Connect with us

News

Walmart To Buy Controlling Stakes In Flipkart By Next Week

Published

on

Walmart Buy Controlling Stakes In Flipkart,Walmart Buy Stakes Flipkart By Next Week,Startup Stories,Best Motivational Stories,Inspiring Stories 2018,2018 Latest Business News,Walmart Business News,Walmart Flipkart Business Deal,India Biggest Ecommerce Startup,Startup Funding News

America’s biggest retail firm Walmart Inc., may buy close to a 51% stake in India’s biggest ecommerce startup Flipkart by the end of next week. Reuters reported, according to two sources close to the matter, Walmart could acquire controlling stakes in Flipkart as early as next week.

The investment talks met a snag when SoftBank was reportedly not ready to sell its shares in the Indian ecommerce firm to Walmart. Currently, the Japan based venture firm owns about one fifth of Flipkart through its Vision Fund. However, sources report the stalemate ended but it is still unclear if SoftBank agreed to sell some of its shares in Flipkart. Sources also revealed, Walmart offered to buy SoftBank shares at a valuation of $12 billion, a price the Japanese tech investor considered to be low. MoneyControl reported Walmart may retain Flipkart’s management team including the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Kalyan Krishnamurthy. This investment could increase Flipkart’s valuation to about $20 billion, up from $12 billion last year.

India has become ground zero for the ecommerce ecosystem with big global players looking to invest in Indian firms and break into the market. Amazon India has also gone into overdrive in an attempt to emerge as the biggest shareholder of the Indian ecommerce industry which is expected to reach a market capitalization of $ 28 billion by 2020. Flipkart, on the other hand, envisioned as the ‘Amazon of India’ has raised over $6 billion in funding rounds so far and owns India’s largest online fashion retailers Myntra and Jabong.

According to a report by Morgan Stanley, India had up to 60 million online shoppers in 2016, which makes up to only 14% of the internet user base in the country. However, by 2026, these numbers are expected to rise to over 50%. Experts suggest, in the long run, this deal between Walmart and Flipkart could be a win for both the companies. Flipkart could also be the best available option for Walmart to access India’s growing retail market, while Flipkart could leverage Walmart’s enormous funds to battle Amazon. Amazon and Walmart have been bitter competitors in America for over two decades. It will be interesting to see, to say the least, who wins this battle and who wins the war in the Indian ecommerce battleground.

Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

News

Tim Cook: Apple Posts Record India Growth in iPhone, Mac & Services

Published

on

Apple

Apple CEO Tim Cook revealed that Apple closed the June quarter with record revenue in over two dozen markets, driven by double-digit growth in India across iPhone, Mac and Services. During April–June, iPhone sales in India jumped 13.4% year-on-year, Mac revenue rose 15%, and Services revenue climbed 13%, each marking an all-time quarterly high. Cook emphasized that “we saw iPhone growth in every geographic segment and double-digit growth in emerging markets including India, the Middle East, South Asia, and Brazil.”

India’s strategic importance extends beyond sales into Apple’s supply chain: 71% of iPhones sold in the U.S. now carry “Country of Origin: India,” up from 31% a year ago. This shift underscores Apple’s diversification strategy and its deepening manufacturing partnerships with Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata Electronics. Cook noted that India has become a “major manufacturing base” for iPhones destined for global markets, reducing reliance on a single region and enhancing supply stability.

Looking forward, Apple plans to open new retail stores in India later this year, bolstering its direct-to-consumer presence and capitalizing on the world’s fastest-growing smartphone market. Despite incurring approximately $800 million in tariff costs during the quarter, Cook affirmed that India’s market potential and manufacturing advantages remain “key pillars of our global strategy” as Apple accelerates its expansion across the subcontinent.

Continue Reading

News

Microsoft Hits $4 Trillion Milestone Driven by AI and Cloud Growth

Published

on

Microsoft-Satyam

Microsoft vaulted past the $4 trillion market-capitalization milestone on July 31, becoming only the second U.S. company after Nvidia to reach this valuation as AI enthusiasm swept through equity markets. Shares jumped 5.3% on the back of stronger-than-expected fiscal Q4 results, with revenue climbing 18% year-over-year to $76.44 billion and net income rising 24% to $27.23 billion, while earnings per share of $3.65 beat analysts’ $3.37 consensus. 

The company’s Intelligent Cloud segment, led by Azure, delivered 39% revenue growth, pushing full-year Azure sales past $75 billion—a 34% increase—and underscoring cloud and AI as core growth drivers. CEO Satya Nadella emphasized that “Cloud and AI is the driving force of business transformation across every industry and sector,” reflecting momentum from strategic AI investments, including the partnership with OpenAI and proprietary model development. 

Microsoft’s share gains helped propel the Nasdaq Composite up 1.3% to 21,396 and the S&P 500 higher by 0.8%, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average adding 0.3%. Looking ahead, record capital expenditures of $30 billion slated for AI infrastructure and data-center expansion, combined with deep integration of generative AI across Microsoft 365 via Copilot, position the company to sustain market-cap expansion as enterprises accelerate digital transformation.

Continue Reading

Funding

Yali Capital Makes History with ₹893 Crore Deeptech Fund to Power Indian Innovation

Published

on

Yali Capital

Bangalore’s Yali Capital has closed its first deeptech-focused fund, raising a substantial ₹893 crore (about $104 million) and surpassing its initial ₹500 crore target. This major fundraising milestone highlights the growing appeal and investor confidence in India’s deeptech landscape, fueling innovation in pivotal sectors like semiconductors, artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace, genomics, and smart manufacturing. The fund cements Yali Capital’s position as a key player driving progress in India’s burgeoning tech ecosystem.

Strategically, Yali Capital’s fund targets both early-stage (Seed, Series A) and later-stage (Series D and beyond) startups. Its diverse roster of Limited Partners (LPs) includes prominent corporations such as Infosys, Qualcomm Ventures, and Tata AIG, alongside government-backed organizations like the DPIIT Fund of Funds for Startups and the Self-Reliant India Fund. With heavyweight backers like Kris Gopalakrishnan (Infosys co-founder), Gopal Srinivasan (TVS Capital), and Utpal Sheth (RARE Enterprises), Yali Capital ensures robust strategic support. The firm’s dual structure—a SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) and a GIFT City-based feeder vehicle—enables global investor participation, guided by tech luminary Lip-Bu Tan and managing partner Ganapathy Subramaniam.

Already, Yali Capital has invested in five breakthrough startups, including C2I Semiconductor, 4baseCare, and Perceptyne, focusing on chip design and AI. By devoting two-thirds of its fund to early-stage companies, Yali Capital underscores its commitment to nurturing next-generation Indian deeptech founders. This fundraising success aligns with a nationwide trend of surging investments in advanced technology and positions Yali Capital at the forefront of India’s drive toward self-reliance and global tech leadership.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Recent Posts

Advertisement