The strange and sudden rise of subscription businesses

There’s Ola share pass. Soon, there will be Zomato Gold and MMT Black. Also, The Times Group’s new online subscription media product under Times Internet. Companies in India are increasingly looking at a business model once considered niche

Indian unicorn startups are following Amazon's lead (Prime) in launching their own subscription-based products and services

In India's startup ecosystem, the subscription model was considered niche, restricted to those catering to specific needs

Ola, with its 'Share Pass' was one of the earliest to offer a subscription-based service. Others like MakeMyTrip are now following suit

In subscription-based models, the ultimate power is in the hands of the customer: she chooses whether to renew or drop-off

The largest media company in India is waking up to it. Soon, Times Internet, a subsidiary of Bennett Coleman & Company (BCCL) will launch an online subscription-based media product. The editorial team is being put together as you read this.

On Monday, restaurant discovery and food delivery startup, Zomato announced the launch of its subscription-based product Zomato Gold in India. Gold, which the company calls “an exclusive members club”, is expected to simultaneously launch in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi-NCR in the coming days.

AUTHOR

Venkat Ananth

Venkat is currently in his tenth year in journalism. Prior to The Ken, he was Deputy Content Editor at Mint as part of the newspaper’s digital team. He also wrote in-depth features on the business of sport for the newspaper. His earlier assignments include Yahoo! (as a columnist) and the Hindustan Times, where he began his career. Born in Mumbai, Venkat holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) degree from SIES College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Mumbai and a Master of Arts degree in International Studies from Goldsmiths, University of London. He currently resides in New Delhi, where he moved nearly five years ago.

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So much journalism in India is superficial.

Articles are generic, almost cookie-cutter in their approach. And they don’t provide enough context on the issues they cover. The Ken is different. I don’t always agree with everything they say but I appreciate their commitment to publishing deeply reported narratives and investigations. Their reporters find new ways to analyze tech among other industries. And that’s always worth a read.

Sid Talwar / Co-Founder and Partner / Lightbox Venture Capital

As entrepreneurs, we thrive on being in the know at all times.

A personal subscription to The Ken was a no brainer. But as startup founders, this isn't enough. Team members also need to be in the know, for everyone handles customer-facing responsibilities and an ecosystem change that impacts customers also impacts us

Kiran Jonnalagadda / Co-founder / HasGeek and Internet Freedom Foundation