Kuku FM’s parent company, Mebigo Labs, has hired leading investment banks to prepare for a 200 million dollar IPO in India, marking a major milestone for the country’s digital audio ecosystem. The Mumbai-based company has reportedly appointed Kotak Mahindra Capital, Axis Bank and Morgan Stanley’s India unit to manage the proposed share sale, which is likely to be launched on Indian stock exchanges once key regulatory steps are completed. This move signals strong intent to tap public markets and test investor appetite for subscription-led regional audio platforms in India.​

The planned IPO proceeds are expected to help Kuku FM expand its content library, strengthen its regional language offerings and invest in technology to enhance user experience. With a focus on Hindi, Marathi, Tamil and other Indian languages, Kuku FM aims to capture the fast-growing audience in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities seeking affordable audiobooks, courses and storytelling content. The funds could also provide additional firepower for marketing, partnerships and product innovation, helping the platform compete more aggressively in India’s crowded digital entertainment and creator economy landscape.​

Founded in 2018, Kuku FM has built a subscription-driven business model and has reportedly scaled to millions of paying users, backed by multiple funding rounds from prominent investors. Its decision to pursue a 200 million dollar IPO positions it as one of the first major Indian audio platforms to attempt a public listing, potentially paving the way for other podcast and niche content startups to follow. As the IPO process moves forward, Kuku FM’s performance in the public markets will be closely watched as a key indicator of how investors value regional, knowledge-first audio platforms in India’s booming digital economy.

Zerodha experienced a challenging FY25, as its revenue fell 11.5% to ₹8,847 crore and net profit dropped 22.9% to ₹4,237 crore. This decline reflects tougher regulatory conditions, lower trading volumes, and increased operational costs in the brokerage market, all of which impacted core earning segments for the company.​

Despite these headwinds, Zerodha improved its operating margin to 63.78% and built up significant cash reserves, reporting ₹22,679 crore in bank balances. Salary expenses and director remuneration increased, but disciplined cost controls helped the company maintain profitability and a debt-free balance sheet. The drop in active clients and increased compliance costs further contributed to the profit contraction.​

Looking ahead, Zerodha’s resilience is supported by its robust cash position and operational efficiency. Maintaining steady margins, diversifying product offerings, and investing in technology positions the company to withstand future regulatory fluctuations and changing market sentiment reinforcing its status as one of India’s leading brokerage firms.

Zoho Corporation has expanded its fintech portfolio with the launch of Zoho Pay, a UPI-based payments app built to challenge India’s top digital payment giants such as PhonePe, Paytm, and Google Pay. The new app supports peer-to-peer transfers, bill payments, QR-based transactions, and merchant settlements in a streamlined interface. Available as both a standalone app and an integrated feature inside Zoho’s privacy-driven messenger Arattai, Zoho Pay enables users to handle chats and payments in one platform, emphasizing data privacy and Made-in-India innovation.​

Through seamless integration with Arattai, Zoho Pay allows users to send or request payments, split expenses, and conduct UPI-based transactions directly in their chat windows. Users can link bank accounts, scan dynamic QR codes, and receive audio confirmations of payments, ensuring speed and security. This design mirrors the simplicity of India’s leading UPI apps but is powered by Zoho’s non-advertising, privacy-first model. The integration aligns with Zoho’s mission to build a self-reliant digital ecosystem, where messaging and money management coexist securely.​

In the competitive digital payments market, Zoho Pay differentiates itself through its tight business software integration with apps like Zoho Books, Zoho Payroll, and Zoho Commerce, offering small businesses unified access to payments, billing, and accounting. The company is also expanding its reach with POS devices for merchants featuring UPI QR, card payments, and instant reconciliation tools. With founder Sridhar Vembu’s vision of a ‘Chat + Pay’ ecosystem, Zoho Pay reflects a bold step toward redefining India’s fintech scene with a secure, ad-free, and locally developed alternative to global payment platforms.