Snapdeal drums up custom in Slumdog’s Dharavi

By Nivedita Bhattacharjee MUMBAI (Reuters) – For viewers of Oscar-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire”, Mumbai's vast Dharavi slum is a byword for poverty, but to online retailer Snapdeal.com it is a battleground for new customers and, it hopes, a source of better margins. The three are already fighting over India's 300 million-strong urban middle class, who have come to expect price wars and great deals on everything from mattresses to motors, but as competition intensifies, Snapdeal has begun chasing a different demographic. It tied up with remittance provider FINO PayTech in November to set up online shopping services in semi-urban, rural and low-income residential areas across India.

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Indian firms could get boost from Google, Alibaba

Two Indian firms could get a boost from tech majors in what might turn out to be the first direct investment in the country by Google Inc and Alibaba. Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba is in talks with Indian online marketplace Snapdeal over a potential cash investment, a person familiar with the negotiations said

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Canadian PM’s comments on Muslim veil set off Twitter flurry

By Julie Gordon VANCOUVER (Reuters) – Twitter users turned to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper for tongue-in-cheek fashion advice on Wednesday, the day after he said the niqab, a face covering veil worn by some Muslims, was rooted in an “anti-women” culture. Using the hashtag #dresscodePM, users of the social media service criticized Harper, who made the comment as part of an ongoing push by the ruling Conservatives to ban face coverings in Canadian citizenship ceremonies

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Rocket Internet-backed Helpling expands in Asia, Mideast

By Eric Auchard FRANKFURT (Reuters) – Helpling, an online marketplace for hiring home cleaners backed by Germany's Rocket Internet, is expanding beyond its base in Europe to set up new operations in the Middle East and Asia, aided by the acquisition of a rival Singapore start-up. Berlin-based Helpling said it was acquiring Singapore-based Spickify for an undisclosed sum. Hoe Yeen Teck, Spickify's co-founder and chief executive, will be Singapore country manager of the company, which will operate under the Helpling brand

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Indian retailers hobble online as e-commerce firms race ahead

By Nivedita Bhattacharjee MUMBAI (Reuters) – The head of Future Group, one of India's largest and most established retailers, admits he can't keep up with web sites like Snapdeal and Flipkart when it comes to spending money to entice shoppers to buy online. Private investors have poured $2.

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