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Business News This Week: 1st January 2018 to 6th January 2018

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Business News This Week,Startup Stories,Inspirational Stories 2018,Stock Sell in Uber,Food Ordering and Delivery Platform Swiggy,Swiggy Business News 2018,Flipkart Invest In Logistics Arm eKart,Salil Parekh New Infosys CEO,Alibaba and XpressBees Business,Startup Funding News 2018,Startup Stories Tips 2018,Biggest Startup Moments of 2017,How To Get Promoted Faster,How To Get Funding For Startups,How To Build Enterprise From Scratch

New year, new aims and new resolutions! The new year started with a bang marking the beginning of a new era for startups, innovations and inventions! If you were too caught up with New Year celebrations, catch up with the news of this week with our weekly wrap up.

ECOMMERCE SITES TO DISPLAY THE MRP AND EXPIRY DATE
This new year, all ecommerce sites will now have to display the Maximum Retail Price (MRP) and the expiry date of all the human consumable products on all their sites. This move comes after multiple customers complained about such ecommerce sites hiking the prices of their products in order to provide bigger discounts. The etailers had until January 1, 2018, to comply with the government’s order to display all the important details about the products up for sale. However, according to a survey by LocalCircles, only 42% of 10,000 respondents had seen products listed above MRP and then discounted off the inflated price.

ALIBABA TO INVEST IN LOGISTICS STARTUP XPRESSBEES
The China based ecommerce firm Alibaba has been keenly looking to invest in multiple Indian startups to build its ‘iron triangle.’ For this purpose, the company will be investing close to $ 100 million in the Pune based logistics firm XpressBees and will be closing the deal in the next two to three weeks. Till date, Alibaba and its financial arm Ant Financials have invested in online payment and digital wallet Paytm and online grocery delivery service, BigBasket.

SALIL PAREKH BECOMES THE NEW INFOSYS CEO
After months of searching and numerous disagreements with the founder of India’s largest IT firm Infosys, the company finally found a Chief Executive Officer. After the resignation of Vishal Sikka in August, Salil Parekh will be taking on the reigns of the Bengaluru based information technology (IT) major, Infosys, as the new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. According to sources, the new CEO will earn an annual salary of Rs. 16.25 crores, including Rs. 9.75 crores variable pay.

FLIPKART TO INVEST IN LOGISTICS ARM EKART
India’s largest ecommerce company Flipkart, in an attempt to strengthen their logistics arm, infused another $ 257.3 million in eKart. According to filings with the Registrar of Companies, Flipkart raised this sum in multiple tranches between October and November last year. In 2018, according to Kalyan Krishnamurthy, the company would now be focusing on increasing its monthly active users and increasing its revenue.

SWIGGY TO RAISE $ 200 MILLION FROM NASPERS AND TENCENT
 One of India’s fastest growing food ordering and delivery service startup Swiggy will be raising close to $ 200 million from Chinese investment conglomerate Tencent and existing investor Naspers. After ending independent discussions with Japan based venture firm SoftBank, the company is looking to raise funds at a pre money valuation of $ 600- $ 650 million. According to sources, Tencent, which will join the Swiggy bandwagon as a new investor also proposed to increase their investment in the startup to around $ 100 million.

UBER CO FOUNDER TRAVIS KALANICK TO SELL 29% OF STOCK
After facing scandal upon scandal and fighting multiple lawsuits, the global taxi hailing startup Uber is finally on track to raise much needed capital from SoftBank and other investors. For this purpose, the co founder of Uber and former CEO Travis Kalanick will be selling 29% of his stock in Uber for about $ 1.4 billion. As a part of the latest investment round, SoftBank and a consortium of investors have agreed to buy stock from existing investors and employees, valuing the company at $ 48 billion. Post this transaction, SoftBank will take a 17% stake in the ride hailing services company.

That’s all for this week! Subscribe to our portal to never miss updates from the startup world! If your startup has an exciting announcement coming up, you can even write to us at [email protected]. Catch up with the highlights of the week with our The News This Week section.

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Zepto Prepares for IPO with $250 Million Secondary Share Sale to Boost Domestic Investor Ownership

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Zepto Prepares for IPO with $250 Million Secondary Share Sale to Boost Domestic Investor Ownership

Zepto, the Bengaluru-based quick commerce startup, is preparing for its initial public offering (IPO) by facilitating a secondary share sale worth up to $250 million. This strategic move aims to increase Indian investor ownership from approximately 33% to nearly 50% before the anticipated public listing later this year or early next year.

Funding and Investor Details

The secondary sale will involve private equity firms, including Motilal Oswal Financial Services and Edelweiss Financial Services, allowing existing investors and employees to liquidate their shares. Although Zepto will not raise additional capital through this transaction, it is expected to execute the sale at a valuation of just over $5 billion, consistent with its last funding round in November 2024.

Objectives Behind the Sale

The primary goal of this secondary share sale is to enhance domestic ownership in Zepto, aligning with regulatory preferences and making the IPO more attractive to local institutional investors. Co-founders Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra currently hold about 20% of the company, and increasing Indian shareholder stakes is seen as a way to strengthen governance and influence over the company’s future direction.

Market Context

Zepto operates in India’s competitive grocery delivery market, facing challenges from established players like Amazon India, Swiggy, Zomato, and BigBasket. Founded in 2021 by Palicha and Vohra after they dropped out of Stanford University, Zepto has quickly gained traction in the quick commerce sector.

Conclusion

As Zepto approaches its IPO, this secondary share sale represents a crucial step in solidifying its position in the Indian market. By boosting domestic investor participation, Zepto aims to enhance its credibility and appeal as it prepares for a public listing amidst a wave of Indian startups entering the stock market.

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Regional OTT Platform STAGE Raises $12.5 Million to Expand Bhojpuri and Cultural Offerings

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Regional OTT platform STAGE has successfully raised $12.5 million in its Series B funding round, a move that highlights the increasing demand for regional content in India. The round was co-led by Goodwater Capital and Blume Ventures, with participation from Physis Capital and several angel investors.

The funding includes $10 million in primary capital and $2.5 million from secondary share sales, allowing early investors to partially exit. This capital will enable STAGE to enhance its content offerings, particularly in underserved languages like Bhojpuri, while strengthening its technological capabilities.

 

Since its launch in 2019, STAGE has quickly established itself as a leader in the regional OTT market, reporting an Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) of ₹180 crore (approximately $21.7 million) and over 4.4 million paying subscribers. The platform has achieved over 20 million app installs and experienced significant growth, with a 289% increase in revenue and a 286% rise in subscribers over the past year, driven by original series such as Videshi Bahu, Kaand 2010, and Bhawani.

 

CEO Vinay Singhal emphasized that this funding is not just financial support but a validation of India’s diverse regional cultures. He noted that dialects like Haryanvi and Bhojpuri should be celebrated rather than viewed as liabilities. With this new funding, STAGE plans to further invest in content creation and technology development to enrich its storytelling experience.

 

As the demand for regional language content continues to grow, STAGE’s strategic investments position it well to expand into more languages and cultural narratives, solidifying its place in the competitive OTT landscape alongside platforms like aha video and Chaupal.

 

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From Space to Earth: Sunita Williams’ Inspiring Journey and Homecoming Celebration

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Sunita Williams, the celebrated Indian-American astronaut, recently returned to Earth after an extended nine-month mission aboard the International Space Station (ISS). Initially scheduled for just eight days, her mission was prolonged due to technical issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft, which rendered it unsafe for their return.

On March 19, 2025, Williams and fellow astronaut Butch Wilmore safely splashed down off the Florida coast. 

 

Their homecoming was celebrated in Jhulasan village, Gujarat, where special prayers and rituals were held to honor her safe return. Family members expressed their joy and gratitude, emphasizing her strong ties to her ancestral home.

Upon her return, Williams received accolades from Indian officials, including a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who expressed pride in her achievements and resilience. He highlighted the inspiration she provides to future generations of scientists.

 

While her return marks a moment of celebration, it also signals the start of new challenges. After spending 286 days in space, Williams will undergo a 45-day rehabilitation period to readjust to life on Earth and regain physical strength.

Sunita Williams’ journey serves as an inspiration not only for India but for aspiring scientists worldwide, showcasing the significant contributions of Indian-origin individuals in global space exploration.

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