business Processes was $9 billion and increased 17 per cent in the quarter.

Microsoft now has over 135 million active Office 365 business users, with 30.6 million Office 365 consumer users.

Revenue in Intelligent Cloud was $7.9 billion and increased 17 per cent.

Read More → Most Valuable Firm

Amazon offers iPhone X at Rs 74,999, iPhone 7 at Rs 39,999; check more deals here

Amazon India is currently hosting the iPhone fest under which the online shopping portal is offering discounts, along with additional instant off up to Rs 5,000 to HDFC bank customers.

 

Amazon iPhone Fest :  Amazon India launched ‘iPhone Fest’ to offer all the latest iPhone models at discounted prices. The sale that will last until April 16 is offering deals on the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, and iPhone SE. There are also discounts on select Apple Watch models. The Amazon sale additionally offers up to Rs. 5,000 of instant discount on iPhone purchases using HDFC Bank debit and credit cards. Furthermore, customers have been provided with a list of EMI options.

Under the Amazon sale, the iPhone X 64GB variant is available at Rs. 79,999 (MRP Rs. 95,390), while the iPhone X 256GB is priced at Rs. 97,999 (MRP Rs. 1,08,930). Customers can also opt for an instant discount of Rs. 5,000 by making their purchase using an HDFC Bank debit or credit card. Similarly, there is an exchange discount of up to Rs. 15,900 that can be availed in lieu of an old smartphone.

If the iPhone X is still not in your budget, the Amazon sale offers the iPhone 8 64GB at Rs. 54,999 (MRP Rs. 67,940) and the iPhone 8 256GB at Rs. 68,999 (MRP Rs. 81,500). There is the iPhone 8 Plus 64GB at Rs. 65,999 (MRP Rs. 77,560) and the iPhone 8 Plus 256GB at Rs. 79,999 (MRP Rs. 91,110). Both iPhone 8 models come with Rs. 3,000 of instant discount via HDFC Bank. Further, the sale has the iPhone 7 32GB at Rs. 41,999 (MRP Rs. 52,370) and the iPhone 7 128GB at Rs. 54,999 (MRP Rs. 61,560). There is also the iPhone 7 Plus 32GB at Rs. 56,999 (MRP Rs. 62,480) and the iPhone 7 Plus 128GB at Rs. 64,999 (MRP Rs. 72,060). Amazon is offering Rs. 2,000 of instant discount on all iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus purchases through HDFC Bank debit and credit cards.

For customers seeking cheaper iPhone options, the Amazon sale offers the iPhone 6s 32GB at Rs. 33,999 (MRP Rs. 42,900) and the iPhone 6s Plus 32GB at Rs. 37,999 (MRP Rs. 52,240). The iPhone 6s is also eligible for Rs. 1,500 of instant discount via HDFC Bank, while the customers buying the iPhone 6s Plus can get an instant discount of Rs. 2,000. There is also the iPhone 6 32GB at Rs. 23,999 (MRP Rs. 31,900) that can be purchased with an instant discount of Rs. 1,250 and the iPhone SE 32GB at Rs. 17,999 (MRP Rs. 26,000). This cheapest iPhone model can also be bought along with an instant discount of Rs. 1,000.

Apart from various iPhone models, the Amazon sale offers discounts on some Apple Watch models as well. There is the Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 38mm at Rs. 32,380 (MRP Rs. 32,380) and the Apple Watch Series 3 GPS 42mm at Rs. 31,900 (MRP Rs. 34,410).

Check More Deals Here → iPhone Fest

List of best movies, TV shows broadcasting on Netflix, Hulu and more in Jan

Everything mentioned was available to stream starting Jan 1, unless otherwise indicated

Latest News - At the beginning of every month, subscription streaming services add a new batch of movies and TV shows to their libraries. Here are the titles we think are most interesting, broken down by service. Everything mentioned was available to stream starting Jan. 1 list of best movies, unless otherwise indicated.

Movies New to Netflix

‘Boogie Nights’

‘Miss Sharon Jones!’ (Jan. 7)

‘Under the Shadow’ (Jan. 7)

Also of Interest

“Caddyshack,” “E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,” “Hugo,” “Superman: The Movie,” “The Parent Trap” (1961), “The Shining,” “V for Vendetta,” “It Follows” (Jan. 13).

New Netflix Original TV Series

‘One Day at a Time’ (Jan. 6)

‘A Series of Unfortunate Events’ (Jan. 13)

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Catch all the movies in the month of Jan 2017

Movies New on Amazon Prime and Hulu

Movies New to HBO

Movies New on Originals

Movies New on Showtime

Movies New on Starz

Movies New on Sundance Now

Movies New on FilmStruck

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Read Article Source>>>

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Get all the Stock Market News & Latest Business News | Business Standard

Step-by-step guide: How to sell your old/new goods on Amazon

Amazon India has started a programme that allows people to sell their old products

Today Latest News - Are you tired of stacking old gadgets, books, magazines, et al? E-commerce giant Amazon India has started a pilot programme in Bangalore that allows people to sell their old products. 

 

In an attempt to mobilise its user base and to encourage peer-to-peer (P2P) sales, Amazon has launched a programme called 'pick-pack-and-pay. 

 

 

So how does Amazon India's pick-pack-and-pay programme work?

Step 1 - List your product/products. Select what you want to sell on Amazon. (Post your new or used products online across different categories – mobiles, books, fashion jewellery, tablets, watches, laptops and video games). Upload your photo. Select the essentials of your product (For example:- brand name, model, publishers). Mention the item condition (new/used). Mention your price, address and other details

Step 2 - Post your ad

Step 3 - Buyers order your product online

Step 4 - You schedule a doorstep pick-up

Step 5 - Amazon picks, packs and ships for you

Step 6 - You receive your money in 3-5 days

Amazon has not yet specified how quickly orders will be processed, but mentioned that buyers will have the option to return products within seven days if defective or not as described.

 

Read Article Source>>>

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Be Updated on Stock Market News  &  Latest Business News | Business Standard

AIB, Phantom films, Dharma and more: Amazon banks on Bollywood for Prime Video

OTT service provider has long-term output deals with Dharma Productions, Vishesh Films and T-series

Amazon's big bang announcement about its Prime Video launch in India shook up the industry not only because of the highly competitive prices, but also for its proposed content offers. It announced a total of 18 shows, nine of which are already in production, in collaboration with content makers like All India Bakchod (AIB), Phantom Films and Excel Entertainment.

However, the American e-commerce giant's content plans were in motion well before the launch, and by the looks of it, Amazon Prime Video will be depending heavily on India's love for cinema—Bollywood and regional.

Amazon Instand Video Needs To Up Its UX Game, Or Get Run Over By The Netflix Machine

The OTT service provider went on a deal signing spree and currently has long-term output deals with Karan Johar's Dharma Productions, Mukesh Bhatt's Vishesh Films and Bhushan Kumar led T-series. Apart from this, Amazon also has movies in Marathi, Bengali, Tamil and Telugu.

At its launch, Prime Video has titles as recent as Sultan, Baar Baar Dekho, Fan, Sarabjit, Kapoor and Sons, Kabali, and Raaz Reboot, all released in late 2015 or 2016. Through its various deals, Amazon Prime Video also has rights to premier Bollywood films on its OTT service before the television premiere. This should give the company an edge in terms of attracting customers.

Read Source>>>

Flipkart lists 'Amazon exclusive' OnePlus 3 at Rs 18,999

The company has put up a sale of OnePlus 3 device at Rs 18,999, which will start at 4 pm on December 18

Of late, Flipkart hits the controversy by putting up a banner listing the sale of OnePlus 3 smartphone, which is exclusive to Amazon India, for under Rs 20,000 during the big billion sale, which started today i.e. on December 18.

While the listing brought a lot of attention from prospective buyers, it came as a shock to OnePlus CEO, Carl Pei who took to Twitter asking Flipkart’s co-founder Sachin Bansal to clear the ambiguity around the sale of OnePlus 3 on Flipkart.

The tweet saw no reply from Flipkart or from Sachin Bansal and soon Amazon India took to Twitter to warn customers to buy OnePlus 3 from Flipkart ‘on their own risk’.

.@_sachinbansal brother, what's this? We're exclusive with @amazonINpic.twitter.com/0QBoyagoXz

— Carl Pei (@getpeid) December 16, 2016

There is still a lot of ambiguity around the issue, but for Flipkart things are as normal as they ever were. The company has put up a sale of OnePlus 3 device at Rs 18,999, which will start at 4 pm (IST) on December 18. On product page, the device details ‘1 year warranty’ on smartphone and ‘6 month warranty’ on accessories.

Read Source>>>

Amazon sells 15 mn units in 5-day sale, claims market leadership

Prime, the Amazon subscription-based loyalty programme, drove a third of all orders on its platform, its highest sales so far in India, during its five-day festive season sale which concluded on Wednesday.

The US-based e-tailer shipped a little over 15 million items to customers across the country and got tens of thousands of users to pay Rs 499 for its Prime membership. Overall, more customers bought Amazon’s Prime subscription than the best-selling smartphone on the platform.

Amazon in the US counts nearly half of all households as Prime Customers, who spend nearly double ($1,200) than regular users to buy goods on its platform.

“In the little over three years we’ve been in India, we’ve probably created the fastest ramp up for e-commerce in this eco-system. This Diwali (sale) was three times bigger than last Diwali. We’ve been growing at 150 per cent year-over-year even though the landscape was flat and Diwali saw an even bigger acceleration,” said Amit Agarwal, country manager.

Over the past week, Amazon and local leader Flipkart have been competing to garner higher share of the customer wallet, offering discounts, better product quality and faster delivery. Flipkart and smaller rival Snapdeal close their five-day sale on Thursday. The sale is expected to garner $1.5 billion (Rs 10,000 crore) across all e-commerce platforms.

Read Source

Snapdeal Gold helps company reduce cash on delivery

Gurgaon-based online marketplace giant Snapdeal has managed to bring down the cash on delivery (COD) component to 50 per cent, on the back of its free service upgrade Snapdeal Gold, which is available on orders paid for at time of buying.

The company said offers from banks led to a record increase in users selecting prepaid options. "In the first two days of the Snapdeal Unbox Diwali Sale, more than 50 per cent of users opted to pay by credit and debit cards, net banking and FreeCharge wallet to avail attractive bank offers, interest-free EMIs and free shipping," the company said.

COD is a major pain point for online marketplaces, as the percentage of return is higher. Also the logistics required for the cash to reach the company make it an expensive proposition. According to sources, the COD component before the firm launched Snapdeal Gold was around 70 per cent. The company believes by end of this year it would be able to bring down COD even further. "We are excited to see an overwhelming response to our newly-launched Snapdeal Gold service."

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SNAPDEAL’S INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THE SALE

• ACs sold so far in the Diwali sale are enough to cool Burj Khalifa
   
• 55,000 Toolkits sold till now
   
• 1 DSLR bought in every 3 minutes on Day 2 of sale
   
• Hair straighteners were the highest sold products among personal grooming products on Day 3 of the sale
   
• Eye make-up products are the most selling cosmetic items
   
• More than 136,000 stationery kits donated to kids

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Read Source

Race on as Flipkart, Amazon, Snapdeal eye $1.5 bn in festive sales

The most-watched online sales on Sunday were about Apple and pizza, property and Harry Potter, attracting first-time buyers from Sangli and Hisar, while not letting the regulars from Delhi and Mumbai leave.

In response to Amazon’s first day score card — 1.5 million units sold in 12 hours — on Saturday, rival Flipkart on Sunday raised the bar, pegging the number of units sold at 2.25 million in exactly 12 hours.

WHAT HAPPENED ON DAY I

Flipkart

• Flipkart and Myntra together sold 2.25 million units in the first 12 hours of the Big Billion Days
• Sold more Apple watches in 10 minutes than the total sale of Apple watches online and offline in a month
• Myntra clocked 3 times more revenue in the  first hour, compared to the 2015 edition

Amazon

• In the first 12 hours, managed to sell over 1.5 million units
• More than 100,000 units sold in less than the first 30 minutes
• Microwaves saw a 30-time spike in demand
• Consumer durables categories saw a 10-time growth
• Diapers and baby products have witnessed an increase of 12 times

Snapdeal

• At midnight, 180 orders booked per second
• By 4 pm, more than 1.1 million people had made purchases
• Orders went to nearly 52,000 sellers
• People from 2,800 cities and towns placed their orders
• Fastest delivery: An order for iPhone 5s  placed at 7.20 am on Oct 2 was delivered in Gurgaon at 8.10 am

Read Source

Walmart-Flipkart tie-up: Why the association is more likely than a stake sale

The world’s largest retailer, Walmart, which is in direct competition with Jeff Bezos-led e-commerce giant Amazon in the US, may be looking at India, the fastest-growing market, for the next round of business rivalry.

A news report on Tuesday said Walmart was in early talks to pick up a minority stake in Flipkart, which claims to be bigger than Amazon in India.

While neither Bentonville-headquartered Walmart nor Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal-founded Flipkart commented on the issue, a source said it may not make much sense for the American brick-and-mortar giant, with significant online ambition, to pick a minority stake in Flipkart at the valuation it commands

The Bengaluru-based company had past estimated its own value at over $15 billion last year, but many of its investors have marked down the worth since then. Even after the markdowns, which are theoretical, Flipkart is valued at $10-$11 billion.

“A minority stake in Flipkart will not give Walmart any substantial play in the online space, while paying a big price for it,” the source said, explaining why such a  Read Full Story

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ABOUT THE TWO

• It may not make much sense for the American brick-and-mortar giant, with significant online ambition, to pick a minority stake in Flipkart at the valuation it commands, a source said
   
• The talks between the two could be for other strategic tie-ups, rather than a stake deal, another source said
   
• Many analysts have pointed out that there’s a reason for Walmart to gain traction in the online market in India
   
• Walmart has been in negotiations with several e-com firms, including Shopclues and Snapdeal, for presence across online platforms
   
• The biggest trigger is Alibaba finalising its direct India foray

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Flipkart grows user base to 100 million

Flipkart, India’s largest e-commerce marketplace, says it has expanded its consumer base by 33 per cent in the past six months to 100-million registered users, despite stiff competition by global rival Amazon, which has committed a massive $5 billion to capture the India market.

Flipkart says its 100-million registered user milestone represents 63 per cent of all broadband Internet subscribers in the country and that it is the first company to reach this milestone outside the US or China. It had announced breaching the 75-million user milestone in March this year. The figures exclude users of Myntra and Jabong, its fashion units that have a higher proportion of younger users.

In August last year, Alibaba-backed digital payments company Paytm had announced it had crossed the 100-million user mark.

“Since the time we sold the first book to our first customer in 2007 till today, our journey has always been about providing a superior shopping experience to our customers. This milestone has further energised us to ramp up our efforts and build a world-class shopping destination,” said Binny Bansal, co-founder and chief executive officer of Flipkart, in a statement.

This growth in users comes at a time of slower sales in India’s e-commerce market. It is estimated that online sales fell 19 per cent in the January-March 2016 quarter, while sales during the read full story

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THE 100-MILLION USER CLUB

Paytm: 125 million; crossed 100 million last August

Hike: 100 million

Facebook: 150 million; crossed 100 million in June 2015

Snapdeal: Has a current user base of 110-million plus, across Snapdeal and Freecharge platform

Twitter launches app to stream its videos on TV

Micro-blogging website Twitter has launched a new version of its app for digital media players -- Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and for Microsoft's video game console Xbox One -- allowing users to see live streaming video available on Twitter.

The app is free and users do not have to create a Twitter account and will feature all the live streaming video available on the network.

"NFL's Thursday Night Football games will all be streamed free via the app as well as content from MLB, the NBA, and media organisations including Bloomberg News," technology website The Verge reported on Wednesday.

Twitter's Apple TV app will have a unique feature that allows users to watch live video and Tweeted video clips, side by side.

The app will be available globally via the App Store for Apple TV.

For the Xbox One, the app will be available in the US, Britain, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

For Amazon's Fire TV and the Fire TV Stick the app will be available only in read full story

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