Foodtech giant Swiggy has announced the appointment of Supriya Shankar as its Vice President of Events and Experience. Shankar, formerly the CEO of Singapore and Senior Vice President of Growth and Expansion for Southeast Asia at Lenskart, brings over 14 years of expertise in internet commerce. Her career highlights include leadership roles at Airtel, Zomato, OYO, and Lenskart, where she drove strategic initiatives in business development, revenue optimization, and people management. At OYO, she spearheaded global marketing, sales, and operations.

Strengthening Leadership Amid IPO Success

This appointment is part of a broader leadership expansion at Swiggy as the company prepares to scale its operations following its recent IPO. Earlier this week, Swiggy also appointed Shalabh Shrivastava, former Vice President at Flipkart, as Senior Vice President of Driver Organisation, and Hari Kumar G as Senior Vice President and Chief Business Officer for Swiggy Instamart.

Strategic Hires for Growth

These strategic hires align with Swiggy’s goals to bolster its food delivery and quick commerce segments, improve service quality, and drive growth. By bringing in experienced leaders from various sectors, Swiggy aims to enhance its operational capabilities and customer experience.

Swiggy’s IPO Highlights

Swiggy made its stock market debut this week, listing shares on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) at ₹420—an 8% premium to its IPO price of ₹390 per share. On the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE), Swiggy opened at a 5.6% premium at ₹412 per share. The IPO garnered significant interest, with the issue subscribed 3.59 times by the close of the book-building process. The enthusiasm was primarily driven by Qualified Institutional Buyers (QIBs), who oversubscribed the issue by 6.02 times, despite slow activity in the initial days.

Financial Details

The IPO raised approximately ₹11,300 crore, comprising a fresh capital raise of ₹4,499 crore and an offer for sale (OFS) of 17.51 crore shares valued at ₹6,828 crore. The pricing strategy reflected strong investor confidence in Swiggy’s growth potential despite mixed responses from retail investors.

Focus on Growth and Innovation

With a strong IPO performance and a robust leadership team, Swiggy is poised to expand its market presence further. Over the next year, it plans to open 40 new centers in cities like Nashik, Pune, Dehradun, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and Chennai to strengthen its footprint in major markets. A substantial portion—approximately 60%—of the recent funding round will be directed toward mergers and acquisitions to enhance its offerings.

Competitive Landscape

Swiggy operates in a highly competitive environment alongside rivals like Zomato and Dunzo. The company’s focus on expanding its grocery delivery service through Instamart is a strategic move to diversify revenue streams while catering to rising consumer demand for quick commerce solutions.

Conclusion

The appointment of Supriya Shankar as VP of Events and Experience reflects Swiggy’s commitment to strengthening its leadership team as it embarks on a new chapter following its successful IPO. With ambitious plans for expansion and innovation in both food delivery and grocery services, Swiggy is well-positioned to enhance its market share in India’s dynamic foodtech landscape.

As the company continues to navigate challenges in profitability and competition, the strategic hiring of experienced leaders like Shankar will be crucial in driving operational efficiency and customer satisfaction moving forward. With ongoing growth initiatives and a focus on technological advancements, Swiggy aims to solidify its position as a leader in the food delivery sector while preparing for future opportunities in public markets.

Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah (PW), backed by Lightspeed Venture Partners, has appointed Amit Sachdeva as its new chief financial officer, marking a strategic move in preparation for its anticipated public market debut in 2025. Sachdeva, formerly the finance chief at Blinkit (previously Grofers) until its ₹4,000 crore acquisition by Zomato in 2022, brings extensive financial expertise to PhysicsWallah, particularly within the tech and consumer sectors.

Background of Amit Sachdeva

Before joining PhysicsWallah, Sachdeva held the position of CFO at IGT Solutions in Gurugram. His career also includes leading finance operations at Wipro’s digital operations and platforms division, showcasing his depth of experience in managing finance for tech-driven enterprises. This background positions him well to guide PhysicsWallah through its upcoming IPO process.

Recent Funding and Growth

PhysicsWallah’s recent hiring push follows a significant $210 million funding round led by Hornbill Capital Advisers and Lightspeed Venture Partners, which doubled the edtech startup’s valuation to $2.8 billion from its previous valuation of $1.1 billion. Existing investors, including GSV Ventures and WestBridge Capital, also participated in this funding round. The addition of Hornbill Capital, known for its expertise in IPO preparations, underscores PhysicsWallah’s focus on strengthening its governance and financial team as it looks toward a future IPO.

Quotes from Leadership

“We are enhancing our finance team and refining our governance practices,” co-founder Prateek Maheshwari shared in a September interview. “Manoj [Thakur] and his team at Hornbill Capital have significant IPO experience, making them the right advisors to prepare us for the public market.”

Expansion Plans

As India’s edtech sector eyes IPO opportunities following the surge of IPOs in food delivery, fintech, and mobility, PhysicsWallah is advancing its growth agenda. Over the next year, it plans to open 40 new centers in cities like Nashik, Pune, Dehradun, Coimbatore, Hyderabad, and Chennai to strengthen its presence in major markets. A substantial portion—approximately 60%—of the recent funding round will be directed toward mergers and acquisitions to further expand its offerings.

Market Position

Founded in 2020 by Alakh Pandey and Prateek Maheshwari, PhysicsWallah operates tech-enabled offline and hybrid education centers for K-12 students across over 105 cities in India. In addition to its core offerings, the company also operates test preparation verticals for various competitive exams along with divisions focusing on skills development and overseas education.

Financial Performance

PhysicsWallah joined the unicorn club in 2022 after raising $100 million from WestBridge and GSV at a valuation of $1.1 billion. Despite facing challenges within the competitive landscape of edtech, including a dramatic 90% decline in net profit to INR 8.9 crore in FY23, the company reported a significant increase in operating revenue—up 234% year-on-year to INR 779.3 crore.

Industry Context

The developments come during a turbulent period for the Indian edtech sector. The sector experienced rapid growth during the pandemic but has faced significant challenges with the reopening of schools, prompting many companies to explore offline models. The difficulties were compounded by a funding crunch that has left many edtech companies struggling with mounting losses.

Conclusion

PhysicsWallah’s decision to pursue an IPO reflects a broader trend among Indian startups looking to list on stock exchanges amid favorable market conditions. As it prepares for this landmark moment in public markets, the appointment of Amit Sachdeva as CFO signifies a commitment to building a strong financial foundation.

With ongoing expansions and strategic hiring aimed at enhancing governance practices, PhysicsWallah is positioning itself as a leader in the edtech space while navigating the complexities of an evolving industry landscape. If successful, it would become India’s first edtech startup to go public, setting a precedent for others in the sector.

Google has officially launched its much-anticipated Gemini app for iPhone users, marking a significant step in the company’s expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) offerings to the iOS platform. Now available for free on the Apple App Store, Gemini aims to provide iPhone users with advanced AI-powered tools that support a range of tasks, from productivity to creative projects, bringing AI capabilities to the iOS ecosystem alongside popular tools like Siri and ChatGPT.

What is Google Gemini?

Developed by Google’s DeepMind team, Gemini is a sophisticated AI suite designed to assist users with various tasks. Leveraging advanced language models, machine learning, and natural language processing, the app allows users to complete tasks faster and more efficiently. From helping users write, summarize, and translate to generating creative content like stories and code snippets, Gemini stands out as a versatile tool for daily use.

Key Features of Google Gemini

With an intuitive, mobile-optimized interface, the Gemini app provides a smooth user experience for iPhone users. Here are some of its standout features:

• AI-Assisted Content Creation: Users can input brief prompts, and Gemini can produce anything from formal emails to creative writing or even snippets of code.

• Natural Language Understanding: Gemini’s advanced natural language processing allows users to converse naturally in plain English (or other languages), receiving context-aware responses.

• Gemini Live: A standout feature, Gemini Live offers real-time, interactive assistance. Unlike traditional AI tools that rely on static prompts, Gemini Live engages in dynamic conversations with users, much like a human assistant. This functionality is ideal for brainstorming, quick information retrieval, and problem-solving.

• Image Generation: With access to Google’s Imagen 3, users can generate stunning AI images from text descriptions quickly and efficiently.

Privacy and Security

User privacy and data security are central to Google’s approach with the Gemini app. Operating under Google’s stringent privacy policies, the app provides options for users to manage their data and privacy settings transparently. While Gemini cannot access iPhone apps or settings directly, it seamlessly integrates with Google’s suite of apps like Maps, Gmail, Drive, and YouTube, enhancing its functionality while ensuring user control over data.

Availability and Future Plans

Currently, Gemini is exclusively available for iPhone users; however, Google has hinted at plans to expand it to other platforms, including Android and desktop versions in the near future. For iOS users, the release of the Gemini app is just the beginning, with Google promising regular updates and feature enhancements in the coming months.

Competitive Landscape

The launch of Gemini comes at a time when competition among AI-powered applications is intensifying. With Apple rolling out ChatGPT integration into Siri in December and other tech giants developing their own AI tools, Google’s entry into this space aims to solidify its position as a leader in AI-driven personal assistants.

Conclusion

With the debut of the Gemini app on iOS, Google brings its powerful AI resources to mobile devices. This app promises to be an essential tool for iPhone users looking to leverage AI for both personal and professional use. By combining advanced technology with user-friendly features, Gemini aims to enhance productivity and creativity while ensuring user privacy remains a top priority.

As Google continues to innovate within the AI space, users can expect exciting developments that will further integrate these capabilities into their daily lives. The introduction of Gemini not only expands Google’s presence in mobile AI but also reflects a broader trend toward making sophisticated technology accessible to all users.