Inc42 Media

D2C in India is a massive $100 billion opportunity by 2025. Yet for the past decade, India has been playing catch up with the D2C ecosystems of America and China! 🤔 When we dug deeper, a harsh reality surfaced – more than 95% of D2C #founders hit a wall, unable to scale beyond the early stages. Further, our conversations with nearly 250 early-stage D2C founders revealed that they need much more than just capital to scale their brands. At Inc42 Media, we've been at the center of the D2C #revolution in India - having published over 3,000 articles, and 19 in-depth reports, and conducted 6 game-changing conferences, engaging with hundreds of early-stage D2C founders. This is why we built D2CX – a 12-week transformative live and hybrid programme designed to empower early-stage D2C founders with a playbook to achieve 10X #growth. Our mission at D2CX is simple: equip D2C founders with the clarity, #strategy, a personalised playbook tailored to the challenges unique to their #brand & play a pivotal role in revolutionising India’s D2C narrative. The inaugural cohort of D2CX was a remarkable success with over 25% of the cohort doubling their revenues within the 3 months. With the 2nd cohort in full swing, we are thrilled to announce that applications for cohort 3 are now open! If you're an early-stage #D2C founder looking to scale your brand, build a strong peer network, and gain access to real investors, D2CX is the place to be! Cohort 3 starts in November. Don’t miss out, secure your spot today: https://4-2.co/4cGuTC1 Vaibhav Vardhan | Pooja Sareen | Utkarsh Agarwal | Pallav Kaushish | Keshav Dua | Ayush Kumar | Sahil Goel | Shantanu Kwatra

#Exclusive: D2C men’s lifestyle brand Metaman has raised additional funding from cricketer and existing investor KL Rahul for the launch of its perfume range 👇 Besides the investment, Rahul will also become the brand ambassador of the startup, its cofounder and CEO Harsh Maskara told Inc42. However, he declined to disclose the funding amount. Maskara said that Metaman will use the capital for the launch and marketing of the fragrance range, which is set to be launched on August 30. The startup will also use a part of the funds to enter new lifestyle products segments, expand its apparel offerings, and open more retail stores. Founded in 2022 by Maskara and Anil Shetty, Metaman began operations as a D2C jewellery brand for males. In 2023, it acquired millennial-focussed luxury jewellery brand Drip Project for $1 Mn. #startup #fundraising #investment #D2C

It’s no secret that Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad is a breeding ground of innovation. The institution’s alumni have gone on & founded as many as 50 iconic Indian startups – including the likes of FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.), SUGAR Cosmetics, Nykaa and Urban Company, among others! Let’s take a closer look👇 #founder #leadership #entrepreneurship 

Fintech major PhonePe claimed that it turned profitable before ESOP costs during the financial year ended March 31, 2024. The startup said it posted an adjusted profit after tax (PAT) of INR 197 Cr in the financial year 2023-24 (FY24) as against an adjusted loss after tax of INR 738 Cr in the previous fiscal year 👇 It is pertinent to note that PhonePe posted a net loss of INR 2,795.3 Cr in FY23. In a statement, the Walmart-owned company said that its revenue grew 74% to INR 5,064 Cr in FY24 from INR 2,914 Cr in FY23. PhonePe attributed this growth to market leadership, platform reliability and cross-selling a diverse product portfolio. To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gcmh6btT #news #Phonepe #profit #revenue

Three months after seeking shareholder approval to raise its foreign investment cap to 49%, Jio Financial Services, the nonbanking arm of Reliance Industries, has now received the nod from the Department of Economic Affairs under the Ministry of Finance 👇 The approval allows the company to increase its foreign investment limit to 49% of its total equity on a fully diluted basis. This move will boost participation from Foreign Portfolio Investors (FPIs) and other global investors. At the current level, foreign investors hold 17.55% of the company’s shares, out of a public float of nearly 53%. 🔗 To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gCb5pwdB #news #investment #Jio

Digital lending unicorn Yubi (formerly CredAvenue) has raised INR 250 Cr ($29.8 Mn) in an equity capital infusion from its founder and CEO Gaurav Kumar 👇 The company’s board approved this equity round earlier this month.  However, the company did not specify how much equity the founder will net from the investment and the purpose of the capital infusion. Yubi, founded as CredAvenue in 2017 by Kumar, is a debt platform that connects enterprises with lenders and investors. It is backed by Peak XV, Lightspeed, Lightrock, TVS Capital, among others. 🔗 To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gpKj9_jd #news #startup #investment #founder

Ride-hailing major Uber is bringing back its high-end Uber Black service to India as the company focuses on upgrading its services to cater to the premium segment 👇 This service is expected to be rolled out in the next few weeks, starting with some localities in Mumbai. Uber Black is a service in its high-end black cars, with highly rated and professional chauffeurs. An Uber spokesperson told Inc42, “There is a critical mass of travellers that are willing to pay a premium for on-demand services that give them high end experience and as Uber caters to a full spectrum of riders with different mobility needs, we are responding to this growing demand.” 🔗 To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gFjqZiv9 #news #Uber #services

Byju Raveendran is racing against time to save BYJU’S. Once India’s most celebrated tech entrepreneur, Raveendran & family, have seen a massive fall from grace and BYJU’S s battling insolvency proceedings from multiple corners 👇 The odds are stacked against BYJU’s founders Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath, and it all seems to be going awfully wrong for the edtech giant that once was a poster child for Indian tech. While the leadership has been out of India for most of the past year, the company is on the brink of bankruptcy and with each passing day, BYJU’S is scaling down parts of its business. Where did the BYJU’S story begin? And will this saga have a bitter end with Raveendran being forced to relinquish the giant he built? Read more 👇 #edtech #startup #byjus

Amid plans of reverse flipping to India ahead of its potential IPO, edtech unicorn Eruditus Executive Education is in advanced talks to raise $150 Mn in a fresh funding round led by Texas-based private equity firm TPG at a likely valuation of $2.3 Bn 👇 The potential new valuation would be 28% lower than its previous valuation of $3.2 Bn in August 2021, when the company that offers upskilling courses to professionals joined the unicorn club after raising $650 Mn from a clutch of investors, including Accel and SoftBank Vision Fund II. However, this valuation hinges on Eruditus meeting certain performance targets, failing which the edtech juggernaut will see its market capitalization shrink to $1.8 Bn. To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gCTdzuEq #news #edtech #valuation

Shares of Mamaearth jumped almost 15% during intraday trading today (August 26) to reach an all-time high of INR 528.9 apiece on the BSE amid a significant surge in investor interest and market engagement 👇 While the stock hit a new lifetime high, the company’s valuation exceeded $2 Bn. At the time of publishing this article, Mamaearth was valued at INR 16,803.95 Cr (about $2.004 Bn) The stock opened trading session at INR 460.2 and was trading 10.4% at 518 apiece on the BSE at 11:11 AM. More than 1.1 Cr Mamaearth shares changed hands on the BSE and the NSE today, significantly higher than the 20-day average volume of 7.65 Lakh shares. 🔗 To read more in detail, click here: https://lnkd.in/gti-V42F #news #stockmarket #marketcap