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1/ For a decade, Indian VC chased speed: apps, platforms, and burn. But late 2025 has signaled a definitive shift. Capital is moving from "Clicks to Contracts." The Standout? CoreEL Technologies raised ₹268 crore ($30M) to scale defence electronics.
December 29, 2025 at 10:45 AM
1/ For a decade, Indian VC chased speed: apps, platforms, and burn. But late 2025 has signaled a definitive shift. Capital is moving from "Clicks to Contracts." The Standout? CoreEL Technologies raised ₹268 crore ($30M) to scale defence electronics.
1/ India’s first generation of SaaS unicorns is facing a quiet but consequential transition. The builders who scaled $1B+ companies are walking away to build the very tech that could make their original companies obsolete: Agentic AI.
December 26, 2025 at 11:45 AM
1/ India’s first generation of SaaS unicorns is facing a quiet but consequential transition. The builders who scaled $1B+ companies are walking away to build the very tech that could make their original companies obsolete: Agentic AI.
1/ OYO is heading to the public markets for the third time. The parent company is now PRISM, and shareholders just approved a ₹6,650 Cr fresh issue. But strip away the rebrand, and you find a story driven more by debt pressure than pure ambition.
December 25, 2025 at 11:48 AM
1/ OYO is heading to the public markets for the third time. The parent company is now PRISM, and shareholders just approved a ₹6,650 Cr fresh issue. But strip away the rebrand, and you find a story driven more by debt pressure than pure ambition.
1/ India’s pet-care market has reached a tipping point. Once a niche for the elite, it’s now a $3.8B industry on track to hit $7B+ by 2030. The shift? Pets are no longer "guard animals" - they are family members with human-grade needs.
December 24, 2025 at 11:52 AM
1/ India’s pet-care market has reached a tipping point. Once a niche for the elite, it’s now a $3.8B industry on track to hit $7B+ by 2030. The shift? Pets are no longer "guard animals" - they are family members with human-grade needs.
1/ The Unacademy ESOP crisis isn’t just about a 30-day deadline. It’s a case study in what happens when a $3.4B unicorn faces a 90% valuation markdown and needs to clean its books for an exit.
December 23, 2025 at 10:57 AM
1/ The Unacademy ESOP crisis isn’t just about a 30-day deadline. It’s a case study in what happens when a $3.4B unicorn faces a 90% valuation markdown and needs to clean its books for an exit.
1/ Swiggy Instamart just opened its first physical "experiential" store at M3M 65th Avenue in Gurugram. This is a massive shift: the sector built on "invisible" dark stores is finally coming out into the sunlight. Why? Because 10-minute speed isn't enough anymore.
December 22, 2025 at 10:57 AM
1/ Swiggy Instamart just opened its first physical "experiential" store at M3M 65th Avenue in Gurugram. This is a massive shift: the sector built on "invisible" dark stores is finally coming out into the sunlight. Why? Because 10-minute speed isn't enough anymore.
1/ India’s coffee consumption is growing at double the pace of tea, on track for a ₹6,000 Cr market by 2028. But the "café dream" is hitting a wall of brutal math. While aspirations are high, store-level profits are a rare brew.
December 19, 2025 at 9:14 AM
1/ India’s coffee consumption is growing at double the pace of tea, on track for a ₹6,000 Cr market by 2028. But the "café dream" is hitting a wall of brutal math. While aspirations are high, store-level profits are a rare brew.
1/ Every EV founder in India used to believe the same myth: “Make it cheaper and India will buy it.” The data now proves the opposite. The market is exploding at the top (₹1 lakh+), while the budget segment is turning into a graveyard.
December 18, 2025 at 12:14 PM
1/ Every EV founder in India used to believe the same myth: “Make it cheaper and India will buy it.” The data now proves the opposite. The market is exploding at the top (₹1 lakh+), while the budget segment is turning into a graveyard.
1/ India’s value-fashion race is the most brutal, high-volume battle in retail today. At the center is Zudio, Tata’s ₹8,600+ Cr ($1B+) powerhouse that recently hit a massive milestone in FY25. It’s not just fashion; it’s a ruthless efficiency play.
December 17, 2025 at 10:00 AM
1/ India’s value-fashion race is the most brutal, high-volume battle in retail today. At the center is Zudio, Tata’s ₹8,600+ Cr ($1B+) powerhouse that recently hit a massive milestone in FY25. It’s not just fashion; it’s a ruthless efficiency play.
1/ India’s chaotic ride-hailing market has reached peak frustration. Into this street fight walks Trevel, backed by the Jindal family, armed with capital, patience, and a fleet-first vision.
December 16, 2025 at 10:32 AM
1/ India’s chaotic ride-hailing market has reached peak frustration. Into this street fight walks Trevel, backed by the Jindal family, armed with capital, patience, and a fleet-first vision.
1/ OneCard, the metal card unicorn, just raised ₹40 Cr in venture debt at a brutal 13.85% interest rate. This is not a celebratory round; it's a structural necessity. Debt exposes the truth that flashy equity rounds hide.
December 15, 2025 at 10:57 AM
1/ OneCard, the metal card unicorn, just raised ₹40 Cr in venture debt at a brutal 13.85% interest rate. This is not a celebratory round; it's a structural necessity. Debt exposes the truth that flashy equity rounds hide.
1/ The boAt DRHP fiasco is a flare gun for India’s startup ecosystem. A unicorn preparing for IPO had its loan utilization discrepancies and unpaid statutory dues flagged by a Big Four auditor.
December 12, 2025 at 9:38 AM
1/ The boAt DRHP fiasco is a flare gun for India’s startup ecosystem. A unicorn preparing for IPO had its loan utilization discrepancies and unpaid statutory dues flagged by a Big Four auditor.
Stop chasing the "Instant Fashion" mirage. The latest fantasy: If milk can arrive in 10 mins, why not a mini dress? Startups like KNOT are the poster child, but they're ignoring the brutal physics of the fashion business. It’s D2C masquerading as Quick Commerce.
December 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
Stop chasing the "Instant Fashion" mirage. The latest fantasy: If milk can arrive in 10 mins, why not a mini dress? Startups like KNOT are the poster child, but they're ignoring the brutal physics of the fashion business. It’s D2C masquerading as Quick Commerce.
1/ GenWise - backed by ex-BharatPe founders and Kunal Shah - is dead after just two years. The reason wasn't a lack of vision, but a failure to understand its core user: India’s 145 million senior citizens.
December 10, 2025 at 10:59 AM
1/ GenWise - backed by ex-BharatPe founders and Kunal Shah - is dead after just two years. The reason wasn't a lack of vision, but a failure to understand its core user: India’s 145 million senior citizens.
1/ For decades, India’s analytics giants (Fractal, Mu Sigma) built billion-dollar businesses on labor arbitrage - thousands of analysts cleaning data and building dashboards, billed by the hour.
December 9, 2025 at 9:23 AM
1/ For decades, India’s analytics giants (Fractal, Mu Sigma) built billion-dollar businesses on labor arbitrage - thousands of analysts cleaning data and building dashboards, billed by the hour.
1/ InMobi, India’s original unicorn, just made a massive move: Founder Naveen Tewari bought back SoftBank’s entire stake. After 14 years, the suggested exit multiple is barely 1.2x–1.4x. In VC math, that's closure, not a win.
December 8, 2025 at 12:10 PM
1/ InMobi, India’s original unicorn, just made a massive move: Founder Naveen Tewari bought back SoftBank’s entire stake. After 14 years, the suggested exit multiple is barely 1.2x–1.4x. In VC math, that's closure, not a win.
1/ India's tech scene is in a surreal phase: companies are growing, but tens of thousands are losing jobs. This isn't a recession; it's a structural rewrite of the employment equation. Productivity is up; headcount is down.
December 5, 2025 at 11:27 AM
1/ India's tech scene is in a surreal phase: companies are growing, but tens of thousands are losing jobs. This isn't a recession; it's a structural rewrite of the employment equation. Productivity is up; headcount is down.
1/ Wherehouse's shutdown isn't a story of burn or broken unit economics. It's a shocking reminder of how a simple commercial dispute can derail a profitable, functioning logistics business.
December 4, 2025 at 9:41 AM
1/ Wherehouse's shutdown isn't a story of burn or broken unit economics. It's a shocking reminder of how a simple commercial dispute can derail a profitable, functioning logistics business.
1/ India's startup ecosystem just faced an unbreakable wall: a billion consumers who love using products but hate paying for them. This reality triggered a mass pivot: 200 B2C startups are now desperately trying to go B2B.
December 3, 2025 at 11:08 AM
1/ India's startup ecosystem just faced an unbreakable wall: a billion consumers who love using products but hate paying for them. This reality triggered a mass pivot: 200 B2C startups are now desperately trying to go B2B.
1/ India’s tech power map is being redrawn, not by unicorns, but by GCCs (Global Capability Centers). These centers, from Google to JPMorgan to Airbus, are the most powerful, and uncomfortable, force shaping our talent market.
December 2, 2025 at 9:49 AM
1/ India’s tech power map is being redrawn, not by unicorns, but by GCCs (Global Capability Centers). These centers, from Google to JPMorgan to Airbus, are the most powerful, and uncomfortable, force shaping our talent market.
1/ India’s startup world just got a signal so clear it defines a category: SBI has invested in Ripplr. This isn't just a cheque; it's a declaration that full-stack distribution is now bankable.
December 1, 2025 at 11:25 AM
1/ India’s startup world just got a signal so clear it defines a category: SBI has invested in Ripplr. This isn't just a cheque; it's a declaration that full-stack distribution is now bankable.
1/ The auto-tech world waited for one headline: CarTrade acquires CarDekho. The deal failed for one reason: CarDekho and its investors could not accept today's valuation reality.
November 28, 2025 at 10:10 AM
1/ The auto-tech world waited for one headline: CarTrade acquires CarDekho. The deal failed for one reason: CarDekho and its investors could not accept today's valuation reality.
1/ For decades, India was a footnote in the global toy market (0.3% of exports). China owned 70%+. Now, a fundamental shift is underway: Toy factories are moving from Shenzhen to Noida. India is becoming a serious global sourcing alternative.
November 27, 2025 at 10:56 AM
1/ For decades, India was a footnote in the global toy market (0.3% of exports). China owned 70%+. Now, a fundamental shift is underway: Toy factories are moving from Shenzhen to Noida. India is becoming a serious global sourcing alternative.
1/ India's $245B tech engine is stalling at the base. AI has broken the labor arbitrage model almost overnight, causing a structural inversion in the workforce. This is not a skills gap; it's a disappearing ladder.
November 26, 2025 at 10:30 AM
1/ India's $245B tech engine is stalling at the base. AI has broken the labor arbitrage model almost overnight, causing a structural inversion in the workforce. This is not a skills gap; it's a disappearing ladder.
1/ India’s food delivery market has been a closed room for a decade: Zomato or Swiggy. The duopoly set the rules, charged 18-30% commission, and watched rivals (Uber Eats, Foodpanda) fail. Now, two underdogs are rewriting the physics.
November 25, 2025 at 11:07 AM
1/ India’s food delivery market has been a closed room for a decade: Zomato or Swiggy. The duopoly set the rules, charged 18-30% commission, and watched rivals (Uber Eats, Foodpanda) fail. Now, two underdogs are rewriting the physics.