STARTUP
Amazon, Flipkart hail new GST reforms, gear up for festive season sales boost
GST clarity clears the air for e-commerce majors, enabling Flipkart and Amazon to finalise festive flagship sale dates, with analysts expecting a boost in demand for big-ticket items.
BUSINESS
Accel-backed FirstClub raises $23 million from existing investors, Paramark Ventures and Aditya Birla Ventures
The Flipkart veteran–led startup is betting on premium groceries, higher order values, and a slower-but-leaner dark store model to carve space in India’s $6 billion quick commerce market.
STARTUP
Swiggy hikes platform fee for third time in three weeks, taking it to Rs 15
At Swiggy’s present order volumes — estimated at over 2 million orders per day — the higher fee translates to up to Rs 3 crore in daily revenue, compared to around Rs 2.4 crore when the fee was at Rs 12. That’s an additional Rs 54 crore per quarter and Rs 216 crore annually if the rate sustains.
DEALS-AND-MERGERS
India’s deep tech push gets $1 bn boost from Indian and US VCs, first bets already in play
The alliance seeks to bridge long-standing capital gaps in deep tech by channelling funds into high-cost, high-impact areas such as semiconductors, AI, robotics, space, defense, and medical devices.
STARTUP
Zomato hikes platform fee to Rs 12 to boost profitability amid festival season rush
The company has also begun testing a Rs 50 'VIP Mode' in select locations that promises faster deliveries, priority riders, and a concierge-style service for select top customers.
STARTUP
Amazon, Flipkart await govt clarity on GST reforms before finalising festive sale plans
Shoppers are holding off on big-ticket purchases ahead of the festive sales, anticipating a possible GST cut. Analysts say that a lack of clarity in taxation may lead to sales moving to other channels.
STARTUP
Quick commerce investments in Flipkart, Myntra pressure Walmart International’s profit margins
Walmart is betting big on 15-minute fulfilment in India, even as rising infrastructure and discounting costs test the profitability of its international arm
STARTUP
D2C brands pile in inventory, double ad spends on quick commerce amid festive rush
D2C brands are rushing to load warehouses, bundle festive SKUs and jostle for visibility on Blinkit, Zepto and Instamart, even as staffing shortages slow down restocking and push up ad costs.
BUSINESS
FirstClub in talks to raise $20 million from Accel, Paramark Ventures, others, as investors double down on quick commerce
Targeting India’s top 10% of consumers, FirstClub offers member-only clean-label groceries with 30-minute delivery. It is now looking to scale from Bengaluru to Delhi and Mumbai
STARTUP
BlueStone IPO: Late-stage investors Prosus, Peak XV stare at paper loss; early backers Accel, Kalaari Capital, others exit handsomely
Prosus’ over 4 percent stake in BlueStone is worth roughly Rs 355 crore, Info Edge’s over 2 percent comes to around Rs 198 crore, while Steadview and Think Investments hold stakes valued at Rs 81 crore and Rs 85 crore respectively.
BUSINESS
Peak XV Partners to join quick-commerce race with investment in fashion startup Zilo
This will mark the VC firm’s first quick commerce investment since its $500,000 seed bet in Grofers (now Blinkit) in 2014.
BUSINESS
India’s AI startup funding jumps 50% to $665 million as investors chase targeted applications
Deeptech, generative AI and computer vision are among the top-funded sectors in 2025, reflecting investors’ focus on specialised and high-potential applications
STARTUP
Zepto revamps app, drops 'dark patterns' amid regulatory pressure
The changes include auto-application of free delivery and upfront disclosure of all charges in line with practices adopted by rivals such as Blinkit
STARTUP
Rapido’s food delivery offering to go live in Bengaluru’s Koramangala, HSR and BTM Layout
The zero-commission platform, called Ownly, will be available on the App Store and Play Store this week, offering offline-equivalent prices and a flat delivery fee for restaurants.
STARTUP
General Catalyst-backed Pronto shifts domicile from US to India within a year of launch
The shift aligns with Pronto’s expansion plans in the fast-growing instant home services market, where well-funded startups and incumbents are racing to capture urban consumers.
STARTUP
Quick service, quicker repairs: 15-minute home services become quick commerce’s next act
Startups like Snabbit, Pronto, and Pync are tapping into rising dual-income households and unpredictable live-in staff availability to meet urban India’s growing need for instant, reliable home services.
STARTUP
VC fundraising in India breaches $3-billion mark, goes past 2024 total
Fund cycles, better exits and stronger startup pipelines are drawing fresh capital back into India’s venture ecosystem
STARTUP
Delivery deficit: Quick commerce firms face worker crunch ahead of festival season rush
Average per-order payouts in quick commerce have dropped by as much as 40 percent over the last year, falling from Rs 34–Rs 42 in 2024 to Rs 22–Rs 30 in 2025, according to recruitment platforms, with some even earning as low as Rs 15-Rs 25 per order.
BUSINESS
'Competitive intensity in quick commerce will remain high': Swiggy's Instamart CEO Amitesh Jha
Jha says pressure remains high in quick commers as standalone rivals scale and ecommerce giants test waters, even as Swiggy shifts focus to deepening existing markets
STARTUP
W Health Ventures launches $70 million Fund II to build healthcare companies from scratch
The firm plans to back 8–10 startups over the next four years through its second fund via its in-house company creation model.
IPO
Lenskart IPO: Issue size, investor exits, expansion plans, risks and more
The company clocked a robust 33% Revenue CAGR over last 2 years, reaching Rs 6,524 Cr in FY25 with 60% contribution from India and the remaining from international markets. Lenskart has a high gross margin of 69% with around 500 bps expansion over last two years, the DRHP showed.
BUSINESS
IPO-bound Lenskart acquires Spain-based Stellio, the parent of Meller, for Rs 400 crore
To be sure, over 80 percent of Lenskart’s revenues come from optometric eye care, which includes prescription glasses, contact lenses and more. The remaining comes from accessories and lifestyle products like sunglasses and more.
STARTUP
Gig hiring to rise 15–20% with over 2.16 lakh new roles as firms kick off festival season push early
Retailers, e-commerce firms and logistics players have begun festive hiring weeks in advance, eyeing deeper reach and faster fulfilment across smaller cities
STARTUP
SoftBank’s Sumer Juneja exits Lenskart board; INDmoney’s Ashish Kashyap, PaySense’s Sayali Karanjkar join ahead of IPO
The appointment of two entrepreneurs to the board is aimed at strengthening Lenskart's governance ahead of its public listing
