⏫Swati Gupta

Meet the man who built India's largest logistics company at 40,000 CR. 1. It was March 2010. The Internet boomed to 210.23 million users in India. Sahil Barua, a consultant at Bain studying the telecom sector for three years, knew the Internet would be massive. He wanted to start a startup. With two of his friends from Bain, he took a big step. 👇 2. He took a six-month sabbatical but could not find the idea for months. And one day, his food order was late by half an hour. That's when Sahil realised that online food companies could get the orders online but lacked the logistics to deliver them. He wanted to solve it. ✅ 3. He partnered with local restaurants and set up an office with six employees and four delivery persons from a 250 sq ft room in Gurgaon. Sahil started clocking 100 orders daily with deliveries in under 30 minutes, but the big wake-up call arrived. 👇 4. Food delivery was getting solved with emerging players like Zomato, but E-commerce was still an open market. Conventional players like DTDC could not make doorstep delivery. Sahil changed the plan. In January 2011, SSN Logistics started, and Delhivery was born. 🚀 5. Sahil delivered free for a month, on the condition to do thirty deliveries monthly and upgrade to 50 in the next month if satisfied. And the idea worked. By 2012, Delhivery delivered over 500 shipments across five customers and scaled to three centres within Delhi NCR. It raised 7 CR from Times Internet. 6. Delhivery skyrocketed to 2 million orders across 90 clients. They kept the pricing as low as Rs 35 for a 500-gram packet. It also opened two 10,000 sq ft fulfilment centres in Delhi and Chennai. Seeing the growth, Nexus Venture Partners pumped 35 CR. 💸 7. Delhivery kept growing and processed 9000 orders daily. 90% of revenues came from shipping, and Delhivery expanded to 180 towns and cities in India. On 8th September 2014, it raised 212 CR led by Multiples Alternate Asset Management and became a 500 CR company. 💰 8. Growing 400% yearly, Delhivery handled 3 million monthly transactions for 1,500 e-commerce companies. It had beaten the competition by focusing on 45,000 non-e-commerce enterprises for order management and warehousing solutions. As it expanded to 1 million sq. ft of warehousing space, it raised 506 CR from Tiger Global and became a 2000 CR company. 📉 9. Delhivery grew on steroids and grossed a revenue of 1073.64 CR, 15,000 pin codes and 30 fulfilment centres across 12 cities by 2018. On 24th March 2019, it raised 2766.82 CR led by Softbank and became the first unicorn of 2019. As Delhivery became a 10,000 CR company, the headline news came. 📰 10. On 11th May 2022, Delhivery went for a 5235 CR IPO and saw an oversubscription of 1.63 times. 🙌 ➡️ Today, Delhivery has shipped 2.1 billion parcels across 30,000 businesses and 99.5% of India's population. It leads with a 21.5% market share. 💪 Sahil Barua's small dream has become a 40,000 CR company today. 🙏 #india #startup #casestudy

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Eternal source of confusion in India SaaS. Terms like SMB, mid-market and enterprise are used pretty casually. Putting out a version here and inviting opinions from founders & investors on how they see the breakpoints between segments. US: SMB (upto $250mm in annual revenue), mid-market/commercial ($250mm-$1B), enterprise ($1B+). India: S (upto 10cr), MB (upto 250cr/$30mm in annual revenue), mid-market (250cr-1000cr, upto $150mm), enterprise (1000cr+/$150mm+) (note the breakpoints between segments are much lower in India and not comparable to the US)

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New Delhi-based venture capital firm growX ventures, focused on B2B and DeepTech, has launched Fund II with a target of ₹400 crore ($47.1 million). The firm plans to support both early-stage and early-growth-stage companies such as semiconductors, defence-tech, spacetech, alternate materials and advanced manufacturing, fintech, healthtech, and supply chain/logistics over the next two to three years. The first investment will be up to ₹10 crore in seed rounds and ₹20-30 crore in Series B rounds. Ashish Taneja To share your startup information write us on - [email protected] For Startup funding reach out us at: https://lnkd.in/gqwTnHME Join Our Whatsapp Channel To Get The Latest Updates & News: https://lnkd.in/esJEFzan #GrowXventure #news #startup #funding #fundraising #venturecapital

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Isn’t it amazing how start-ups’/ companies’ focus have dramatically shifted to profitability? 😯 Just in the last decade era (10-15 years back), companies like Amazon/ Flipkart, Ola/Uber, BYJU'S’s, OYO and WeWork were laser-focused on growth - revenues over everything.
 It was all about grabbing market share, even if it meant burning through cash. 💸 Today, most of them are still loss-making. But companies in the last 5-10 years? We’re seeing a shift.
 Newer players (or the ones that became prominent recently) like Meesho, Zepto, Urban Company, and PW (PhysicsWallah) are taking a different path.
 They’re not just chasing scale— most of them actually aiming and winning profitability (at least EBITDA-positive). 📊
 Sustainability is finally becoming as important as growth. Of course, it’s not a one-size-fits-all trend.
Companies like Ola Electric are loss making, while Zerodha (last decade era) have consistently made profits. But it’s fascinating to see this evolution of new tech/ business model focus to profitability.
 What do you think about this shift? 💬

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"We bought a 13-acre piece of land in a village called Sikra in Kutch which is enough for us to reach a revenue of 500 crores." 🔥 Ep#08 of The India Opportunity Podcast with Aditya Aagare from Thermoflyde is out now! 🔥 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/g6JjrGq6 We talk about: > The market opportunity in the refractory space - north of $30 Billion USD globally > How Thermoflyde is aggressively growing its market share by taking on RHI Magnestia (a $3 Billion revenue-generating, publicly listed business) and has grown 100% year-on-year in terms of REVENUE > How starting up in college taught Aditya lessons about entrepreneurship the hard way > Focusing on customer service as a competitive advantage > Building an IPO-able, cash-flow-positive business > 500 Crores revenue in sight with current capacity and potential to grow much bigger > Aditya's goal of positively impacting 1000+ lives > How traditional manufacturing businesses can be multi-baggers over decades in the public markets > How kindness from angels helped them survive in the first 2 years Great episode for founders looking to build IPO-able businesses, with key insights into how to prepare your business at the earliest stages if IPO is an outcome you're working towards. Thermoflyde Industries Private Limited is destined to be a big success story emerging in the traditional manufacturing space and we're early backers via Swadharma Source Ventures - SSV. Thrilled to share Aditya's story with the world. #india #manufacturing #makeinindia #rhimagnestia #refractory #steelplants #ipo

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Sujith Nair, Beckn's WhatsApp-averse, badminton-loving chief mover and shaker, gave us a peek into the world's first # e-commerce protocol. Imagine if Colgate wanted to sell a lot of toothpaste, would it open separate exclusive stores on every street? NO! Instead, it ensures its products are available in all stores where people come to shop, and not just toothpaste. Similarly, Beckn is a way for an online business to make its products and services available on other stores (popular daily-use consumer apps) instead of setting up its own store (its own consumer app) and waiting for customers to come in droves! The Beckn Protocol underpins Open Network For Digital Commerce (ONDC) and is a universal translator for e-commerce platforms. We would normally call it the Rosetta Stone for digital services, but now we have BHASHINI 😉 . It allows disparate systems to "speak" to each other seamlessly. The Beckn Protocol has become a verb in the tech world. "Just Beckn it!" has become a common phrase among developers when discussing open-source solutions for digital commerce. In fact, we like it so much that we are using Beckn use cases as our episode artwork (instead of our normal groovy cover art) to spread the word in our own little way. Some may even argue that the yellow and black in the artwork denote open mobility networks (read taxis) 😀. The even more nerdy might catch the movie reference in the title 🎬. So, is it an app? Is it an aggregator? Is it a platform? No. It is a Super Capability - #decentralised and #open. Listen, learn and use. sujith nair | Pramod Varma | Sanjay Purohit | Shankar Maruwada | Shireesh Joshi | T Koshy | Namma Yatri | FIDE | Antler | Bingepods (Ideabrew Studios) | OpenExO | Thinkers360 | IBM Alumni | Microsoft Alumni Network | The RSA (The royal society for arts, manufactures and commerce) | World Economic Forum | Digital India Corporation | nasscom | Abhishek Singh | Nilesh | Sheetal https://lnkd.in/dydrjnbU

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Funding Update - INDIA - E-commerce & SaaS startups grabbed maximum funding Growth Stage #Atlan: Data and AI governance company raised $105 mn in its Series C funding round, co-led by GIC and Meritech Capital.   #NephroPlus: Dialysis chain raised $102 mn from Quadria Capital.   #GreenCellMobility: Shared electric mobility startup raised $36.7 mn from Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) for its electric bus project in Uttar Pradesh.   #K12TechnoServices: Provider of full-stack education, content, and technology services raised $27 mn from Venturi Partners Pte. Ltd, acquiring a 5.12% stake.   #Lendingkart: Lending firm raised $10 mn from external commercial borrowing (ECB) from BlueOrchard Fund.   #MyelinFoundry: Deeptech AI startup raised $4 mn led by SIDBI Venture Capital, with participation from Endiya Partners, Pratithi Investment Trust, and Subh Labh.   #BharatRohan: Agritech firm focused on drone-based hyperspectral remote sensing raised $2.3 mn in a pre-IPO round from Villgro Innovation Foundation, Caspian, RevX, Venture Garage, and UHNI individuals.   Early Stage #Superplum: Direct-from-farm produce supply chain startup raised $15 mn in a Series A round led by Erik Ragatz.   #Poshn: Foodtech startup raised $4 mn in equity and $2 million in debt in a pre-Series A funding round led by Prime Venture Partners and Zephyr Peacock India.   #Parseable: Log analytics startup raised $2.75 mn in a seed funding round led by Surge, with participation from NP-Hard Ventures.   #Cornext: Agritech startup raised $2.2 mn in a seed funding round led by Omnivore.   #Regrip: Re-engineered tyre startup raised $2 mn in a funding round co-led by Sirious One, Inflection Point Ventures, and Let’s Venture.   #ICON: Startup raised $1.2 mn in a seed round led by DSG Consumer Partners with participation from angel investors.   #Atomgrid: Startup raised $1.2 mn in a seed funding round led by Merak Ventures, with participation from Dexter Ventures, Upsparks, Point One Capital, and UniCards's founders Nitin Gupta and Prateek Jindal.   #Eternz: Startup raised $1.15 mn in a pre-seed funding round led by Kae Capital, with participation from Gemba Capital, IIMA Ventures, TDV Partners, and Venture Lab.   #Knit: Startup secured $1 mn from Endiya Partners, Axilor Ventures, and angel investors.   #SelectBrands: Startup raised $778k in Pre-Series A funding led by Agra Gwalior Pathways and Airen Holdings, with contributions from We Founder Circle, Prataap Snacks, Apricot Foods, Workie, and IVY League Ventures.   #50Fin: Startup raised $550k from Arali Ventures and Nitin Gupta.   #Treacle: Cybersecurity startup raised $479k in a pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures.   New Fund Launch #InCredAlternativeInvestments: Marked the first close of its inaugural private equity fund.   #ClientAssociates: Wealth management and investment banking firm announced the first close of its inaugural Cat II AIF @$36 mn. Like it? Follow me for more updates like this.

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Boris Wertz is one of the many western Venture Capitalists who has been bullish on India and he has displayed it through his actions. Boris is an LP in 5 funds out of India and direct investor through his fund Version One Ventures in a number of companies. He shares in this podcast what makes India so appealing for US / Canadian investors. Globally India is the emerging market which the best of global investors are already investing or aspire to invest in Earlier we had questions on why India is not producing enough exits In 2024 the public market value of Indian startups crossed $100B These are $100B of liquid shares that can be anytime traded on NSE / BSE once the 6 month of lockin expires after the IPO This podcast shares the view of how investors in the US are thinking about Indian private markets https://lnkd.in/g3AfrVCM

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IvyCap Ventures Advisors Private Limited, an early-stage startup #capital firm, has declared that the third fund’s final closing was at Rs 2,100 crores. The company intends to invest via this fund in roughly 25 early-stage #firms, with an average initial investment of Rs 30–50 crore. About 50 businesses in industries including health, consumer, deeptech, fintech, edtech, agritech, and spacetech have received #investments from FIvyCap Ventures. Promising start-ups, in addition to funding, could receive invaluable advice and scale-up support within the IvyCap Ventures #ecosystem under the Mentorship Program. Founded in 2011, IvyCap Ventures is one of India’s leading homegrown venture capital funds leveraging IIT and IIM alumni #networks to power the Indian startup ecosystem. Vikram Gupta Ashish Wadhwani Anju Gupta Vishal Gauri To share your startup story write us on - [email protected] #ivycapventures #startup #venturecapital

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From Startup Vision to National Impact: Lessons from Aravind Sanka, Co-founder of Rapido I recently had the privilege of speaking with Aravind Sanka, co-founder of Rapido, India's leading bike taxi platform. Aravind shared profound insights into their entrepreneurial journey, highlighting key milestones and challenges that shaped Rapido into what it is today. It was impressive to see after all the success Rapido has achieved, Aravind had arrived in Rapido Auto, reinforcing the need for their product to save time and money in transit. Here are a few takeaways from the conversation. Navigating Early Challenges with Strategic Focus Starting in Bangalore, Rapido faced the typical hurdles of a nascent startup: proving market viability and securing initial funding. What set them apart was their strategic focus on perfecting consumer metrics and fostering organic growth. By concentrating efforts in Bangalore for the first few years, they demonstrated significant consumer adoption and operational efficiency, paving the way for future expansions. Overcoming Investor Skepticism through Results Aravind candidly discussed the challenges of fundraising, especially when the concept of bike taxis was still nascent in India. Despite initial rejections, Rapido's commitment to showing tangible results and strategic timing paid off. They secured investments globally from places like Taiwan and Hong Kong before gaining local traction with investments from Nexus Venture Partners and WestBridge Capital. Addressing investor concerns, such as market size and demographic reach, was crucial. Timing also played a role; as other ride-hailing giants faced diversification challenges around 2019, Rapido emerged as a focused alternative in India's market. Adapting and Innovating in Times of Crisis The resilience of Rapido was further tested during the COVID-19 pandemic when their business temporarily plummeted. However, instead of retreating, they pivoted swiftly, launching auto-rickshaw services and leveraging their technology to meet evolving customer needs. This agility not only sustained them through the crisis but also strengthened their reputation as innovators in the mobility sector. Today, Rapido continues to innovate, focusing on enhancing user experience and expanding their footprint in tier 2 and tier 3 cities where their services are transforming local transportation dynamics. Aravind's journey with Rapido underscores the power of resilience, strategic vision, and unwavering commitment to solving real-world challenges. #StartupJourney #Entrepreneurship #MobilityInnovation #ImpactfulLeadership #StartupIndia #Kalaari #Rapido

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India's economic growth slowed to near two-year low of 5.4% in July-September quarter of the ongoing fiscal against 8.1% in the year-ago period, mainly due to poor show by manufacturing sector, according to official data released on Friday (November 29).

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Have got the maximum pings on secondary transactions this year compared to any year before - both to buy and sell. The development of a strong secondary market is super critical to the entrepreneur and venture capital world in India and the healthiest development in recent times. Win-win for all.

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When Karthik, Rohit, and I were laying down the foundation of PeerCapital, the most important question we asked was: “Why are we doing this?” The answer didn’t just appear out of thin air; it took work. The thing is you cannot invent your why. You cannot manufacture it. You only discover it by curiously observing what is dysfunctional in the world and how you can uniquely contribute to making it better. I meet tons of founders who often aren’t madly in love with the problem but are somewhat mildly convinced about solving it. But to play for the long haul, the calling must come from within. External motivation runs out. And that's where the why is important. Gravity wasn’t invented—it was discovered because someone dared to ask “why?” This led humanity to build foundations of advanced physics and engineering. Because innovation is an action, and ‘the why’ is the intention that drives the action. Some questions we asked ourselves that helped surface our why: • What’s a niche/industry/idea I cannot stop thinking about?  • How do I envision changing my world? Where can I contribute the most with my current skill set and passion?  • What are my key motivations in life?  • Which problem pushes me to enter my flow and makes me feel alive? How connected a founder is to their purpose is the most underrated success-determining factor. Dare to ask - “why?”

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💲💲 If you are a D2C Consumer Brand Startup you should know this VC that invests in pre-revenue stage Startups! 💰 VC Background: Meet Sauce VC a Cat II VC that launched their first fund in 2019 with a modest corpus of INR 60 Cr and since then launched 3 more funds and made 33 investments. Their recent INR 365 cr Fund launched in Aug'24 plans to invest in 20-25 consumer brands. They pick 6-7 selective investments annually out of 3000+ deck they get. However, their Fund I has a success rate of 50% (not a bad idea to invest in the fund if you are a UHNI). Infact their Fund IV was oversubscribed 3 times. 💰Notable Investments: Mokobora, Hocco Ice cream, Supertails, Innovist, The Whole Truth etc 💰Stage at which they invest: They invest even at pre-revenue stage to early traction stages. Ideally this VC invests at pre-seed to Series A. 💰What do they look for: Taking call at pre-revenue stage is really tough, especially in Consumer Brand segment. Hence, they look for founders who have deep experience in the segment either by the family background or by the founder's professional background. However, if the founder is not well-versed with the D2C game, they are cool with it. But the founder should know the segment, scope for new brands and plan to differentiate the brand. 💰Ideal cheque size: $ 1 Mn. But can go up to $ 5 Mn. 💰Investment Style: Sauce VC prefers working along with the founders to ensure the success of the Startup. They lead the rounds at pre-seed and Series A stages. Once the Startup is into Series B, they take a back seat and only participate in the following rounds. 💡 Hope this helps. Share it with some great founder of a consumer brand who is at early stages and needs to know this. If you want a warm-introduction, DM me or let me know in the comments. Bhavesh K Jatania Raunaq JaisinghaniAshish SharmaMohit Kanjwani

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In this episode of The Lobster Talks, Ashish Bajaj, co-founder of DIME (YC W24), shares the emotional rollercoaster of building a startup after Y Combinator. ✅ Ashish opens up about the challenges of maintaining intensity and focus after the YC accelerator program. ✅ He shares the strategies he and his co-founder use to keep their momentum going. ✅ Ashish also talks about the importance of mental resilience in entrepreneurship. Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast platform or watch it on YouTube - https://lnkd.in/gScqXQdY . . . . . #startups #YCombinator #entrepreneurship #manufacturing #innovation

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Watch our MD Ankur Bansal share his views on AI’s impact on the financial sector with Kanishka Gupta at the #bsbfsi summit.

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