Alia Bhatt, Bollywood’s rising star, invested an undisclosed amount in fashion portal StyleCracker. Along with other angel investors, Ali Bhatt picked up a minority stake in the company which provides users with celebrity stylist curated products.
Run by Mumbai based Kanvas Consultancy Pvt., Ltd., StyleCracker was launched in 2013 and offers customers personalized fashion boxes curated by celebrity stylists. The startup acts as a bridge between women shoppers with designers for advice on fashion and styling trends and provides users access to a catalogue of looks. StyleCracker was founded by former investment banker Dhimaan Shah along with the former fashion editor of Vogue, Archana Walavalker.
Speaking about investing in this pre Series A round of funding, Alia Bhatt said, “I am not actively looking for investments, but Archana has been my stylist for many years and when I came to know about StyleCracker, it seemed like a very logical move.” Dhimaan Shah and Archana Walavalker will jointly own 65% stake in the company post this round of investment.
The fresh funds, according to Managing Director Dhimaan Shah, will be used to scale up the business. “We are like style advisors for our customers. We are already seeing 60% to 65% repeat business, and this fund raising will help us to scale up,” he added. The company, which currently caters to only female customers will also launch similar products for male consumers soon.
Speaking about the company Archana Walavalkar, the Creative Director, said, “StyleCracker is a platform that understands the customer, creates their unique profile and then curates a wardrobe that suits any mood or occasion.” The company also recently launched personalized fashion boxes curated by celebrity stylists. Users fill an online form mentioning their preferences and a celebrity stylist will then call them to understand their requirements to curate a box accordingly. Along with fashion boxes, the company also offers workshops on corporate styling, induction and refresher programmes, gifting and soft skills training.
In their first round of funding in 2015, StyleCracker raised $ 1 million from a bunch of high net worth individuals. The company also claims to have shipped over 50,000 boxes across 35 cities in the last four months.
Cashfree Payments has appointed Piyush Anchliya as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO), effective April 15, 2025. Anchliya brings over 15 years of experience in investment banking, corporate finance, strategy, and mergers and acquisitions, with senior roles at Barclays, Bandhan Group, and most recently as CFO of Bandhan AMC. He holds an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad and a B.Tech. from IIT Kharagpur.
In his new role, Anchliya will lead Cashfree’s financial strategy, optimize operations, and support the company’s next growth phase. He will report to CEO and Co-founder Akash Sinha, who highlighted Anchliya’s expertise as vital for sustainable scaling and strengthening the company’s financial foundation. Anchliya succeeds outgoing CFO Vikas Guru, who will assist during the transition.
Founded in 2015, Cashfree Payments processes over $80 billion annually for more than 800,000 businesses. The company recently raised $53 million in funding led by KRAFTON and Apis Growth Fund II and secured key RBI licenses, positioning it for accelerated growth in India’s fintech sector. Anchliya’s appointment comes at a pivotal time as Cashfree aims to expand its leadership in digital payments.
Jeyandran Venugopal, the outgoing Chief Product and Technology Officer of Flipkart, is set to become the CEO of Reliance Retail Ventures (RRV), the retail arm of Reliance Industries. His appointment, expected to be finalized in May after his exit from Flipkart, signals Reliance’s push to strengthen its retail business with a technology-first approach.
Venugopal brings extensive experience from leading roles at Flipkart, Myntra, Yahoo, Snapdeal, and Amazon, where he focused on scaling technology platforms and driving innovation. At Flipkart, he managed product, engineering, data science, and more, helping build robust systems and improve user experience.
His move comes as Reliance Retail undergoes transformation, including cost-cutting and a renewed focus on digital growth. Venugopal’s leadership is expected to accelerate Reliance’s ambitions in omnichannel and tech-driven retail, positioning the company for continued dominance in India’s evolving market.
Delhivery, one of India’s leading logistics companies, has announced its acquisition of Ecom Express in an all-cash deal valued at ₹1,407 crore. This strategic move marks one of the largest consolidations in the logistics sector and is expected to enhance Delhivery’s scale, profitability, and operational efficiency.
Background
Ecom Express, founded in 2012 and headquartered in Gurugram, has faced significant financial challenges recently. The company canceled its IPO plans in 2024 and laid off hundreds of employees due to operational setbacks, including losing a major client, Meesho, which shifted to its in-house logistics service Valmo. These struggles led to a distressed sale, with private equity investors like Warburg Pincus and Partners Group exiting their stakes entirely.
Strategic Benefits for Delhivery
Enhanced Scale: The acquisition will strengthen Delhivery’s network reach and infrastructure, enabling better service delivery across India.
Operational Synergies: Combining operations with Ecom Express will improve efficiency and reduce costs through economies of scale.
Competitive Edge: With Ecom Express as a subsidiary, Delhivery solidifies its leadership position in the logistics space by offering broader coverage and faster services.
Challenges Addressed
The acquisition mitigates risks from Ecom Express’ financial struggles while addressing past disputes between the two companies over inflated shipment volumes reported by Ecom Express during IPO filings.
Future Outlook
The deal is expected to close within six months after regulatory approval from the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Post-acquisition, Ecom Express will operate as a subsidiary of Delhivery, unlocking new growth opportunities such as advanced logistics technology integration and expanded customer reach.
With ₹5,488 crore in cash reserves as of September 2024, Delhivery is well-positioned to finance this acquisition without compromising financial stability. This move underscores Delhivery’s commitment to innovation and efficiency in India’s rapidly evolving logistics landscape.