Though flameouts are an inescapable part of the start-up business, Byju’s spectacular fall highlights the chronic problem of overvaluation of start-ups by private investors, and their insistence that company managements continue pursuing growth rather than profits. Inevitably, such unreal valuations and governance demands have impacted stock prices, with such listed entities companies as Nykaa, Zomato, PayTm and PolicyBazaar witnessing alarming gyrations. Only a handful are out of the red. The macro-economic side of the story is that start-ups create large numbers of jobs and inject a dynamism into the economy. So it is essential that they learn to survive and thrive, says T N Ninan. Read it here
In other views:
In other views:
Devangshu Datta describes two groundbreaking breakthroughs that show the promise of international cooperation in science. Read it here
Mihir Sharma explains why the story of the Russian Federation since February 2022 should at least show the world’s would-be authoritarians that Mr Putin’s governance innovations are not as robust as all that. Read it here
Debarghya Sanyal writes that new Dacoit Westerns on OTT platforms have shifted from the Chambal to the dunes of Rajasthan. Read it here