TMS Ep428: ONDC, passkeys, markets, Maharatna & Navratna Cos

Nothing should come between you and your favorite restaurant. Those who believe in this idea must be a happy lot as government-operated ONDC, it seems, is picking up. And the prices of your favourite dishes are coming down. Those ordering food on it are unable to hide their excitement, and are hitting the social media platforms to express it. With delivery fees and some other charges gone, the food they say is now 20 to 30% cheaper when compared to established food delivery platforms. So should Swiggy and Zomato worry? Will ONDC’s considerably cheaper deliveries deal a blow to their business? 

Struggling with losses, Swiggy had recently appealed to its Swiggy One members to share food and not passwords. Following the Netflix footsteps, it amended its membership to restrict the privilege to two mobile phones. Moving on, what if you do not have to remember scores of passwords for all the subscriptions and accounts, and could login using your fingerprint? This is essentially what Google aims to do, with rollout of passkeys. Google is not the only one to launch passkeys. Microsoft and Apple have done the same in the past few years. It is generally accepted that passkeys which use biometrics, patterns, and PIN locks are more secure than passwords. And convenient too. So are we heading to a world without passwords?

Meanwhile, Bengaluru that houses offices of tech giants like Google and Microsoft is now breathing easy. Campaigning for Karnataka polls ended on May 8. So, how will markets react to the outcome of this high-stake election? 

After the markets, let us shift our focus to state-owned companies which are grabbing eyeballs. The government recently granted Navratna status to  Rail Vikas Nigam Limited (RVNL). But ever wondered what Navratnas and Maharatnas are? Listen to this episode of the podcast for answers.