BUSINESS
Wakefit IPO: Issue size, exit bonanza, financials and key risks decoded
The D2C brand's IPO filing reveals strong revenue growth, aggressive capex plans, a huge founder and investor windfall.
STARTUP
Former Oura CEO Harpreet Singh Rai joins Loop Health to lead healthcare business
The move marks a return to full-time startup operations for Rai, who left Oura in 2021. Rai will oversee product, telehealth, diagnostics, and clinical services as Loop deepens its healthcare focus
BUSINESS
The rise of the 2-minute thriller: Startups chase India’s $10-billion micro-drama boom
Startups are racing to build mobile-first platforms for short, serialised fiction as VCs pour in capital, users binge cliffhanger-led episodes, and AI slashes production costs. Monetisation is in early stages, but the format is gaining serious traction.
STARTUP
‘Founder-friendly at last’: Sebi’s ESOP reform draws praise across startup ecosystem
Startup industry stakeholders lauded Sebi's new rule where founders can now hold or exercise ESOPs after going public, but only if the stock options were granted at least one year prior to filing the Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP)
BUSINESS
The cost of Y Combinator backing? Meesho, Razorpay, Groww to cumulatively pay $600 million in taxes
Meesho, Groww and Razorpay are among a wave of Indian startups unwinding US-based corporate structures to meet regulatory norms and list locally here in India.
STARTUP
Retail orders slip to 12-month low on ONDC even as total transactions hit all-time high in May
Retail’s share of ONDC transactions has dropped to 25% in May from 47% in October, while mobility has surged from 40% to 61%, emerging as the key driver of overall volume growth
STARTUP
FamApp co-founder Kush Taneja to step down, in talks to sell stake
Taneja’s exit comes amid an overhaul at FamApp, which has restructured operations, shifted away from its teen-focused model and grappled with funding challenges
BUSINESS
Spinny raises $40 million from WestBridge in extended funding round
WestBridge has joined Accel, Elevation, Tiger Global in Spinny’s extended round at flat $1.7 billion valuation. This marks the largest fundraise in India’s used-car startup space since 2021
STARTUP
From shipments to software: Delhivery eyes new growth via Transport One
After posting its first full-year profit in FY25, Delhivery is doubling down on SaaS with Transport One — an AI-powered freight management platform built for India’s manufacturing backbone.
STARTUP
Didn’t know Zomato, PolicyBazaar would become so big: InfoEdge Ventures partners on finding generational companies
In a freewheeling chat with Moneycontrol, partners Chinmaya Sharma and Kitty Agarwal break down why small funds outperform, how they spot billion-dollar bets early, and why quick commerce and “Bharat” are top of mind.
STARTUP
Maharashtra FDA flags Blinkit dark store in Pune for operating without food safety license
The action against Blinkit’s partner store comes barely a week after the Maharashtra FDA suspended the food business license of Zepto’s parent company, Kiranakart Technologies Pvt Ltd, over serious lapses at one of its Mumbai dark stores.
STARTUP
KiranaPro’s week of chaos: Code wiped, salaries delayed, and a founder’s reckoning
With a partial fund infusion, an app rebuild underway, and leadership changes on the table, KiranaPro is trying to steady the ship. Founder and CEO Deepak Ravindran said the company is focused on fixing internal lapses, completing salary dues, and restoring trust – both within the team and with users.
BUSINESS
Titan Capital former partner Bipin Shah's ZeroPearl nears $30-million maiden fund
In under a year, ZeroPearl has written 13 cheques for startups, including health-tech venture Curacare, sneaker brand Gully Labs, and AI-powered product experience management startup Catalogus
STARTUP
Zepto auto-activates ad campaigns for inactive brands, sellers flag consent and billing concerns
Zepto informed sellers that it has proactively launched ad campaigns for them to help “maximize reach and performance.” However, sellers say the move, which appears to allow Zepto to automatically debit from pre-approved budgets or ad wallets, lacks transparency and raises concerns about platform overreach.
STARTUP
Fast fashion, faster delivery: 30-minute style becomes quick commerce’s new obsession
Fueled by Gen Z’s demand for spontaneity and social media trends, startups and major platforms are racing to deliver the latest fashion in under 90 minutes, reshaping India’s quick commerce landscape.
EDUCATION
End of American Dream? Trump visa pause prompts more Indian students to explore Germany, Ireland, France
Several study abroad platforms report a surge in queries as the US pauses new student visa interviews and tightens social media vetting, prompting Indian students to reconsider their plans ahead of the Fall intake
BUSINESS
How 'dark patterns' quietly trick you and why government is calling them out
Dark patterns mislead users into unwanted actions. The government is now cracking down with audits, rules and new tech tools
BUSINESS
Centre directs e-commerce firms to audit dark patterns, proposes forming joint working group
The directives were issued during a high-level meeting in New Delhi chaired by Union Minister Pralhad Joshi, where the government said stakeholders had “in principle” agreed to comply with the November 2023 guidelines issued by the ministry.
STARTUP
Flipkart to hire 5,000 employees this year amid quick commerce, fintech, AI push
Flipkart’s hiring plans, among the largest in recent years, are linked to the expansion of Minutes and Super.money, the management said at a townhall on May 26
STARTUP
Byju’s app taken off Play Store, services disrupted amid AWS payment issues
Byju’s cloud service suspension affects app functionality, blocks access to paid content, and limits full website availability across platforms
STARTUP
Zepto delivery workers on strike for a fifth day in Hyderabad over ‘unfair pay, arbitrary penalties’
The protests, which began last weekend, have gathered momentum with delivery partners staging demonstrations outside Zepto dark stores in key locations such as Ramanthapur, and Boduppal.
STARTUP
Swiggy Instamart doing well, happy about how they’ve grown: Prosus chief Fabricio Bloisi
Bloisi said India’s quick commerce market is still expanding with multiple players and highlighted Prosus’ support for Swiggy’s long-term growth.
STARTUP
Zepto’s new ‘Swap and Save’ feature draws D2C founders’ ire
D2C brands say Zepto’s new feature undercuts discovery and fuels ad spend, at a time when quick commerce platforms are ramping up their advertising businesses to drive growth.
BUSINESS
Moving away from PLI, Centre mulls customised scheme for toys
The fresh plan for toys is likely be similar to the recently-unveiled Electronics Component Manufacturing Scheme (ECMS) that provides differentiated incentives linked to either turnover or capex, or both in certain cases.
