Listen: Trouble at Manch; EVs make some noise at Auto Expo 2020; Cognizant’s abysmal performance

TechCircle’s podcast TechThisWeek brings you news and insights, wrapped up in a weekly roundup of the following hand-picked developments in the startup and enterprise technology ecosystems in India.

Manch, a vernacular content sharing platform owned by Bengaluru-based Priharitam Technologies, may shut shop after raising a reported $1.24 million from investors such as Stellaris Venture Partners and Udaan cofounder Sujeet Kumar.  The platform was supposed to work along the lines of India’s 9gag -- what went wrong?

The Auto Expo 2020 in Greater Noida had some exciting announcements for automotive enthusiasts. But it also got the geeks in us excited, thanks to the variety of IoT, big data and deep tech involved in the new electric vehicle launches. From self-parking cars to IoT-enabled two wheelers to 5G-ready vehicles, the expo showcased the future of the connected world. 

DotPe, the parent operator of offline-to-online commerce and fintech platform Dot, raised about $8 million in an outsized seed funding round led by global payment gateway firm PayU and Fosun RZ Capital. Dot offers digital solutions to brick-and-mortar retail outlets, helping them increase sales and optimise business operations. 

TechCircle analyses Cognizant’s recent quarter results -- its worst in the past 12 months. The New Jersey and Chennai-based information technology services firm reported better-than-expected revenues and profits for the December quarter even as the company saw its margins drop below 15%.