Bullets

The home services startup we call for beauty and repair needs, just gave its business a glow-up.

• In FY25, revenue jumped 38% to ₹1,144 Cr., and it posted a net profit of ₹240 Cr. after a ₹93 Cr. loss last year
• A tax credit of ₹211 Cr. helped, but even before that, profits stood at ₹28 Cr.
• Used by 68 lakh people, with nearly 48,000 service providers active monthly
• IPO trimmed to ₹1,900 Cr. including ₹429 Cr. fresh issue

Will this profit makeover help Urban Company shine on the stock market?

Stay updated on IPO listings, dates, and news with Finology Ticker.

Homegrown brand BlueStone is all set to shine brighter, joining India's unicorn club just before its IPO.

• The jewellery brand, led by CEO Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, is now valued at ₹10,500 Cr.
• This marks a 30% jump from its ₹8,100 Cr. value in August 2024.
• Wealth firms 360 One and Centrum are selling shares worth ₹300–350 Cr. to clients.
• RB Investments, an early backer, will exit fully with 10–12x returns.
• BlueStone’s IPO includes a ₹1,000 Cr. fresh issue and 2.4 Cr. shares for sale.

As investors rush in, the big question remains: Will the BlueStone IPO be a glittering success?

Quick delivery startup Zepto hit a rough patch after a surprise inspection shut down its Dharavi store over hygiene concerns. 

• CEO Aadit Palicha says it was just 1 store out of 1,000; "a minor blip".

• Zepto still has ₹7,000 Cr. in the bank and has already raised $100 million more in an ongoing funding round.

• Its sales jumped 4x in a year, now at ~₹35 Cr.; IPO plans are on, filing could happen "within weeks".

Will Zepto's speed and ambition be enough to win back trust before it hits the stock market?

A new wave of storytelling is gripping Indian screens, not in theatres, but on phones. 

Micro-dramas, short, quality serials made for mobile, are catching fire, and investors want in.

• In May, ReelSaga secured ₹17.9 Cr.

• In June, Flick TV raised ₹19.8 Cr. in seed funding.

• Chai Shots is now looking to raise $5 million

• ZEE has struck a strategic equity deal with content startup Bullet 

The excitement mirrors China's trend, where the micro-drama market grew 10x between 2021–2023, and is projected to hit $14 billion by 2027.

Will ZEE's micro-drama push succeed, unlike the failed Zee-Sony merger deal?

The Indian government plans tighter rules on e-pharmacies after a surge in complaints about unverified prescriptions and a lack of regulation.

• Platforms like PhonePe’s Pincode, Davaindia, and Zeelab Pharmacy now offer 10-60 minute deliveries in major cities.

• Top players like Tata 1mg, PharmEasy, and Netmeds are rapidly expanding, often using dark stores.

• Currently, no law specifically regulates online pharmacies. A new bill is in the works to fix this.

• Chemists' body AIOCD wants doorstep delivery rolled back, citing outdated Covid-era rules.

Is speed worth the risk when it comes to health?

Online shopping apps like Amazon Now, Flipkart Minutes, Zepto, and Blinkit are fighting for your attention with huge discounts, some as high as 35%!

• Average discounts have jumped to 20–25%, up from just 10% two years ago.

• Companies are losing ₹1,300–1,500 Cr. each month to stay competitive.

• Flipkart plans 800 mini-warehouses for faster delivery; Amazon is expanding too.

• Even top players like Blinkit and Swiggy are losing more money as they grow.

Can these deep discounts win loyal customers, or will they just lead to deeper losses?

Also read: Zomato Hits a Traffic Jam on the Quick Commerce Highway.

• PhonePe topped May’s UPI charts with ₹12.56 L Cr. (50% of all UPI value).

• Google Pay followed with ₹8.85 L Cr., and Paytm was third at ₹1.38 L Cr.

• UPI hit 1,868 Cr. transactions in May, up 4.4% from April

But these apps earn almost nothing per payment. Thanks to the government’s ban on MDR (the small fee that merchants would pay them)

Paytm and Mobikwik shares fell 1.46% and 2.85% after this decision.

Can free payments power billion-dollar businesses forever?

Also read: 5 Best UPI Apps in India

Once called a "rising star", Bengaluru is now officially one of the world’s top startup hubs.

• It jumped 7 spots to rank 14th in the Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, beating cities like Seattle.

• Swiggy led the way in 2024 with a ~₹1 L Cr. valuation with 3 others.

• Bengaluru now ranks 5th worldwide for AI and Big Data, thanks to strong talent, deep tech growth, and smart government support.

• Karnataka’s ~₹402 Cr. investment and programs like ELEVATE 2024 are helping startups scale faster.

As India rises in global innovation, can Bengaluru become the next Silicon Valley?

A taxi driver-turned-entrepreneur in Haryana, Praveen Mittal, ended his life along with 6 family members after a debt of ₹12 Cr led to asset seizures.

His story echoes a rising trend:

• 4% of India's 2022 suicides were linked to bankruptcy

• Household debt now stands at 42.9% of GDP

Most small businesses (97%) are sole proprietorships or partnerships with no legal shield

India’s insolvency law protects big firms, not individual strugglers.

Also read: What is a debt trap and how to escape it?

• Fidelity marked Lenskart's valuation up by 21% to ₹51,574.5 Cr.

• The Gurugram-based firm is eyeing a $1 billion IPO at a potential 2x valuation of its last funding round. 

• Raised ₹4,936.32 Cr. in Mar 2023 (valuation: ₹37,022.4 Cr.) and ₹1,669.6 Cr. in Jun 2024 (valuation: ₹41,740 Cr.).

• In FY24, net loss shrank to ₹10 Cr, while revenue rose 43% to ₹5,428 Cr.

• Lenskart also won ‘Startup of the Year’ at the ET Startup Awards 2024

Can Lenskart sustain its soaring valuation post-IPO?

• Zomato opened 294 new Blinkit stores last quarter, but 40% remain underused.

• Quick commerce now makes up 28% of its earnings, up from 20% last year, while food delivery's share dropped from 53% to 39%.

• Yet, only food delivery is profitable; quick commerce still burns cash.

• The competition is also rising with Flipkart, Big Basket, Reliance, and Amazon entering the race.

• Despite this, Zomato’s stock soared 40% in a year, outpacing the Nifty 50’s 8%.

Is quick commerce Zomato’s Jio moment, or the start of a telecom-style downfall?

NTPC claims transitioning to clean energy but its numbers say otherwise.

• It is building 33.75GW of new power capacity, with half still based on coal.

• In FY25, coal output from its own mines jumped to 46MMT, a 4x increase in 5 years.

• Coal plants ran at a 77.44% plant load factor, much higher than the national average (67.23%).

• While renewable additions were just 2.9GW, far behind thermal.

• It plans 30GW of nuclear and 21GW of pumped storage, but coal still makes up 78% of its power.

Is NTPC really transforming, or just dressing coal in green packaging?

Amid India's semiconductor push, Tata Electronics sends employees to Taiwan for training.

• Over 200 staff are training with Taiwan's PSMC to run Tata's ₹91,000 Cr. chip fab in Dholera.

• The fab aims to make 50,000 wafers/month and launch chips by Dec 2026.

• A ₹27,000 Cr. OSAT unit in Assam is also underway, creating 47,000+ jobs in total.

• Top global hires from Intel and GlobalFoundries strengthen leadership.

Can India build the talent base fast enough to power its chip ambitions?

Also read: The Tale of Tata: How a Trading Firm Became a Global Giant

Payments and lending firm Pine Labs is set to go public, with a draft IPO filing expected by June-end.

• The Noida-based company aims to raise ₹5,000–6,000 Cr., targeting a $4–5 billion valuation.

• The issue will be managed by Axis Capital, JP Morgan, Citi, and others.

• The firm posted ₹1,743 Cr. revenue and ₹339 Cr. loss in FY24.

• In April, it shifted its headquarters from Singapore to India via a reverse flip.

With peers like Groww and PhonePe also lining up IPOs this year, which fintech will win the sprint to Dalal Street?

Among 17 listed Indian startups, 11 improved Q4 profitability. However, it somewhat of a mixed bag.

• Nykaa achieved positive cash flow and more than 2x its profits. Whereas, Swiggy 2x its net losses (to ₹1,081 Cr.).

• PB Fintech expanded margins by 1% in Q4, while Eternal's profit fell 78% to ₹39 Cr.

• Ola Electric's loss surged to ₹870 Cr. with a 62% revenue drop, whereas Ather Energy narrowed losses by 17% and posted ₹611 Cr. in revenue. 

Can startups balance growth and profitability amid tough market battles?

Royal Enfield is going electric, and quiet, with its new Flying Flea C6, coming in 2026.

• It’s the company's first electric bike, weighing under 110kg (half as heavy as a Classic).

• It revives the Flying Flea, a WWII bike once dropped by parachute.

• It won't have the brand's famous engine sound, but will go up to 120 kmph.

• Expected to cost around ₹2.5 lakh, it targets city riders and younger users.

Will fans still love a Royal Enfield that doesn't roar?

Also read: Royal Enfield: Owner Siddhartha Lal's Success Story

Air India CEO Campbell Wilson says the Tata-backed carrier is midway through a five-year revamp, with over 100 aircraft added since privatisation and major upgrades underway.

IndiGo just announced 10 new overseas routes, aiming to go global by 2030 with 600 planes.

Air India's fleet expansion is slowed by retrofits, layoffs, and Pakistan's airspace ban, but new A350s are setting the standard.

Both airlines eye leadership in the sky, but who will define India's aviation future?

Also read: Reasons why airline industries are always struggling

Here are the points:

• After selling its food delivery to Zomato during the pandemic, Uber’s future in India seemed uncertain. 

• But by 2025, Uber leads India's cab market with 50% share, surpassing Ola.

• Uber stayed in 125 cities, focusing on premium rides, budget options, bike taxis and bus shuttles.

• Ties with Everest Fleet increased Uber's number 2,400% in 4 years, helping it reach 100 Cr. trips annually.

• However, Uber's focus on tech is challenged by zero-commission rivals like Rapido and Namma Yatri.

Can Uber's strategy adapt as India's ride-hailing shifts to new business models?

Google could be forced to separate from its Chrome browser after being found guilty of running an illegal monopoly in online search.

• A US judge is deciding if Google must spin off Chrome to reduce its power.

• Government lawyers say Chrome gives Google an unfair edge, especially with AI growing fast.

• They also want to ban Google’s default search deals with Apple and Samsung.

• Google argues 80% of Chrome users are global, and divesting it would harm innovation.

• Rivals like ChatGPT and Perplexity are already cutting into its traffic

Is splitting Chrome the only way to stop one company from controlling the internet?

India’s health-focused food brands are surging as quick commerce, rising incomes, and health awareness reshape snacking.

• Farmley saw a 60% revenue jump to ₹370 Cr. in FY25 and turned EBITDA profitable.

• The Whole Truth grew over 200% to ₹200 Cr.; its ARR now ₹250–300 Cr.

• SuperYou, cofounded by Ranveer Singh, hit ₹80 Cr. ARR within months

• Venture capital (VC) funding jumped to ₹559 Cr. in early 2025, 4x more than all of 2024

As healthier snacks go from niche to mass market, can they stay tasty and affordable for everyone?

Also read: Is the Indian Food Industry in Danger? The Debate Over Right & Wrong