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.
STARTUP
We’ll build something differentiated at scale — and then make money: Amazon India head Samir Kumar on profitability
Samir Kumar told Moneycontrol that Amazon’s edge in India will come from vast selection delivered at multiple speed points.
BUSINESS
Amazon does not coordinate timing with competitors: India head Samir Kumar on $35 billion investment after Microsoft’s $17.5 billion commitment
Kumar tells Moneycontrol that the e-commerce major is acting on its long-term roadmap, even as back-to-back global tech investment announcements put the spotlight on capital flows into India
TECHNOLOGY
Amazon to invest $35 billion more in India by 2030 as it scales jobs, exports, AI capabilities
This investment will focus on business expansion as well as three strategic pillars: AI-driven digitisation, export growth and job creation.
BUSINESS
Dr. Paws raises Rs 29.3 cr from Chiratae Ventures, others to scale vet clinic network
The Bengaluru-based chain plans to deploy the fresh capital to deepen its physical footprint, add at-home veterinary services and strengthen its leadership and technology stack, co-founder Udit Gadkary told Moneycontrol.
BUSINESS
Meesho’s logistics arm Valmo surpasses Delhivery in Q2 e-commerce order volumes
According to Meesho’s red herring prospectus (RHP), the company shipped 1.08 billion orders in the six months ended September 30, 2025, of which 695.42 million were delivered through Valmo, representing about 65 percent of total volumes.
BUSINESS
Oyo parent Prism calls for an EGM to consider raising Rs 6,650 crore via IPO
Prism has sought sweeping shareholder approvals to restructure its capital, overhaul its governance framework and authorise a large fresh issue, signalling its most serious push yet to revive Oyo’s long-delayed listing plans.
STARTUP
Quick-commerce scale-up hasn’t slowed Meesho; India still cares more about price than speed: CEO Vidit Aatrey
Aatrey, in an interview with Moneycontrol, said emerging markets consistently reward affordability-led ecommerce models, adding that Meesho’s momentum has strengthened even as rapid-delivery players expand across categories.
STARTUP
MC Interview | Meesho still works with a startup attitude; Not benchmarking against any other player: Cofounder and CEO Vidit Aatrey
After a decade of pivots, disciplined execution and sustained cash-flow strength, Meesho’s leadership says the company is entering public markets from a position of clarity and confidence, adding that it will continue prioritising long-term growth, affordability and customer focus over external benchmarks.
STARTUP
IPO-bound startups race to turn profitable ahead of listing as investors turn more selective
Several companies have tightened costs ahead of filing, with many leaning on tax credits, one-time gains and accounting boosts to present cleaner earnings as public-market scrutiny intensifies.
STARTUP
3one4 Capital books 90 percent and 65 percent IRR exits from KukuFM and Raise
The venture firm has secured two significant liquidity events across its consumer-internet and fintech bets, driven by sharp valuation upticks, faster revenue expansion and improved unit economics at both companies.
STARTUP
Swiggy's H1 FY26 losses surge 109% to $178 million on heavy quick-commerce spend, finds key investor Prosus
Despite the rising losses, Prosus – which owns 25 percent of Swiggy – said Despite the rising losses, Prosus – which owns 25 percent of Swiggy – reported strong demand trends for the January–June 2025 period. Swiggy’s customer base grew 35 percent year-on-year to 21.6 million, and gross order value (GOV) rose 43 percent on the back of food-delivery expansion and formats like Bolt
STARTUP
Prosus H1FY26 results: India revenue rises to $397 million as PayU nears break-even, losses narrow
Prosus expanded its India exposure during the period with a $67-million infusion into ride-hailing platform Rapido and a $222-million purchase of a 16.2% stake in travel aggregator Ixigo, deepening its position across mobility and online travel.
