Good morning. We’re back at it again with your daily dose of Earlybird — here to excite your mind with gripping news stories, minus the stressful airtime music.

In this edition:

• A new mayor at last. Clue: Her name rhymes with Delhi

• Fewer Google Apps On Your Next Android

• Can Zomato ‘Everyday’ cook up a storm?

MARKETS

*Stock data as of market close. Source.

• Markets: Looks like the Sensex is feeling a bit spicy today, as it tanks over 928 points and sends over 250 stocks hitting the lower circuit. We'll be keeping an eye on its movements throughout the week. Hang in there.

POLITICS

Shelly won Delhi

🏁 In a decisive victory for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Shelly Oberoi has been elected as the new mayor of Delhi. The win marks a major milestone for the AAP, which has been working tirelessly to expand its political footprint beyond its traditional strongholds in Delhi.

A Delightful Debut for Oberoi

Shelly Oberoi’s victory is all the more remarkable as it signals her debut in electoral politics. Oberoi, an award-winning academic and educator, had been selected as the AAP’s candidate for the mayoral election and managed to pull off an upset victory over her rivals from the BJP.

Why the long wait?

After a long, dramatic delay, Delhi has finally settled the dust to reveal its new leader. The municipal elections took place way back in December, but political squabbling and technical exchanges had delayed the appointment. The House finally convened again on the 22nd to settle the matter once and for all, much to the validation of Oberoi’s 34-vote lead over BJP's Rekha Gupta.

TECH

Fewer Google apps on your next Android

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has filed an antitrust case against Google, forcing the tech giant to make changes to its software licensing agreements with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) in India. As a result, Android devices in India may soon come with fewer Google apps installed.

👉 Introducing IMADA. According to a leaked report, manufacturers can choose to opt for the new India-specific IMADA (Internet Media and Digital Association) agreement or continue with the global MADA (Mobile Application Distribution Agreement):

• IMADA would allow phone manufacturers like Samsung and Motorola to opt-out of installing 11 Google apps that are currently loaded onto every Android device.

• Manufacturers can also remove the Google search bar and more Google content from the home screen.

• Users would be able to choose their default search engine upon setting up the phone.

📱 What apps would be included? The only app to be bundled with the device would be the Play Store. Everything else, including Google Search, Chrome, Drive, Gmail, Meet, maps, YouTube Music, Google Photos, YouTube, and Google Play Movies and TV, would be optional.

The Bottom Line… The IMADA agreement could give manufacturers more flexibility, but it may also lead to fewer Google apps on Android devices sold in India. Google has yet to comment on the leaked report.

BUSINESS

Zomato launches home-style meal service 'Everyday'

🚚 Zomato has announced the launch of its remodeled 10-minute delivery service, now called "Zomato Everyday", which will focus on offering customers affordable home-style cooked meals. The service will be available in select areas of Gurgaon and will see Zomato's food partners collaborate with home-chefs who will design the meals. Prices for the meals will start from Rs 89, with delivery promised "within minutes".

Untapped Market Opportunity. In a letter to shareholders, Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal stated that there is a large untapped market opportunity for this type of service in India, which could prove successful.

Can Zomato cook up a storm?

Previous startups such as Swiggy and Holachef, which attempted to offer similar services, have not seen much success in the past.

• Swiggy's separate app for home-style meals, called "Swiggy Daily", shut down within a year in 2020 due to weak demand.

• Meanwhile, Holachef, which was backed by Ratan Tata, Kalaari Capital and India Quotient, struggled to stay afloat and was eventually acquired by Ola's FoodPanda in 2018.

Looking forward… Zomato's re-entry into the space comes after it suspended its initial 10-minute delivery service in January. The company has stated that its new offering will provide an opportunity for its food partners to expand their customer base, and for home chefs to showcase their cooking skills to a wider audience.

INDIA EDITION: WHAT ELSE IS ON THE BIRDWATCH

• 🎮 Krafton, PUBG, BGMI maker, confirms new game for India. The new title, Road to Valor Empires, has been teased by Krafton India and is being developed by Dreamotion, a game development company that Krafton acquired in 2021.

• 👾 WazirX shuts down NFT marketplace as crypto market slumps

• 🧑‍💻 Polygon Labs lays off 20% staff a month after the crypto firm announced corporate restructuring in January this year.

FUNDING DEALS

Catch up on the Indian funding flows from the past 24hrs:

• Intangles, Digital Twin solutions provider, just bagged a cool $10M in a Series A round with plans to expand its digital footprint and take the tech world by storm.

• FreshToHome, the meat delivery service, has raised an impressive $104M in a round led by Amazon and SMBhav Venture Fund.

WORLD

Headline Explorer

⛏️ Four-day workweek trial in UK shows success. About 2,900 workers across 61 companies took part in the UK study. Reported benefits include reduced burnout rates, and better work-life balance for participating UK workers. 92% of companies intend to continue the schedule. Similar trials in Iceland and France have also been successful.

✂️ McKinsey to cut 2,000 jobs in one of its biggest layoffs, mainly support staff who do not have direct contact with clients. The move is part of Project Magnolia, an effort to restructure how McKinsey organizes its support teams. This comes after KPMG's decision to cut nearly 2% of its workforce in the United States.

🔍 Baidu unveils $5 Billion share buyback after reporting Q4 revenue of 33.1 billion yuan ($4.8 billion), higher than expectations. Net income almost tripled to about 5 billion yuan during the quarter. The Beijing-based company is leading the race to create China’s answer to OpenAI’s red-hot ChatGPT with its upcoming AI, Ernie Bot.

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