Info Edge is the first Indian Internet company to list on the Indian stock markets (in 2006). It is a widely successful company with many lines of business - it operates a jobs classified (naukri.com), a real estate classifieds (99acres.com), a matrimonial classifieds (jeevansaathi.com) and a higher education classifieds (shiksha.com). Info Edge also has a very successful corporate VC arm, which at different points owned ~50% of Zomato (restaurant listings and food delivery) and Policy Bazaar (insurance comparison shopping). We have related Info Edge's 30-year journey across two cases - Naukri.com (A): the Business of Internet in India and Naukri.com (B): Corporate Venture Capital in India. Both cases have separate teaching notes and are designed to be used either independent of each other in 90-minute sessions, or to be used one after the other in two 90-minute sessions This case examines Naukri.com's fight for relevance in a world that is increasingly being dominated by the three largest Internet aggregators - Google, Facebook, and LinkedIn (owned by Microsoft). It touches upon strategic aspects involving Internet marketplaces and social media networks, which are hotly debated topics in business media and various discussion forums as of 2022, and hence, you should expect strong participation from a typical MBA or executive MBA class
Info Edge is the first Indian Internet company to list on the Indian stock markets (in 2006). It is a widely successful company with many lines of business - it operates a jobs classified (naukri.com), a real estate classifieds (99acres.com), a matrimonial classifieds (jeevansaathi.com) and a higher education classifieds (shiksha.com). Info Edge also has a very successful corporate VC arm, which at different points owned ~50% of Zomato (restaurant listings and food delivery) and Policy Bazaar (insurance comparison shopping). We have related Info Edge's 30-year journey across two cases - Naukri.com (A): the Business of Internet in India and Naukri.com (B): Corporate Venture Capital in India. Both cases have separate teaching notes and are designed to be used either independent of each other in 90-minute sessions, or to be used one after the other in two 90-minute sessions This case examines Naukri.com's internal investments in other online classifieds - 99Acres, Jeevansaathi, and Shiksha, its attempts at vertical integration - Allcheckdeals and Quadrangle, as well as its corporate venture capital arm that makes financial investments in other startups like Zomato and Policy Bazaar. This case touches upon strategic aspects involving venture capital and popular consumer Internet startups in India, which are hotly debated topics in business media and various discussion forums. The case examines the strategic background of venture investments in great detail and ends by questioning the parameters of defensibility of venture funds. The case also discusses Info Edge's investment decision-making framework and valuation framework and examines the differences between financial venture capital and corporate venture capital.
Meesho is a three-part case that highlights the ups and downs, and the twists and turns, of a typical entrepreneurial journey. It follows the experiences and decisions of Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, two IIT Delhi graduates, as they build their venture - Meesho. The idea that they begin with, morphs substantially as they go through the process of finding a product-market fit. Each time they face a hurdle, they dig deeper into the needs and challenges of their customers, until they arrive at what could potentially be product-market fit. Even then, they struggle to monetize and decide to pivot yet again, in order to unlock the value created by their venture. The case provides rich material to discuss the iterative, non-linear nature of venture building. It reinforces the importance of continuously measuring and responding to metrics.
Meesho is a three-part case that highlights the ups and downs, and the twists and turns, of a typical entrepreneurial journey. It follows the experiences and decisions of Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, two IIT Delhi graduates, as they build their venture - Meesho. The idea that they begin with, morphs substantially as they go through the process of finding a product-market fit. Each time they face a hurdle, they dig deeper into the needs and challenges of their customers, until they arrive at what could potentially be product-market fit. Even then, they struggle to monetize and decide to pivot yet again, in order to unlock the value created by their venture. The case provides rich material to discuss the iterative, non-linear nature of venture building. It reinforces the importance of continuously measuring and responding to metrics.
Meesho is a three-part case that highlights the ups and downs, and the twists and turns, of a typical entrepreneurial journey. It follows the experiences and decisions of Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal, two IIT Delhi graduates, as they build their venture - Meesho. The idea that they begin with, morphs substantially as they go through the process of finding a product-market fit. Each time they face a hurdle, they dig deeper into the needs and challenges of their customers, until they arrive at what could potentially be product-market fit. Even then, they struggle to monetize and decide to pivot yet again, in order to unlock the value created by their venture. The case provides rich material to discuss the iterative, non-linear nature of venture building. It reinforces the importance of continuously measuring and responding to metrics.
The case tracks the evolution of FreshWorld, a unique mobile fruit and vegetable vending (FnV) startup in India. It gives a snapshot of the dilemmas faced by the entrepreneur Rajiv Rao during the initial years. This is against the backdrop of the evolving FnV retail domain in India, which is moving from the informal to the formal sector, from roadside vendor and mom and pop stores to organized retail, from technology independence to technology dependence. The case sets the stage for discussing how a startup needs to understand the market, the customer, and the competition. It provides students with an opportunity to examine a startup using the lens of the lean startup methodology. Having surmounted various challenges that were directly related to the way in which FreshWorld was conceived of as a solution; Rao must decide what to do next. He could share his plan and request more funding from his investors. Alternately, he could accept a buyout offer from a leading online retailer. The task before the students is to examine FreshWorld journey and identify where the entrepreneur is in his endeavor? What can he do? How would he decide? This case can be used in a course on entrepreneurship or social entrepreneurship.
The case follows social entrepreneur Wilma Rodriguez's journey of three decades as she creates and grows Saahas Zero Waste. Wilma wants to address the social issue and seeks various forms of solutioning, partnership, and organizational structure to take advantage of whatever opportunities arise along the way. The case spotlights Saahas when it faces the challenges of increasing scale as part of achieving product market fit. Saahas delivers value that cannot easily be quantified, to first-time large customers who do not understand the quantum and impact of the waste they generate. Saahas needs to communicate the value it delivers. It also needs to determine how to scale further.