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Welcome to the Daily Rundown! These are the top news stories for Wednesday, December 25 — India Inc champions volunteering, How Indians travelled this year, and more. 1️⃣ Investors reap startup exit rewards: Startups in India recorded exit deals worth more than $5 billion in 2024. Risk investors raised these funds mainly through IPOs, secondary transactions, and public market block deals, with the momentum slated to continue next year as well, say industry executives. Savan Chotaliya unpacks how secondary markets are transforming the VC space: https://lnkd.in/gqpBc_9p 2️⃣ India Inc champions volunteering: Firms in India are motivating employees to volunteer their time and skills for causes like disaster relief, environmental activities, healthcare, and education. While a few companies are offering paid leaves for these initiatives, others are rolling out reward programmes for those who are participating. Monica Kolluri says this will also enhance organisational culture: https://lnkd.in/gBjMeff5 3️⃣ How Indians travelled in 2024: Around 48% of Indians booked flight tickets less than seven days before travelling, according to a latest travel report by Niyo Solutions. Domestic destinations ruled the roost, with most travellers opting for shorter trips. Vinay Bagri shares more insights from the report: https://lnkd.in/g9y3G-Q3 4️⃣ Acing an AI interview: Job interviews conducted by Artificial Intelligence (AI) will become the norm in the coming year, but one must think of them as any other interview, say experts. Aaron Wang delves into the benefits such interviews will offer: https://lnkd.in/g3EFV8eE 💬 What’s your take on today’s stories? Share in the comments section. ✍️: Abhiraj Ganguli 📷: Getty Images #DailyRundownIndia

What's next for retail in India's 'Maximum City'? It's the old evolving markets like Kala Ghoda and Colaba Causeway that are being transformed and are offering retail opportunities in Mumbai, says Sanjay Dutt, MD and CEO at Tata Realty And Infrastructure Ltd. What's driving this? Tune in as Dutt shares insights on the evolving retail real estate market and consumer behaviour in the city, and share your take — what's one trend that will shape Mumbai's retail growth in 2025? #LinkedInVideo 🎥 : Ajithesh Guru Prasath, Isha Chitnis, Rakshit Ravindranathan, Shivani Malik

In today’s News Wrap, we ask: How do you approach team meetings? Also in the News Wrap: More travellers are choosing to fly premium, and younger Indians are entering the rich club. Thanks to Neel Jadhav for his insights on the aviation industry, Naveen Tyagi for his thoughts on rise of India's super rich, and Takesh Singh for sharing how to contribute effectively in team meetings. #EveningNewsWrap Source: https://lnkd.in/g8836aJ9 https://lnkd.in/gEgr3gV3 https://lnkd.in/gpt7fZRq https://lnkd.in/g3r83rbt https://lnkd.in/g2_E3k45 ✍: Divya Pathak

Storytelling can transform a team’s energy and mindset during tough times, says LinkedIn Top Voice Takesh Singh. Leaders can use stories from their early career to build connection, align the team with a greater purpose, highlight resilience, and celebrate wins to inspire hope, he says. "Storytelling isn’t just for books or films - it’s a transformative leadership tool," Singh adds. How can storytelling transform teams? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

The moments that take place outside of work within a team are important and that's where real magic happens, says Utsav Malhotra, COO at Noise. This is because it shows us the bigger picture, gives an opportunity to connect with the team and most importantly, as humans, he says. It makes us "more aligned, more energised, and more ready than ever to take on what’s next," Malhotra adds. How can leaders boost team bonding? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Around four in five students in India believe that getting work experience while studying can help land better-paying jobs after completion of their courses, Debleena Majumdar reports for The Economic Times, citing a survey by TeamLease EdTech. Around two in five prefer work-linked degree programmes as they offer financial independence as well, the survey finds. Information technology, followed by marketing and advertising, banking and finance, are the top three sectors in which students seek internship opportunities. Therefore, institutions should focus on offering flexibility and better mentorship opportunities to help students balance academics and work, the report says. On the other hand, companies should also partner with educational institutions to offer internships and apprenticeships. The survey gathered responses from 10,083 students across India in the age group of 17 to 24 years. In what ways can companies and educational institutions partner to prepare students for the evolving job market? Share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: https://lnkd.in/gUtGg63C ✍: Divya Pathak

Welcome to the Daily Rundown! These are the top news stories for Tuesday, December 24 — Hotels have a new favourite, Health and pharma blaze an IPO trail, and more. 1️⃣ VCs upbeat on AI startups: Venture Capital (VC) funding deals in the AI startups space increased to 121 this year, compared to 78 in 2023, according to data from Venture Intelligence. While overall funding volume declined in 2024, VCs are particularly bullish on AI application-layer startups that are focused on the U.S. market. Abinash Mishra says “the AI ecosystem is pivoting”: https://lnkd.in/gaMFVThn 2️⃣ Hotels have a new favourite: More hotels in India are tailoring their services to cater to senior citizen travellers. Apart from offering special packages, hotels are also providing amenities like wider doorways, lower beds, emergency call buttons, and personalised meals. Jeevika kher predicts what’s in store for the hospitality sector in 2025: https://lnkd.in/geuMyY_2 3️⃣ India Inc boosts women leadership efforts: Companies across sectors like IT, retail, and professional services are looking to increase the number of women in leadership positions. What measures are they taking? Management and leadership training, mentoring opportunities, hybrid working arrangements, and sabbatical policies. Kiran Mazumdar Shaw shares why women leaders are thriving across India’s startup ecosystem: https://lnkd.in/gW6bS3Nc 4️⃣ Firms borrow more from abroad: Overseas borrowings by organisations in India touched $32 billion till October this year, compared to $25 billion in all of 2023, RBI data reveals. At $16 billion, Non-Banking Finance Companies (NBFCs) were the top borrowers, followed by firms in the industrial sector. Pranjal Parihar compares two ways for raising funds from overseas lenders: https://lnkd.in/gfeAjTPh 5️⃣ Health and pharma blaze an IPO trail: Healthcare and pharmaceutical companies raised funds worth ₹14,811 crore through IPOs in 2024 — which is the largest volume overall since 2019. Strong domestic consumption and opportunities to expand globally are two major contributing factors, say industry executives. Gautam Chhabra analyses why global investors are betting on India’s healthcare sector: https://lnkd.in/gxi624tZ 💬 What’s your take on today’s stories? Share in the comments section. ✍️: Abhiraj Ganguli 📷: Getty Images #DailyRundownIndia

What's sizzling in Delhi's culinary landscape? Indian diners increasingly want the same kind of experiences as they get when they travel, so international brands are being received well here, says AD Singh, founder and MD at the Olive Group of Restaurants. The city's F&B business owners are also on top of trends — with many of them being consumers of the same product, adds Amol Kumar founder and head of Pizzaiolo. Tune in as Singh and Kumar dive into what makes Delhi-NCR's food landscape tick, and share your take — what's one trend that will shape the city's culinary scene in 2025? #LinkedInVideo ✍ : Isha Chitnis, Shivani Malik 🎙️ 🎥 : Isha Chitnis, Ajithesh Guru Prasath, Rakshit Ravindranathan

In today’s News Wrap, we ask: What is your approach to setting goals? Also in the News Wrap: Online electronics sales increase this year, and the number of UPI applications skyrocket. Thanks to Aishwarya Gupta for his insights on consumer trends, Partheeban Ezhil for his thoughts on UPI applications, and Dr. Sanjay Arora for sharing how to achieve goals with small steps. #EveningNewsWrap Source: Writankar Mukherjee - The Economic Times (https://lnkd.in/gAe6r-uz) Ajinkya K. - Business Standard (https://lnkd.in/g4WZg9WZ) https://lnkd.in/gGuXHBuA https://lnkd.in/g9frqMQb https://lnkd.in/gZXBAM3B ✍ : Novinston Lobo, Rakshit Ravindranathan

One way to build a meaningful network is by helping founders, especially those just starting out, says LinkedIn Top Voice Neel Jadhav. Reflecting on his own experience of working with Akasa Air, he shares that the learnings, the real world experience and connections that one makes through such encounters is incredible. How do you approach networking? Share your thoughts in the comments section.