Cost to Company is a brand new podcast by The Ken. We tell you how your workplace is changing before you hear it on slack. Hosted by Sneha Vakharia and Shreevar Chhotaria, each week Cost to Company brings to you a fresh narrative, told from multiple perspectives, around significant but underreported aspects of our work lives. You can subscribe to the show wherever you get your podcasts.

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As the EV space picks up pace in India, so is the fuel behind it all: charging. And big players like Tata Power and Jio-BP are pushing their weight to establish themselves in the budding infrastructure. Add to it all, an all-electric cab fleet operator BluSmart is scaling and paving the way for broader charging infrastructure. But with both charging biggies making big moves, who really has the upper hand in the foreseeable future?

Stories originally reported by

Seetharaman G: ‘Low margins, high stakes: The Tata Power foundation to Tata Group’s electric empire’

Olina Banerji, Sruti Sonal: ‘EV rivals Tata, Jio-BP supercharge BluSmart’s India expansion plans’

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara, Olina Banerji.

Produced by Nithin Shamsudhin, editing by Rajiv CN, music by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

Write to us on [email protected]

Ola Electric has tried to replicate the Tesla story in India. With a lofty vision to convert all two-wheelers sold in India to electric by 2023, has Bhavish Aggarwal bit off more than he can chew? Delayed delivery dates, angry customers, senior leaders quitting—what’s going on at Ola Electric?

Story originally reported by Olina Banerji, with COO and author of The Nutgraf Praveen Gopal Krishnan.

Produced by Nithin Shamsudhin, editing by Rajiv CN, music by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

Credits: Links

Stoa school is riding on the wave of cohort based courses in online learning with the promise of getting a business education, a salary hike, a job at a shiny startup and the confidence to hold your own in a room full of MBAs. But taking a look at the business and its courses, it’s unclear just how it all works as a system. While some fellows have a serendipitous success story with the disruptor, is one year old Stoa really ready to challenge the decades-old MBA system?

Story originally reported by Olina Banerji ‘Stoa School’s open challenge to the IIM MBA’

Read it for free: https://the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara & Olina Banerji.

Guests: Raj Kunkolienkar, co-founder of Stoa. 

Stoa fellows: Aashutosh Joshi, Adithi*, Ankit Ruparel, Pranav Manie (*name changed to retain anonymity).

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

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A relationship manager has to make 20 calls, generate 8 leads and convert 5 of those to sell banking products. Daily. What was fundamentally set up to strengthen a relationship between a customer and their bank, the role has become a sales-heavy channel. And when RMs are  subject to high targets and rampant abuse, mis selling becomes the mainstay. So when a 70 year old is sold life insurance, and the relationship manager behind it is under pressure to meet their targets, we need to take a step back and assess the need for the role. 

Story originally reported by Arundhathi Ramanathan. Access it for free on https://the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara & Olina Banerji.

With anecdotes from former relationship managers Satheesh and Vijay (names changed to retain anonymity).

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

Are you a relationship manager who connected with this episode? Write to us on [email protected]

The pandemic has seen a boost in online shopping across India, and Reliance backed Ajio is no stranger to that. But it’s not just good timing and luck that has brought it neck-to-neck with market leader Myntra. The company has been fixing bugs and building strengths to rise the ranks and holds the promise of toppling Myntra from its throne. But that’s not the end of the road for Ajio, they want to become omni-present in Indian retail and their strategy for it goes deep.

Story originally reported by Pranav Balakrishnan. Subscribe and read the story here: https://the-ken.com/story/how-reliances-ajio-went-from-fashionably-late-to-flavour-of-the-season/ 

Hosts: Olina Banerji, Rohin Dharmakumar.

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

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Source of external audio snippets

Demystifying Omnichannel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWEWYV5NUHs&t=2094s

Reliance Industries AGM 2021: Mukesh Ambani's Address: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3XNf70Mx5E

Myntra vs Ajio | comparison between Myntra and Ajio in hindi: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MrqT8U-f_I

Myntra vs Ajio| 5 Main differences which everyone should Know: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYRK3Mqnioo

Sonam K. Ahuja x AJIO Big Bold Sale | July 1-5: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUdCSmU2bLY

Remember those neighbourhood aunties with their side-hustle of selling women’s apparel to their social circle? E-commerce company Meesho built a tech-layer over that and has risen to dominance in India’s tier-2 and below cities. The multi-million dollar industry known as social commerce is set to grow to twice the size of all e-commerce in India, and Flipkart wants to get in on the action. The giant is sending its own fleet to fight for what Meesho has, and then some. It’s a battle for dominance and we’re taking you right to the centre of the action.

Story originally reported by Bhumika Khatri and Pranav Balakrishnan. Read the full story for free: the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara, Olina Banerji.

Guests: Lakshmi and Prakash, resellers on Meesho.

Translation assistance: Smrithi Shetty, Renu Chhikara.

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

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When smallcase began operations in 2015, it took the retail investment world in India by storm. Investors flocked to the service for their intuitive and idea-based stock bundling options. Now, smallcase finds itself at the top of the market that has only grown in popularity, but the environment around it is changing. With new competitors gaining momentum, partnerships changing faces and the imminent threat of a price war, what will smallcase do to maintain its lead in the space it has created?

Story originally reported by Jaspreet Kalra. Access it for free: the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara and Olina Banerji.

With guest Zeeshan Mhaskar, retail investor.

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

What bundles do you swear by? Email us at [email protected]

Open Network for Digital Commerce or ONDC is the Indian government’s alternative to the American “laissez-faire, completely market-driven model”. It aims to be seller-first and consumer-focussed and to shift power away from the e-commerce giants. But many stakeholders bring many problems and if not solved, the network might end up creating many more.

Story originally reported by Arundhati Ramanathan. Want to dive deeper into this story? Access it for free: https://the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Anushka Chhikara and Olina Banerji.

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat of Baqsa Studios.

Psst share your feedback with us on [email protected]

Disney+ Hotstar is India’s largest streaming platform, a feat that is largely owed to its prized licensing of the IPL, the cricketing tournament makes up 50% of its ad revenue. But the company is working to reduce its dependence on cricket, and with that come ambitious strategies and plans. 

Story originally reported by Munsif Vengattil. Want to dive deeper into this story? Access it for free: https://the-ken.com/podcastoffer/

Hosts: Olina Banerji and Rohin Dharmakumar.

Music and editing by Sameer Rahat from Baqsa Studios.

Psst share your feedback with us on [email protected]