StartupDigest.in

Angad Bhatia Joins Network18 as CEO of Firstpost & Creator18 After exiting Mensa Brands, Angad Bhatia, the founder of MensXP, has been appointed as the CEO of Firstpost and Creator18 under Network18 Group. 🔹 Creator18 is a new venture focused on building a creator network beyond traditional platforms, expanding across Network18’s digital ecosystem. 🔹 Bhatia, a seasoned digital entrepreneur, brings strong expertise in scaling B2C media businesses. 🔹 His move follows the acquisition of Indian Lifestyle Network (ILN) by Mensa Brands for $100 Mn in 2022, which included MensXP, iDiva, and Hypp. With Bhatia at the helm, Firstpost and Creator18 are expected to leverage influencer-driven content and digital-first strategies. #AngadBhatia #Firstpost #CreatorEconomy #Media #Network18

Groww Eyes Wealth Management with New Brand ‘W’ Investment tech unicorn Groww is set to expand into wealth management under a new brand, W. 🔹 W will offer portfolio management services (PMS), alternative investment funds (AIF), and other premium financial products to Groww’s 15 million affluent users. 🔹 The move signals Groww’s push towards high-value transactions and an omnichannel strategy, incorporating both digital and physical presence to enhance trust and branding. With this, Groww aims to capture the growing demand for premium wealth management solutions in India. #Groww #WealthManagement #Investing #Finance

Delhi High Court Rules in Favor of Zepto in Trademark Dispute Quick commerce giant Zepto’s parent company, Kiranakart, has won a trademark dispute in the Delhi High Court, bringing an almost year-long legal battle to an end. 🔹 The court ordered the removal of the trademark ‘Zepto’, which was registered by Mohammad Arshad on July 14, 2014, from the register of trademarks. 🔹 Judge Amit Bansal ruled in favor of Zepto on March 3, 2025, noting that the startup has been continuously and extensively using the Zepto trademark since July 2021, gaining significant reputation. This victory secures Zepto’s brand identity and market dominance in the competitive quick commerce space. #Zepto #QuickCommerce #Trademark #StartupIndia

Delhivery Approves Allotment of 11.79 Lakh Equity Shares Under ESOP Logistics startup Delhivery has approved the allotment of 11.79 lakh equity shares under its Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) schemes. 🔹 The stakeholders’ relationship committee approved the allotment on March 10, 2025. 🔹 Shares issued under different ESOP schemes: 3.24 Lakh under ESOP 2012 6.89 Lakh under ESOP II 2020 1.66 Lakh under ESOP III 2020 The move aims to reward employees and retain top talent as Delhivery continues its growth trajectory. #Delhivery #ESOP #StartupIndia #Logistics

X (Twitter) Faces Global Outage, Users Report Access Issues Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been hit by a global outage, preventing users—including those in India—from accessing posts. 🔹 Users are seeing an error message: "Something went wrong. Try reloading." 🔹 DownDetector reported over 2,500 issue reports by 3:26 PM. 🔹 No official statement from Elon Musk or X yet. This follows recent outages at Meta and OpenAI, raising concerns over platform stability. Stay tuned for updates! #TwitterDown #XOutage #SocialMedia #TechIssues

Paytm Grants 84,793 Equity Shares Under ESOP Schemes One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has approved the allotment of 84,793 equity shares to employees under its stock option plans. 🔹 Breakdown of the allotment: 84,377 shares under ESOP 2019 416 shares under ESOP 2008 🔹 The exercise price for these shares is INR 9 per share. 🔹 The announcement was made in an exchange filing on March 9. With this move, Paytm continues to reward and retain talent while navigating its evolving business landscape. Paytm #Paytm #ESOP #StockOptions #EmployeeBenefits

Zomato Rebrands to Eternal Limited! Foodtech giant Zomato has officially received shareholder approval to change its name to Eternal Limited. 🔸 The company stated in an exchange filing that a special resolution was passed to update its Memorandum & Articles of Association. 🔸 CEO Deepinder Goyal mentioned that the name ‘Eternal’ has been used internally since acquiring Blinkit, helping distinguish its corporate identity from its food delivery app. What do you think about this rebrand? Will ‘Eternal’ resonate with consumers like Zomato did? Eternal #Zomato #EternalLimited #Rebranding #FoodTech

Funding Frenzy: 19 Indian Startups Raise Over $352M in a Week! Between March 03 - March 08, 2025, startups across SaaS, AI, HRtech, Fintech, Spacetech, and more secured $352M+ in funding! 🔸 Biggest Raise: Geniemode led with $50M investment. 🔸 Mergers & Acquisitions: M2P Fintech to acquire AI startup Mad Street Den Mintoak acquired fintech startup Digiledge GaragePlug buys Freshreview (a review management platform) The Indian startup ecosystem is thriving with record-breaking investments & strategic deals! Which sector do you think will attract the most funding next? #StartupFunding #TechInvestments #IndiaStartups #MergersAndAcquisitions

OpenAI to Launch Three High-End AI Agents with Specialized Expertise! 🔸 PhD-Level AI: A super-intelligent agent offering specialized knowledge, priced at $20,000/month (₹17.4 lakh). 🔸 AI for Developers: A coding expert designed to assist software engineers & programmers. 🔸 AI for Knowledge Workers: A smart assistant aimed at enhancing productivity in various professional domains. This move could redefine enterprise AI adoption, bringing hyper-intelligent assistants into specialized industries! #OpenAI #AIRevolution #ArtificialIntelligence #AIForBusiness #TechTrends

JioHotstar Targets Startups & SMEs with Affordable IPL 2025 Ad Packages! 🔸 JioHotstar is aggressively wooing startups & SMEs ahead of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025, which kicks off on March 22. 🔸 The platform is offering targeted advertising at “affordable” rates to help businesses boost visibility & credibility. 🔸 Ad packages range between INR 15 Lakh - INR 1.5 Cr, as per a brochure sent to marketing agencies. With IPL’s massive viewership, this move could be a game-changer for small businesses looking to leverage the power of digital advertising! #JioHotstar #IPL2025 #Advertising #SMEs #Startups #DigitalMarketing