BUSINESS
Emversity raises $30 million in funding from Premji Invest, Lightspeed, Z47
Founder and CEO Vivek Sinha told Moneycontrol the funds will be used to expand Emversity’s university-embedded skilling model from 40 campuses to over 200, enter engineering, procurement and construction and manufacturing, and strengthen employer-linked workforce pipelines.
BUSINESS
Moglix launches AI-led procurement platform Cognilix, commits $5 million to scale enterprise software layer
The platform has already been deployed across select large enterprises and will be offered as a white-label software layer alongside existing enterprise systems, as Moglix looks to deepen long-term contracts and expand non-commerce revenue streams, founder and chief executive Rahul Garg told Moneycontrol.
BUSINESS
Unacademy to exit company-run centres, pivot to franchise model after upGrad acquisition talks collapse
In an internal email to employees, accessed by Moneycontrol, founder Gaurav Munjal outlined the shift as part of a wider cost reset and operating overhaul following the collapse of months-long acquisition talks with rival upGrad.
BUSINESS
Sukino raises $31 million from Bessemer, Nitin Kamath's Rainmatter to expand out-of-hospital care
Founder Rajinish Menon told Moneycontrol the capital will be used to add new centres across South India, before selectively expanding into other regions.
STARTUP
Uncertainty looms over Gaurav Munjal’s new startup as UpGrad calls off Unacademy deal
Sources told Moneycontrol that Munjal and Roman Saini were in talks to raise about $17 million for the new venture from Peak XV Partners and Blume Ventures, and a dozen marquee founders.
STARTUP
Flipkart hires ex-Coupang executive Gunjan Bhartia to bolster finance function ahead of IPO
The appointment follows a series of senior hires across finance, governance, technology and category leadership at Flipkart, and comes weeks after the company received regulatory approval to shift its domicile back to India ahead of a potential public listing.
STARTUP
UpGrad and Unacademy acquisition talks fall through over valuation differences
UpGrad's Ronnie Screwvala confirmed to Moneycontrol that the deal to buy Unacademy is off.
STARTUP
Only 1 in 25 users tip delivery partners on Zomato and Swiggy
Industry sourced told Moneycontrol that delivery partners earned about Rs 150 crore through tips in 2025 — a figure that has stayed flat year-on-year and remains marginal when set against the scale of incentive-led payouts that drive gig incomes.
STARTUP
Zepto rolls out in-app UPI as delivery platforms internalise payments
The feature has been live for around six months, Moneycontrol has learnt, as platforms look to tighten checkout flows and reduce dependence on third-party payment apps
STARTUP
How much do delivery partners actually earn? A look inside the pay model for gig workers on Zomato, Swiggy
Data show that while most delivery partners log in only intermittently, those working 8–10 hours a day, 26 days a month gross about Rs 26,500–27,700, translating to roughly Rs 21,000 in net earnings after costs
BUSINESS
Electronics component scheme scales up with Rs 41,863-crore approvals; projects spread across 8 states
The fresh approvals add scale to the scheme after strong industry response, taking ECMS deeper into components, sub-assemblies and upstream materials
BUSINESS
Oyo-parent Prism files for Rs 6,650 crore IPO via confidential route
The proposed all-fresh issue could value the global travel technology firm at $7–8 billion, marking its return to the public markets after shelving earlier plans amid global volatility.
BUSINESS
No Swiggy, Zomato on New Year’s Eve? Delivery workers' union calls nationwide strike today
The union has sought a guaranteed minimum monthly earning of Rs 40,000, abolition of peak hours, slot systems and weekend hour limits, and compensation for workers in cases of customer-initiated cancellations.
TECHNOLOGY
Quick commerce fuels record Christmas sales for D2C brands
Sellers reported Christmas-period sales growth of about 100–150% year-on-year on quick commerce, even as a nationwide delivery worker strike briefly disrupted operations on December 25.
STARTUP
Gig worker strike disrupts food delivery, quick commerce services briefly; operations stabilise
Disruptions were limited to specific pockets and peak hours, with food delivery seeing brief delays in parts of Gurugram before services normalised by evening, people familiar with the matter told Moneycontrol.
BUSINESS
Late-stage funding pullback cools India’s startup investments in 2025
Indian startups raised about $9.8 billion across 880 deals in 2025 year-to-date, marginally lower than $10.1 billion across 976 deals in 2024, as a slowdown in late-stage funding reshaped capital flows, Venture Intelligence data showed.
BUSINESS
From boAt to Zepto: Over 20 new-age firms gear up for 2026 IPOs as late-stage funding shrinks
The cohort features some of India’s most recognisable private-market names
STARTUP
New-age IPO rush unlocks Rs 40,000 crore liquidity as late-stage funding dries up
As many as 15 startup IPOs hit the markets this year, raising Rs 40,000 crore, over 35 percent more than in 2024, as stronger earnings, clearer profitability paths and deeper investor appetite drove demand
BUSINESS
Rentomojo FY25 profit surges 92% to Rs 43 cr; revenue at Rs 266 cr on strong rental demand
The rental consumer-tech firm posted its third consecutive profitable year, driven by a refurbished asset flywheel, an expanding offline network, and longer subscription tenures.
BUSINESS
Quick home-services startup Pronto in talks to raise $25 million at $100 million valuation
A potential $25 million round, from Epiq Capital, Glade Brook Capital, General Catalyst and Bain Capital, comes as 10–15 minute home-services startups race to scale amid intensifying competition and rising investor interest
BUSINESS
Angel investments in Indian startups fall 44% in 2025 as regulatory overhaul thins participation
Angel deal activity fell sharply in the second half of the year as higher entry thresholds and compliance changes have reduced participation and reshaped how early-stage rounds are getting done, stakeholders told Moneycontrol
BUSINESS
Haircare brand Moxie raises $15 million in Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners
Fresh capital will be used to deepen R&D, expand product innovation and build offline and omnichannel distribution capabilities, co-founder Nikita Khanna told Moneycontrol.
BUSINESS
About 50% of Licious’ Rs 100-crore monthly sales now comes from rapid delivery arm Flash
The November milestone follows a recovery in transacting users and repeat demand, with faster deliveries and reduced competitive intensity helping the company return to sustained growth, sources told Moneycontrol.
STARTUP
Blinkit, Instamart and Zepto now hold over Rs 40,000 crore in cash as quick commerce race heats up
A Moneycontrol analysis shows that the three firms have burned nearly Rs 9,000 crore over the past year. Amazon joined the capital-raise party with an expanded $35 billion cheque for India as it doubles down on cloud, commerce and AI investments in the region.
