One97 Communication, the parent company of Paytm, India’s fastest growing digital wallet, posted a total revenue of $ 126 million for the fiscal year 2016 – 2017. The net worth of the company also scaled new heights to reach Rs. 2,376.6 crores.
After recording a loss of Rs. 13.63 crores in the financial year 2015 – 2016, with a total revenue of Rs. 7.34 crores, the company gained more customers in November last year following Demonetization. Paytm became the de facto digital wallet for thousands of traders and users.
Founded by Vijay Shekhar Sharma in 2010, Paytm was one of the first digital wallets to be launched in India. In August 2016, the company also incorporated Paytm Payments Bank and formally launched its operations in May 2017. In an attempt to capture the lucrative ecommerce market in India, One97 Communications also launched the consumer shopping app Paytm Mall in February this year.
Backed by China’s largest ecommerce site Alibaba and Japanese major SoftBank, the company claims to have over 218 million customers in India and a few other parts of the world. In a Facebook post, Vijay Shekhar Sharma added, the company would try to increase their customer count to 50 crores by the end of 2020.
The digital payments company earns most of its revenue through its mobile wallet and ecommerce business. During the recent festive season sale, Paytm Mall also chalked out an aggressive budget of Rs. 1,000 crores, including Rs. 501 crores cashback offers. Paytm, Snapdeal and ShopClues, together, managed to capture close to 16% of the market share. The company also witnessed a 65% rise in offline payments resulting in transactions worth $ 1.6 billion. Vijay Shekhar Sharma was also featured in the 6th “Hurun India Rich List 2017,” along with Flipkart founders Binny Bansal and Sachin Bansal. Sources claim, the founder of Paytm, the biggest digital wallet, received a salary of Rs. 3.4 crores last year.
Watch the inspiring journey of Vijay Shekhar Sharma from Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh to becoming one of the most influential entrepreneurs of this generation.
Phab, the D2C healthy snacking brand co-founded by Ankit Chona of ice cream brand Hocco and his wife Gayatri Chona, has raised $2 million (around ₹17 crore) in a seed funding round led by OTP Ventures, with participation from Capri Global, Sim&San law firm, and angel investors. Founded in 2018, phab offers protein bars and healthy milkshakes, leveraging Ankit’s decade-long food industry experience and Gayatri’s expertise as a certified nutritionist. The brand has sold over 2 million units and sells through e-commerce and quick commerce platforms like Amazon, Flipkart, Zepto, and Blinkit.
Despite a 12% dip in operating revenue to ₹5 crore in FY24, phab trimmed its net loss by nearly 3% to ₹6.8 crore, showing improved efficiency.
The new funds will be used to expand the team, invest in production capacity, and grow phab’s presence across digital, quick commerce, and offline channels. The brand competes with Yoga Bar, Beyond Snack, and The Whole Truth in India’s growing $68 billion healthy snacking market. OTP Ventures’ founding partner Suhail Sameer praised phab’s bold, differentiated approach and the founders’ vision, signaling strong investor confidence in the brand’s growth potential.
Eat Better, a Jaipur-based D2C snacking brand, has raised ₹17 crore in a Pre-Series A funding round co-led by Prath Ventures and Spring Marketing Capital. Founded by Vidushi Kanoria, Mridula Kanoria, and Shaurya Kanoria in 2020, Eat Better specializes in healthy snacks like dry fruit ladoos and nuts.
Key Highlights:
Investment Use: Funds will expand Eat Better’s product line and enhance its presence on quick commerce platforms.
Market Position: Competes with brands like Happilo and Yoga Bar in the healthy snacking space.
Operational Milestones: Fulfills over 2 lakh orders monthly.
Financial Performance: Revenue grew nearly threefold to ₹14.47 crore in FY24, with a reduced net loss.
Market Opportunity:
The Indian food and beverages market is projected to reach $68 billion by 2030, positioning Eat Better favorably to capitalize on the demand for healthy snacks. With this funding, Eat Better aims to strengthen its market presence and product offerings.
Bengaluru-based D2C fashion startup Outzidr, co-founded by Nirmal Jain, Mani Kant Mani, and Justin Mario, has secured ₹30 crore in seed funding led by Stellaris Venture Partners, with participation from angel investors like Ramakant Sharma (Livspace) and Ghazal Alagh (Mamaearth).
Launched in February 2025, Outzidr targets Gen Z women aged 17–27 with affordable occasion-specific apparel such as partywear and travel outfits. The brand introduces over 2,000 new designs monthly and uses a “test-and-react” model to scale popular styles based on early sales data. With an agile inventory cycle of less than three weeks, it plans to shift 90% of manufacturing to India within two years for sustainability.
The funds will bolster supply chain efficiency, technology development, team expansion, and brand-building. Outzidr aims to achieve ₹100 crore annualized revenue within 6–8 months through its D2C platform and marketplaces like Myntra, Nykaa Fashion, and AJIO.
Led by industry veterans with expertise in fashion and logistics, Outzidr is poised to capitalize on India’s growing D2C market fueled by Gen Z’s demand for trendy and affordable fashion.