Annanya Sarthak

From Swiggy to Zomato to WazirX, Checkout what’s happening…Read on ➡️ Swiggy to sponsor Shark Tank Season 4, excludes Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal as part of deal ➡️ Paytm focusing on consumer payments business: CEO Vijay Shekhar Sharma ➡️ Had to clear out senior Zomato executives who lost the drive post-IPO: Deepinder Goyal ➡️ TikTok's owner is scraping the web 25 times faster than OpenAI ➡️ Google can now lock your stolen Android smartphone automatically and protect personal data ➡️ Swiggy launches XL EV fleet for bulk orders ➡️ Nazara’s Openplay Gets Interim Relief From Calcutta HC In INR 845 Cr GST Notice Case ➡️ Relief For Ola: Karnataka HC Stays Order Declaring Drivers As Startup’s Employees ➡️ Honasa Vs Distributor: D2C Brand Says It Has No Assets In UAE ➡️ WazirX Video Deleted? Sources Say URL Changed, Video Not Taken Down ➡️ Sit Quiet": Bhavish Aggarwal As Kunal Kamra Flags Ola EV Issue ➡️ Zomato CEO slams malls; says, 'need to be 'more humane' towards delivery partners'

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SCOOP: Urban Company has turned profitable at PBT level (profit before tax) on a consolidated basis in the last month. The development will potentially smoothen its public listing plan which is likely to happen in 2025. My story:

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#Quickcommerce—once a shining star of the startup ecosystem—is now walking a tightrope. Fueled by pandemic-era demand and a rush of VC funding, players like #Zepto, #Blinkit, and Dunzo rapidly expanded, promising 10-15 minute deliveries. However, the model’s long-term sustainability is under scrutiny as operational costs soar, consumer demand plateaus, and investor sentiment cools. According to industry estimates, the average order value (#AOV) in the segment is still under ₹400, while the cost per delivery ranges between ₹40-₹70. Coupled with wafer-thin margins and the absence of high-margin product categories like electronics or premium groceries, quick commerce faces a profitability quagmire. Companies are now focusing on increasing AOV, rationalizing delivery times, and building private labels to bolster margins. But will these adjustments suffice to turn the tide? Few Key Data Points- 1. The quick commerce market in India is projected to grow to $5.5 billion by 2025, but profitability remains elusive. 2. Average order value (AOV) is under ₹400, while the delivery cost per order is between ₹40-₹70. 3. Several players, including Dunzo, have been cutting costs and delaying payments to suppliers and employees, signaling liquidity challenges. 4. Increased focus on private labels is expected to boost margins by up to 15-20% in the long term. However, • Are the promised 10-15 minute deliveries truly a value differentiator for customers, or just a marketing gimmick that’s unsustainable? • With funding drying up, will consolidation become inevitable in this space, leaving only a few players standing? • Should quick commerce shift its focus entirely to profitability instead of market share to survive the next phase of the startup funding winter? As we watch this space evolve, one thing is clear: fast isn’t always better if the fundamentals don’t align. Will quick commerce turn into quicksand, or will it reinvent itself as a sustainable and scalable business model? #QuickCommerce #StartupEconomy #SustainabilityInBusiness #VCFunding #TechStartups #ceosgurukul #firsttimeceos https://lnkd.in/dbX8uVwH

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OkCredit has reached >98% of Indian PIN codes with ZERO sales team. How did we achieve this? 👇🏽 Product-led growth Imagine there’s a wholesaler who uses OkCredit & records credits on 10 other retailers. The retailers receive WhatsApp notifications for the transactions recorded on them. The retailers in turn get introduced to OkCredit & discover how easy it is to manage their ledger and collect payments with timely reminders. We onboard 1.5 Lakh new merchants every month without a single penny spent on marketing. The ROI on paid marketing has dropped significantly and it doesn't move the needle after a point. If you want to grow really big, there's only one way - create virality loops in your product and make your existing users recommend it to other people.

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Challenging the Traditional "Right to Win" Narrative in Startups 🤔 The startup world often talks about a founding team's "right to win" - typically measured by domain expertise in the industry. But I wonder if this is a narrow view. Consider these examples: 🏨 Ritesh Agarwal built OYO without any hospitality experience - just a deep understanding of budget travelers' pain points as one himself 💄 Falguni Nayar created Nykaa at 50 with no direct experience in beauty/retail - but she understood the Indian woman consumer deeply 🍲 Deepinder Goyal Kalra built Zomato after noticing long lines for food services while working at Bain. The "right to win" can come from multiple sources: - Deep personal experience as a consumer - Pure passion to solve a problem - Obsession with product excellence - Fresh perspectives unburdened by industry assumptions This hits close to home for me. As I build Elfina Health, I often get asked on my "right to win". But my personal mental health journey has given me something equally valuable - authentic user perspective and an unwavering commitment to solving this problem. Sometimes, being too entrenched in an industry can blind you to innovation. The most disruptive ideas often come from outsiders who see problems with fresh eyes and aren't constrained by "how things have always been done." Yes, there are domains like deep tech where technical expertise is crucial. But for many problems, especially in B2C, understanding your users' pain points intimately and being relentlessly focused on solving them can be your strongest "right to win." What's your take on this? Does every founder need domain expertise to win? #Startups #Entrepreneurship #RightToWin #Innovation #StartupIndia

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What’s the growth story of one of India’s fastest-growing companies, Zepto, a $5B giant? Zepto is a quick commerce company that delivers groceries in 10 minutes. Aditya, the founder of Zepto, along with his co-founder, dropped out of Stanford at the age of 18 to start this revolutionary company. A Few Facts About Zepto → - ₹0 to ₹10,000 crore in 30 months - 0 to 50,000 delivery partners in 36 months - 0 to 4.5 lakh jobs in 36 months - Average order value: ₹550/month (as of Nov 2024) - Average wage of employees: ₹23,200 (aggregate across the hierarchy) - Working directly with 10,000+ farmers, ensuring fair prices they often don’t get in local markets. Here’s Their Growth Story → 1. Pilot to Million-Dollar Revenue → They started as a delivery service through a WhatsApp group in 2020, generating millions in revenue within a year. They then decided to go full-time, launching Kirana Kart. Later, they pivoted to Zepto to achieve product-market fit. 2. Why Did They Choose the 10-Minute Delivery Model? “At Zepto, we are a customer-focused company,” says Aditya. He adds, “10-minute delivery is what customers wanted. In India, it’s a hyperlocal market. People want groceries from the shop downstairs in 10 minutes. So, we built it for them.” 3. Dark Stores → They introduced an innovative model by setting up stockhouses near residential societies. These “dark stores” enable 10-minute deliveries, with only employees or team members allowed access. 4. Profitability in Quick Deliveries → “10-minute delivery leads to higher user retention, which drives profitability,” explains Aditya. 5. Other Revenue Sources → a) Advertising: Big brands pay to advertise on Zepto’s platform. b) Delivery fees: They also generate revenue from delivery charges. 6. Care for Delivery Partners → Zepto provides delivery partners with doctor consultations, vehicle repair services, and insurance for their vehicles. “On our front, we are always looking to add value for them,” says Aditya. 7. Flexibility for the Workforce → “We offer complete flexibility. If you’re an MBA student who wants to work for 2 hours as a delivery partner, we make that possible,” Aditya shares. 8. Funding → - Their first funding was ₹40 lakh from Contrary, followed by angel investors and Y Combinator funds. - They raised their Series A of $10M from Nexus Ventures, Series B of $50M after 60 days, and Series E of $100M just 70 days later. - Zepto has raised over $1B to date, thanks to their 100–200% weekly growth rates that impressed investors. Post Credit and Resources → This post summarizes multiple interviews with Aditya, the founder of Zepto. Video interview links are in the comments below. #Zepto #QuickCommerce #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BusinessSuccess #IndianStartups #ECommerce #DeliveryTech #CustomerFocused #Innovation #FundingJourney #GrowthStory #ZeptoJourney #TechInIndia #Investment #StartupFunding #FutureOfCommerce #DisruptiveBusiness #IndiaTech

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Do we already have the next Zomato ? Zepto has increased their platform fee to Rs. 9.99 i.e ~Rs.10 (Bangalore) and this is the highest platform fee for any e/q-commerce company so far. AoV (Average order value) at Zepto is Rs. 350 for which Delivery is free whereas for order less than Rs. 199 there is a delivery charge of Rs. 27 (Bangalore). Considering a near hypothetical scenario where no. of orders above Rs. 199 is 50% and below Rs. 199 is 50% and total no. of orders is 100 per day. Zepto pay nearly Rs.50 per order to it's delivery guys who delivers close to 35 orders and works on all 7 days of the week. Mon-Fri, Sat and Sunday have three different earning rates and also based on the number of orders delivered on that particular day. 1. Scenario 1: For 50 orders above Rs. 199 : Zepto fixed income is Rs. 10 per order. i.e Rs. 500 per day. For 50 orders below Rs. 199 : Zepto fixed income is Rs. 10 + 27 (delivery cost) per order. i.e Rs. 1850 per day. Total Fixed Income : Rs. 2350 Variable Income - Zepto charges upto 35% commission from some D2C brands which are onboarded recently and on top of that there is an advertising cost. For some established brands, the commission is also lesser like 15-20% range Assuming Blended margin to be 25%, earning from commission on AoV of Rs. 350 is Rs. 87.5 per order. This equates to Rs. 8750 for the assumption of 100 orders. Total Zepto earning : Rs. (8750 + 2350) = Rs. 11100. Zepto's cost of Delivery : Rs. 50*100 = Rs. 5000 (higher side) Profit at Unit Level = Rs. (11100 - 5000) = Rs. 6100/100 i.e Rs. 61 per order. Additional Income : Partner Advertising Income, Listing Fee, Third Party Advertising like Credit Cards etc. Additional Cost : Dark Store Operation, Employee Salary, Server Cost and many things. If the volume doesn't show de-growth and they keep introducing private labels like "Relish Chicken" which has a higher margin. Zepto can be the next Zomato. Antithesis : There is a de-growth already in the D2C space. Due to funding crunch and path to profitability, offers are drying up leading to de-growth of the entire space. If this is actually happening and keeps on declining, Zepto has a problem in hand as these D2C brands are the major spender on Quick Commerce. Quick Commerce is not as bad as it was portrayed 3 years back. It grew on the back of these D2C brands and eventually accepted by Legacy and established brands as well. #entrepreneurship #technology

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Sales is not glamorous But it is glorious In the FMCG space, the salesman is a true warrior - braving inclement weather, pressure from seniors, and a not-so-glamorous pay package to keep his brands front and center of the customers. As Sunil Pudi, CEO of Kores Stationery Business puts it, “The FMCG business is something which gives you a multifaceted viewpoint of any business because there you are handling multiple stakeholders. You have a push from the brand manager. You have to take care of the distributor’s ROI. Your boss keeps pushing you for sales. And then you have the whole host of retailers with whom you have to fight for shelf space. So in a B2C brand, when you go to the market and work with 20 retailers, and at least for those 20 minutes you are in his shop and able to generate an order, it's a huge learning cycle that gives you a complete understanding of how you can run a business.” Sunil is what people call a salt-of-the-earth kind of CEO. Starting his career in frontline sales more than 20 years years ago, Sunil kept climbing the ladder within the FMCG industry, working with consumer goods brands like HUL, Pepsi, Pidilite, Bilt, and now Kores. On the latest episode of WHAT THE F….mcg! the podcast from FieldAssist, Sunil lets us in on some interesting snippets from his life in FMCG – from getting yelled at by a retailer, to getting to finding the devil in the details. Catch him as he talks about 80+ Years Strong: A Legacy Consumer Brand's Revival in a $4 Billion Industry. It's worth every second! Do share your sales stories; each one has something to learn. Find the link to the complete podcast in the comments section.

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237 days, 460 micro startup deals reviewed, 70 seller meetings, and 25 buyers mentored. 2024 has been a wild ride Here’s the story of how a 20-year-old from Delhi broke into PE and learnings along the way: — April: Coming across Pocket Fund While researching how to buy a business even with limited funds and resources, I came across acquire.com. So, I created a free account and began exploring all the listings, and immediately fell in love with the platform. My curiosity landed me at Pocket Fund which was the only student-run micro PE at that time so I reached out to Dev Shah (who had already bought his very first business for $4,000 and scaled it from $ 400 MRR to $ 4,000 MRR) to learn the tricks of the trade and joined as an intern. Within a month, I was the Head Analyst, and most of my time was spent reviewing deals from acquire.com, Flippa.com, Microns, and other marketplaces May: Launching a Cohort Program While growing Pocket Fund, one of our core beliefs was to share our learnings with the community, especially college students who wanted to start a business but couldn't due to lack of time and resources so within a week we mapped out the structure of the cohort and released the form Honestly, we didn’t know what to expect, but the response blew us away—120+ team applications from a single Instagram story. We had 100 applicants from 8 countries, from NYU, UT Austin, UC Berkeley, etc. After reviewing all applications we narrowed it down to 5 teams. After meeting them all we chose 3 teams. June: Running the Cohort We kicked off in June with 4 weeks of sessions - 2 per week - covering how to buy a business, due diligence, and negotiations. By week 3, one team sent their first LoI. July: Experimenting with AI - Acquisition AI, a free chatbot with buyer/seller personas. - Finance Prep, an AI tool to help students prep for high-finance interviews August: Working on LinkedIn and X I started a 50-day series of writing about interesting deals on X but they didn't do quite well. I ended up gaining 60 followers Building Communities: During the latter half of the year, community-building became a big focus for us. In the process, we launched: - Pocket Deals, a paid newsletter curating niche deals. - Acquisition Accelerator, a Skool community teaching how to buy/sell businesses. We hit 30 paying members by December. 5 members acquired a business in 1 month after joining us. - r/microacquisitions,a subreddit where buyers and sellers connect. In just 28 days, it crossed 1k followers. Not everything we planned played out as we planned and we had a few setbacks as well. One of our deals, which we were pursuing for 2 months (a VC-backed WhatsApp bot), fell apart. The business seemed interesting to us cuz it had found a niche among lawyers for storing voice notes and docs on Google Drive. But in the end, the deal fell apart. 2024 was a year of experiments, wins, and lessons. Here’s to doubling down in 2025!

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Topic: "Understanding the losses of Indian Unicorns by diving to its core" Out of the total 89 unicorns that disclosed their financials in FY22, only 23 were profitable. This number is slightly lower compared to FY21 when 29 unicorns boasted healthy profits and we have 114 unicorn startups with the combined valuation of $350 Bn as of March 2024. Startups aiming to raise funds today must exhibit robust fundamentals, ensuring their valuations align well with the value they bring. Only those unicorns with transparent financials, strong corporate governance, great teams and good company culture may loosen the purse strings. Source: Inc42 Media In my view, unicorns are the startups that are over $1 Bn in valuation which is an estimation based on the projected TAM and future scope in the market by the founders to their investors. Then investors value startups according to the projected competitors performance across the globe and favorable conditions they had among the market place and in the govt, i.e., so-called valuation game these days. And as we all know, most of the unicorn valuated startups have their revenues in megabytes, profits in kilobytes and valuations at gigabytes. Might sound odd but numbers are speaking so. But I think that's how investors play for gaining profits and maintaining a good portfolio despite huge cash-burns but with a proper exit strategy. Don't take me wrong, it's purely my personal understanding of the current reality. It might change with my everyday learnings. And the core reason I personally believe is the lack of understanding their customers behaviour and their cultural ideology for any startup loss. The reflections we see such as unit economics, market analysis and business scope are projected by clear understanding those aspects. A paradigm shift in right analysing and better understanding their customers might reduce the marketing costs, CAC and also expansion costs. Every Indian newcomer to serial entrepreneurs has to know about the rise of Airbnb, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Tata Group, Reliance Industries Limited, Wipro, Mahindra Group and many more legendary business tycoons & entrepreneurs of India on how they learned to persevere and pivot according to their market conditions and been profitable till date with their never give up & friendly competitive nature. You read this long, thank you so much. Also do share your views with me. Y Combinator Brian Chesky Michael Seibel Ritesh Agarwal Nikhil Kamath Kunal Shah Inc42 Media #startups #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurs #founders #insights #businesslessons

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🚀 The Next Big Leap for D2C Brands: Quick Commerce Integration with Delivery Partners 🚀 As D2C brands continue to scale, their biggest inflection point is on the horizon and it’s tied to logistics. The convenience that consumers now expect from platforms like Blinkit and Zepto, 10 to 30 minute deliveries can transform the D2C game when logistics partners offer Q-commerce services dedicated to D2C brands. 📦 Imagine this: A D2C brand integrated with logistics companies that operate multiple Q-commerce hubs across key regions like Bangalore, dedicated exclusively to D2C brands. Just like Blinkit or Instamart, these hubs could enable deliveries within 10 to 30 minutes of placing an order. This would allow D2C brands to gain direct control over their delivery experience, without relying on third-party marketplaces. Here’s where the magic unfolds: Q-commerce integration with D2C brands. ✅ Boost Sales: Speed and convenience drive purchases. The D2C Q-commerce market in India is projected to grow from $3.34 billion in 2024 to $9.95 billion by 2029. Faster deliveries lead to happier customers and higher conversion rates. ✅ Focus on Your Own Platform: It’s time for D2C brands to unleash their stories. In marketplaces, your brand story is often buried alongside hundreds of other products. By building your own logistics and conversion infrastructure, your website becomes the primary driver of sales, giving you the ability to tell your brand’s story on your terms, rather than competing with marketplace algorithms. ✅ Save on Commissions: Owning the logistics means reducing dependency on marketplaces, which often eat into profit margins with high fees. By keeping more of the revenue in-house, D2C brands can reward loyal customers with personalized offers and royalty programs, driving long-term loyalty and repeat purchases. With logistics set for 10-minute deliveries, the next step is accelerating conversions on your website. Enter Videoit.io a tool designed to make your product information highly visual, interactive, and optimized for shopping. In today’s world, where information-based selling drives conversions, Videoit enables your customers to quickly grasp product details through video shoppable assets, turning passive interest into active shopping intent up to 5x faster. 90% of shoppers prefer not to read product descriptions text on product pages. They want a seamless, immersive shopping experience, much like how they engage on social media and that’s exactly what Videoit.io delivers. 🚚 Enablers are already moving: Established logistics companies and emerging startups are executing Q-commerce services for D2C brands. It’s game on for the D2C revolution. D2C brands, the time has come to own your full story. Don’t let your potential get buried in the endless scroll of marketplaces. 💡 Ready to accelerate your conversions? Let’s discuss how Videoit can help! #D2C #QCommerce #VideoCommerce #Shopify #Logistics #Conversion #D2CEnablers

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🚨 #BoycottPhonePe: CEO Sameer Nigam’s Comments Spark Backlash 🚨 PhonePe's CEO Sameer Nigam criticized the Karnataka jobs quota bill, and the internet is buzzing with reactions! With hashtags like #BoycottPhonePe and #UninstallPhonePe trending, here's what you need to know: 🔹 Karnataka Jobs Quota Bill: Reserves 70% non-management and 50% management jobs for local Kannadigas. Kannada proficiency required for candidates without Kannada in secondary school diplomas. 🔹 Sameer Nigam’s Remarks: Criticized the bill, sharing personal experiences of frequent relocations due to his father’s Navy career. 🔹 Social Media Storm: Pro-Kannada groups and individuals criticizing Nigam. #BoycottPhonePe and #UninstallPhonePe trending as users express dissatisfaction. 🔹 Wider Implications: Debate on local job reservations vs. national mobility. Mixed reactions from industry and concerns from NASSCOM. 🔹 Industry Reactions: Companies worried about attracting top talent. Supporters highlight regional disparities and local benefits. Dive deeper into this controversy and share your thoughts on the Karnataka jobs quota bill and Sameer Nigam’s comments. Read our full blog for more insights! 📖 Read the full blog post: https://lnkd.in/eCssqN8U #BoycottPhonePe #UninstallPhonePe #KarnatakaJobsQuota #LocalEmployment #EconomicDebate #JobMarket #FacebookNews #IndustryReactions #BusinessControversy

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Frugality & Startups. Is being frugal an important part of an organization at the early stage? That's what we believed when we started, because we knew that resources were limited and we needed to prolong our runway. Subsequently, after a few years, we also learned there will be too many mistakes on the way and the only way to survive is that mistakes can't be costly. My growing up helped a lot in making this change, during graduation my nickname was “Pishukkan pattar”( miser Brahmin in Malayalam, for context I am not a Brahmin). Though that wasn't a nice name then, after starting up I have worn that as a badge of honor and lived every day. We came from a corporate life of flying whenever required and designated car for 7 plus years. Still, when we started up, Puru and I have always taken the train between Mumbai - and Delhi for the initial 4 years and to date only take a cab in between Pune - Mumbai when more than one person is traveling. Bla bla is my default mode of travel and I use those trips to convert co-passengers as True Elements consumers.  Coming from a middle-class household, the biggest benefit one has is we aren't scared about ZERO. We started there and if need be going back there won't be an issue. This doesn't mean failures don't scare us it does but still we are ready to take risks. When the hunger to excel and resilience is coupled with being frugal, then nothing will knock you down. You will have bruises and stitches but you won't be out of the game. Frugal is a subjective word, even Ambanis find this word relevant. The only difference between a commoner and them would be the number of zeros they are comfortable putting on the desk. So don't judge yourself with my frugality and it has to be defined by you and you only. Earlier i used to judge a fresher buying an iphone 15, though i still pass a comment but i dont judge :). In a startup biggest cause of conflict between old-timers and new members is this, who is more frugal? When frugality becomes a culture and every new member is judged on that, it becomes difficult for people joining from big corporations. But freedom for these new members is pivotal so as to check the tensile strength of frugality.  All organization needs to be frugal throughout their journey. The degree of frugality varies depending on their stage and that needs to be challenged and calibrated now and then. Ps: When we raised our first angel, we bought Google Chromebooks because that doesn't need a MS OS & Office and used to come at 17K. The image here is of my desk with my refurbished HP 14-inch with i5 and OS bought for 19k. Yes we are still frugal :)

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I first met Aditya and Dhiraj from Campus Sutra at an event in Goa, back in 2022. The thing that stuck with me about their style was their relentless focus on profitability and experimentation. Since 2023, we’ve partnered with Campus Sutra to make WhatsApp a powerhouse for their D2C revenue. For two years, we’ve run 2-3 high-impact experiments monthly, always targeting key outcomes. Now, in 2024, their D2C business is scaling fast—and WhatsApp is a big part of this growth! Check out our case study to see how they drive revenue, reduce RTO, and automate support with WhatsApp.

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