Fuelled by VC Grid and NABVentures, JustDeliveries Raises Rs 5.5 Crore to Crack the Cold Chain Code in India’s Rs 200B Logistics Industry

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May 12, 2025

Image of JustDeliveries — Fuelled by VC Grid and NABVentures, JustDeliveries Raises Rs 5.5 Crore to Crack the Cold Chain Code in India’s Rs 200B Logistics Industry

Cold-chain logistics startup JustDeliveries has secured Rs 5.5 crore in a fresh funding round led by VC Grid and NABVentures, with additional backing from LetsVenture, Anay Ventures, and FAAD Network, among others.

The company plans to channel the new funds into strengthening its tech infrastructure and expanding its footprint to three new cities—Lucknow and Chennai already in the pipeline. JustDeliveries currently operates in Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai, and Pune.

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This investment brings the startup’s total funding to around USD 2 million (approximately Rs 15.9 crore). The upcoming expansion will take its presence to eight major Indian cities, keeping pace with growing client demands for nationwide distribution.

Founder Mansi Mahansaria believes that transforming the food and beverage supply chain goes far beyond trucks and warehouses. “What’s really needed is a smarter, tech-first approach to logistics—one that adapts to clients’ evolving needs while staying lean and dependable,” she said.

She added that this capital infusion will help the company sharpen its technology, move toward profitability, and launch in new markets by FY26.

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India’s logistics sector, worth nearly USD 200 billion, is still largely fragmented, with 90% of the industry functioning in unorganised silos, according to the company. As the cold-chain segment grows rapidly—driven by increased demand for fresh food and healthcare supplies—JustDeliveries is positioning itself as a scalable, tech-driven solution to one of the country’s biggest logistical pain points.

Apple Exports iPhones Worth ₹17,219 Cr from India in April, Registers 116% YoY Surge Amid Shift from China

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May 12, 2025

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Image of Iphone. — Apple Exports iPhones Worth ₹17,219 Cr from India in April, Registers 116% YoY Surge Amid Shift from China

Apple’s bet on India is paying off handsomely. As the tech giant pivots more of its iPhone manufacturing for the US market away from China and into Indian facilities, export numbers from the country are climbing at a blistering pace.

In April alone, iPhone shipments from India reached a record ₹17,219 crore, more than doubling last year’s figure for the same month, which stood at ₹7,971 crore. This marks a whopping 116% year-on-year growth, according to government filings by Apple’s three contract manufacturers — Foxconn, Wistron (now owned by Tata), and Pegatron.

The sharp spike aligns with comments made by Apple CEO Tim Cook during the company’s second-quarter earnings call, where he confirmed that India will now serve as the primary production hub for the majority of iPhones sold in the US — a first for the Cupertino-based firm.

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This strategic shift is seen as part of Apple’s broader plan to diversify its supply chain, reduce dependence on China, and tap into India’s growing importance in global electronics manufacturing. The push has also been bolstered by the Indian government’s Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme, which offers benefits for increasing local output and exports.

India has been ramping up its role in Apple’s global strategy over the past few years, but this latest milestone signals a new level of commitment. With infrastructure being upgraded, vendors scaling up production, and export numbers breaking records, India is fast becoming Apple’s most critical manufacturing outpost outside China.

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And if April’s numbers are any indication, this is just the beginning.

Delhi High Court Seizes 129 EVs Over Rs 15 Crore Loan Default by Gensol; BluSmart Tied to Defunct Leasing Deal

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May 12, 2025

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Image of blusmart — Delhi High Court Seizes 129 EVs Over Rs 15 Crore Loan Default by Gensol; BluSmart Tied to Defunct Leasing Deal

The Delhi High Court has stepped in once again over the financial dispute involving Gensol and the now-defunct BluSmart. On Thursday, the court ordered that 129 electric cars, tied to an outstanding loan, be seized and moved to secure storage across Delhi, Gurugram, and Bengaluru.

The case stems from a loan deal Gensol signed with STCI Finance in 2023. Under the agreement, Gensol borrowed Rs 15 crore to acquire a fleet of EVs, intended for commercial leasing. The vehicles were hypothecated to STCI, with Gensol’s promoters Puneet Singh Jaggi and Anmol Singh Jaggi personally guaranteeing the loan.

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According to STCI, the money was paid directly to suppliers, after which the cars were leased to BluSmart—Gensol’s associate company. But with BluSmart shutting operations, and payments allegedly defaulted on, STCI turned to the courts to prevent any transfer or misuse of the vehicles.

Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora, acknowledging the lender’s concern that the vehicles could be scattered or misappropriated, appointed three court receivers. Their mandate: track down the entire fleet, create a detailed inventory, and shift the cars to secure facilities to prevent further risk.

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The latest order adds to a string of legal developments in the matter, underscoring how financial missteps in the electric mobility space are starting to draw serious judicial attention.

Govt Cracks Down on Amazon, Flipkart, and Others for Selling Unlicensed Walkie-Talkies Amid Security Concerns

E-Commerce

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May 12, 2025

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Image of e-commerce — Govt Cracks Down on Amazon, Flipkart, and Others for Selling Unlicensed Walkie-Talkies Amid Security Concerns

At a time when tensions between India and Pakistan remain delicate, the Indian government has raised a red flag over the online sale of unregulated walkie-talkie devices. Thirteen e-commerce platforms—including big names like Amazon, Flipkart, and Meesho—are now facing official heat for hosting and enabling the sale of these communication tools without proper licenses or approvals.

The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has issued formal notices to these platforms, accusing them of allowing the sale of wireless devices that bypass key regulatory checks. The issue isn’t just bureaucratic—authorities believe such devices could compromise national security, especially in volatile border conditions.

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The platforms in the crosshairs include a mix of mainstream marketplaces and lesser-known sellers: Amazon, Flipkart, Meesho, OLX, TradeIndia, Facebook, Indiamart, Jiomart, VardaanMart, Krishnamart, Chimiya, Talk Pro Walie Talkie, and MaskMan Toys.

According to the government, the offending walkie-talkies were being sold without disclosing critical information such as their operating frequencies, equipment certifications, or even basic licensing details. This, officials say, is a direct violation of the Consumer Protection Act of 2019. But that’s not all—the infractions also run afoul of the Indian Telegraph Act and the Wireless Telegraphy Act.

Union Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi weighed in on the issue as well, warning in a post that selling such non-compliant wireless gear isn’t just a regulatory misstep—it could actively undermine security operations across the country.

Preliminary findings paint a troubling picture: Amazon alone had 467 such listings, while Flipkart had 314. Meesho and TradeIndia weren’t far behind, with 489 and 423 listings respectively—suggesting this isn’t a one-off problem, but a widespread oversight.

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The CCPA’s move signals a broader clampdown on digital marketplaces that have often operated in grey areas when it comes to tech hardware and communication tools. The message is clear: platforms need to take responsibility not just for the products they sell—but also for the consequences.

Zepto Delivers a Blow to Swiggy Instamart, Closes in on Blinkit: Inside India’s 4.45 Million-a-Day Quick Commerce War

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May 12, 2025

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image of Quick Commerce — Zepto Delivers a Blow to Swiggy Instamart, Closes in on Blinkit: Inside India’s 4.45 Million-a-Day Quick Commerce War

India’s rapid grocery delivery scene is turning into a battleground, with companies locking horns over every single order. The space is currently dominated by three key players: Blinkit, Zepto, and Swiggy Instamart—together accounting for nearly 88% of all deliveries in the segment.

Zepto, which only launched in 2021, has managed a dramatic rise. In just a short span, it has raced past Swiggy’s Instamart—despite being a year younger—and is now hot on the heels of Blinkit, the pioneer of this space that began operations back in 2013.

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A recent Moneycontrol report reveals that the quick commerce sector handled between 4.15 and 4.45 million orders every day in March. Blinkit led the pack with 1.65–1.75 million daily deliveries. Zepto wasn’t far behind, clocking in at 1.45–1.55 million. Swiggy Instamart followed with 1.05–1.15 million orders.

Zepto’s rise has been nothing short of explosive. In just one year, it tripled its order volume—scaling from about half a million orders per day in March 2023 to over 1.5 million in March 2024. Meanwhile, Blinkit and Instamart saw 90% and 60% growth, respectively, over the same period.

Even with the fierce competition, the market as a whole is thriving. A Bain & Company study noted that India’s quick commerce sector has grown fivefold since 2022, and it’s expected to keep climbing at a steady 40% annual rate for the next half-decade.

Customer behavior has also shifted. People are ordering more frequently each month—up from an average of 4.4 orders in 2021 to 6 orders by the end of 2024. That’s a strong indicator of how deeply integrated fast delivery has become in everyday life.

This rise hasn’t been easy on the old guard. BigBasket, Flipkart, and even Amazon have struggled to keep pace with this new model. According to Bain, nearly two-thirds of India’s online grocery orders in 2024 were placed through Q-commerce apps.

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At first, traditional e-commerce platforms tried to woo customers with better pricing, betting that affordability could outshine speed. But that playbook didn’t quite work. Eventually, even they jumped on the Q-commerce bandwagon—Flipkart, for example, introduced ‘Flipkart Minutes’—but by then, Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart had already built a solid lead and loyal user base.

Godrej Consumer Banks on Normal Monsoon, Pay Hike, and Cooling Inflation to Revive Demand by 2026

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May 10, 2025

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Image of godrej consumer — Godrej Consumer Banks on Normal Monsoon, Pay Hike, and Cooling Inflation to Revive Demand by 2026

Sudhir Sitapati, the Managing Director and CEO of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), sounded cautiously optimistic on Wednesday as he laid out his expectations for a recovery in consumer demand over the next year to year-and-a-half.

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Speaking after the company’s earnings announcement, Sitapati pointed to a few encouraging signs on the horizon—cooling food inflation, forecasts of a normal monsoon, and the potential boost from the upcoming pay commission—as factors that could lift consumption, especially in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector.

“The last couple of years have been slightly off-track,” he admitted. “FMCG volume growth typically runs ahead of GDP. So, if GDP is growing at 6%, we should ideally be seeing volume growth of around 7% to 7.5%. Instead, it’s been around 4%. But I don’t think this is a permanent shift. I expect a bounce-back.”

Palm oil—an essential ingredient in GCPL’s soaps—is another pressure point. Prices have been high, squeezing margins, but Sitapati believes the worst may be over. “We’ve only passed on about 15 to 16 percent of the cost increase to consumers so far. The rest, we’ve absorbed,” he said, adding that profitability could rise again once palm oil rates ease.

Despite the macroeconomic headwinds, GCPL has posted steady numbers. For the March quarter, it reported a consolidated net profit of Rs 411.9 crore, with a 6% volume growth. Over the full fiscal year ending March 2025, net profit reached Rs 1,852.3 crore, while revenue stood at Rs 14,364.29 crore, reflecting a modest 1.9% uptick.

Looking ahead, the company plans to double down on categories with room to grow—hair color, body wash, and sexual wellness. These are areas where penetration is still relatively low, offering a long growth runway.

One segment that has been particularly resilient is household insecticides, with brands like Goodknight and HITS posting double-digit volume growth.

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Sitapati also noted how external factors like the El Niño weather phenomenon had pushed up food prices last year, which quickly fed into consumer behavior. “When food inflation rises, people cut back. But now with the El Niño behind us and prices stabilizing in early 2025, we’re hoping that wallets will start to open again,” he said.

With a mix of strategic bets and macro-level shifts working in its favor, GCPL is hoping the worst is behind—and that better days are just around the corner.

Swiggy’s Revenue Soars 45% in Q4FY25, But Losses Deepen to Rs 1,081 Cr Amid Big Bets on Expansion

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May 10, 2025

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Image of swiggy — Swiggy’s Revenue Soars 45% in Q4FY25, But Losses Deepen to Rs 1,081 Cr Amid Big Bets on Expansion

Swiggy, the Bengaluru-based food tech player locked in fierce competition with Zomato, closed the March 2025 quarter with solid topline growth but a much wider loss, as it doubled down on quick-commerce and new services.

For the quarter ending March 31, Swiggy reported a revenue of Rs 4,410 crore—up 45% compared to the same period last year. However, this came at the cost of deeper red ink: net losses widened to Rs 1,081 crore, nearly double the Rs 555 crore it lost in Q4FY24.

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Group CEO and co-founder Sriharsha Majety described FY25 as “a landmark year,” with the launch of bite-sized video commerce app Snacc and peer-to-peer delivery platform Pyng, alongside a rapid buildout of its Instamart business. “Our food delivery arm clocked record highs in both innovation and performance,” Majety noted, adding that the quick-commerce segment is heating up and demands sustained investment.

Food Delivery Holds Steady, Quick-Commerce Scales Fast

Swiggy’s flagship food delivery unit reported Gross Order Value (GOV) of Rs 7,347 crore for the quarter—a 17.6% rise year-on-year. Margins improved as well, with adjusted EBITDA touching Rs 212 crore and profitability margins climbing to 2.9% of GOV, up from just 0.5% a year ago. The improvement was powered in part by its logistics optimization service, Bolt, which now handles over 12% of Swiggy’s food orders.

Instamart, Swiggy’s 15- to 30-minute grocery delivery service, continues to be the company’s fastest-growing vertical. GOV more than doubled to Rs 4,670 crore—marking 101% year-on-year growth. The company added 316 new dark stores in just one quarter, more than it had added in the previous two years combined. Swiggy now operates over 1,000 dark stores across 124 cities.

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But scaling comes at a price. Quick-commerce still burns cash fast: the adjusted EBITDA loss for that division swelled to Rs 840 crore in Q4, up sharply from Rs 273 crore last year, thanks to higher spending on customer acquisition and infrastructure like Megapods and Maxxsaver services.

OYO Rakes In Rs 623 Crore Profit in FY25, Becomes India’s Most Profitable Startup Under Ritesh Agarwal

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May 10, 2025

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Image of oyo — OYO Rakes In Rs 623 Crore Profit in FY25, Becomes India’s Most Profitable Startup Under Ritesh Agarwal

Ritesh Agarwal’s OYO has pulled off a major turnaround—closing FY25 with a net profit of Rs 623 crore, making it the most profitable startup in India this fiscal year. That’s nearly triple what the company made last year, clocking in at a 172% jump, as per financial data accessed by PTI.

The hospitality company’s revenue rose to Rs 6,463 crore—a 20% increase year-on-year—driven by a sharp uptick in bookings and a growing preference for OYO’s premium hotels. Its Gross Booking Value (GBV) shot up by 54%, reaching a hefty Rs 16,436 crore.

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Key to this growth were OYO’s newer properties like Townhouse and Sunday hotels, which are fully managed by the company, and have been expanding across India, Southeast Asia, the UK, and the Middle East. The US-based G6 Hospitality, which OYO acquired earlier, also contributed to the momentum.

On the profitability front, adjusted EBITDA stood at Rs 1,132 crore for FY25—up from Rs 889 crore the year before. The company has now logged ten straight quarters of EBITDA-level profit. The January–March quarter was particularly strong, pulling in Rs 1,872 crore in revenue (a 41% jump from last year) and Rs 442 crore in EBITDA, which marked a 61% spike—pointing to better operational performance.

Aggressive Expansion

OYO has been steadily pushing into the premium segment. In the last year alone, it added over 30 Sunday hotels across major markets like India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Southeast Asia. As of now, its global network covers 22,700 hotels, over 1.2 lakh homes, and more than 91,000 listings. The number of properties fully managed by OYO surged from just 7 in Q4 FY24 to 256 by the end of Q4 FY25.

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Earnings per share (EPS) also saw a significant bump, moving from Rs 0.36 last year to Rs 0.93—registering a 158% rise.

IPO May Face Another Delay

While OYO had originally hoped to go public by October 2025, that timeline now looks uncertain. Sources indicate the listing could be pushed to early 2026—marking a third delay in its IPO journey.

Footprints Preschool Raises $7.5 Million from Tanglin Venture Partners to Expand AI-Powered Daycare Across India

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May 10, 2025

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Image of footprints. — Footprints Preschool Raises $7.5 Million from Tanglin Venture Partners to Expand AI-Powered Daycare Across India

Footprints Preschool & Daycare, a Gurugram-based chain focused on early childhood education, has secured $7.5 million in Series A funding. The round was led by Tanglin Venture Partners and marks a significant step forward for the brand’s national expansion.

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With this funding, Footprints plans to open new centres across India, upgrade its classrooms with smart learning tools, and invest further in its AI-backed education and surveillance technology. The goal? To make high-quality, safe, and transparent childcare more widely accessible to Indian families.

Founded by Raj Singhal, Purvesh Sharma, and Ashish Aggarwal, Footprints has grown into a trusted name for thousands of parents. Today, it operates over 175 centres in 25 cities and supports more than 48,000 families. Its curriculum is based on the US-origin HighScope approach, which promotes holistic development through active learning. What sets the startup apart is its emphasis on safety and parent involvement—each centre offers live CCTV access and real-time updates via mobile app.

“Our mission has always been to create spaces where children feel secure, inspired, and seen,” said Raj Singhal, co-founder and CEO. “With Tanglin’s backing, we’re ready to scale that vision and bring our model to more families in more cities.”

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Footprints is doubling down on smart classroom tech, including personalised AI-driven learning pathways that adapt to each child’s needs. The company is also investing in parent-facing features—like live feeds and mobile updates—that help build trust in a market where safety and transparency are top priorities. From thorough staff background checks to child-proof infrastructure, the startup is betting that technology and trust are the future of childcare in India.

Lahori Zeera Bags Rs 200 Cr from Motilal Oswal, Eyes Rs 500 Cr Revenue in FY25 Amid National Expansion

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May 10, 2025

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Image of -lahori-zeera — Lahori Zeera Bags Rs 200 Cr from Motilal Oswal, Eyes Rs 500 Cr Revenue in FY25 Amid National Expansion

Lahori, the Punjab-based beverage company best known for its Zeera-flavored drink, has secured Rs 200 crore in fresh funding from Motilal Oswal as part of its Series B round. The deal gives the investment firm a 7.14% ownership stake in the brand.

According to Entrackr, this latest investment pegs Lahori’s valuation at a robust Rs 2,800 crore. To close the deal, Lahori issued 4,997 shares to Motilal Oswal, each priced at Rs 4,00,252.

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This capital infusion has slightly altered the company’s cap table. The founding team’s shareholding has come down from 76.21% to 70.76%, while Verlinvest, a Belgium-based investor, now holds 19.64%, down from 21.17%.

Lahori has been on a steep growth curve. For FY24, it clocked Rs 312 crore in revenue—a 47% jump from the previous year. Even more impressive was the profit spike: a 300% increase, bringing it to Rs 22.5 crore.

The company’s CEO, Saurav Munjal, is optimistic about FY25, projecting revenue to touch Rs 500 crore, as per the Entrackr report.

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Lahori’s product lineup currently includes six unique flavors—besides the signature Zeera, there’s Nimbu, Imli Banta, Shikanji, Kaccha Aam, and Gimboo. Already a familiar name across North India, the brand is now setting its sights on expanding into the East and West. To support this next phase of growth, Lahori aims to raise a total of Rs 450 crore through its Series B round.

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