Why are stock-market investors giving Just Dial,
Dear Balbir Singh Sooch,
Why are stock-market investors giving Just Dial, one of the first companies to offer local search services in India, a cold shoulder? It’s largely to do with its business model, which many investors find flawed. Just Dial was unable to capitalise on the monopoly it had in India in voice search. It also didn’t adapt quickly to the mobile-apps boom in India and lost its position as the preferred local-search engine.
Four years ago, it launched the JD app and, with Amitabh Bachchan as its brand ambassador, the company tried to position itself as a super app, but it has been a tough ride. Meanwhile, Google and many startups have made strong inroads into its different business segments.
Still, many analysts remain upbeat on the stock.
Just Dial needs a viable business model.
Launched in September 2019, Bharti Airtel’s Xstream Smart Stick, a streaming device, enjoyed a positive response for the first three months. However, the device saw a decline in demand after that. A limited subscriber base, lack of value for money, and absence of latest technological upgrade as against its peers – Amazon and Tata Sky – are the reasons.
Airtel Xstream Stick misses on tech play.
Over the past three months, private diagnostic labs have been grappling with shifting government protocols for coronavirus testing, logistical issues, and a sharp decline in non-Covid-19 business. The lockdown, manpower crunch, and increase in costs worsened the situation. However, a quick recovery is expected, as demand for testing is likely to remain firm while the lockdown eases.
The contagion: a test for the diagnostic labs.
Regards,
ET Prime Team