Welcome “India” Bulls!

India’s startup scene just hit a fresh stride this week’s top VC deals saw companies like HealthKart and Ather Energy bagging multi-million dollar boosts to fuel expansion. From fitness supplements to electric scooters, investors are doubling down on future-ready bets.

Dive in to stay ahead!

P.S. The Sunday Special is designed to help you discover the most important Startup insights outside of Share Markets. Our regular Share Market updates will resume as usual on Monday.

Startup Menu

• Startups this Week

• Funding Space

• Psychology

• Everything else you need to know

• Life Hack in Video

• Special

STARTUPS THIS WEEK

📈 Meesho’s Secret Play: $500M IPO Could Reshape E-commerce

One of India’s most disruptive e-commerce players is quietly making its move.

Meesho, the Bengaluru-based startup famous for its zero-commission model, has just filed a confidential DRHP, aiming to raise a game-changing $500 million in primary capital.

Why does this matter? Meesho cracked a tough code empowering millions of small neighborhood sellers, housepreneurs, and resellers to go digital without paying platform commissions. That model not only undercut giants but built deep trust in Tier 2/3 India.

Now, with a public listing on the cards, Meesho’s next chapter could redefine how India’s e-commerce market grows, more inclusive, more community-led, and hyper-local.

Investors are watching closely:

• If the IPO flies, it could spark fresh confidence in India’s digital retail story.

• Success might unlock a new wave of micro-entrepreneurs who see Meesho as their gateway to online commerce.

• For the market, this is a test of whether zero-commission models can scale profitably on the public stage.

FUNDING SPACE

💰 Weekly Funding Spotlight: Major Startup Investments (Jun 28 - July 04)

The past week witnessed significant investments across various sectors:

🔌 Silicon Dreams: Chennai-based Maieutic Semiconductor just bagged a massive $415 million funding round to supercharge its next-gen chip designs. As India bets big on local semiconductor muscle, Maieutic’s state-of-the-art tech could be the spark that lights up the country’s hardware ambitions.

💼 Big Backing: InCred Finance has clinched ₹400 crore in debt funding from Morgan Stanley and other heavyweight backers, signaling strong faith in its lending playbook. As India’s NBFCs navigate choppy waters, this capital boost could help InCred scale its credit footprint faster.

PSYCHOLOGY

🧠 Sam Altman on Hard Work

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, just offered a reality check for every founder, operator, and ambitious professional caught in the grind loop. In a fresh take, he breaks down why working harder isn’t always the secret to outsized results.

His point? Sleepless nights and endless to-do lists mean little if you’re paddling in the wrong direction. It’s timing, leverage, and choosing the right wave that create real inflection points.

History backs him up: The biggest tech wins didn’t just come from brutal work hours they came from spotting the next wave early and riding it relentlessly.

For founders and builders, this is a gut-check:

• Are you solving the right problem?

• Is your effort compounding in the right arena?

• Are you working smart before you work hard?

Altman’s advice reframes “hustle culture” it’s not about doing more; it’s about doing what matters most at the moment it matters.

FROM THE WAR ZONE

Everything else you need to know

🏗️ Big Moves Ahead: Adani Group is reportedly the frontrunner to snap up Jaiprakash Associates a move that could tighten its grip on India’s infrastructure crown. With this strategic play, Adani’s empire inches deeper into cement and real estate.

🌟 Small Towns, Big Dreams: A fresh report predicts that over half of India’s next-gen startups will sprout from Tier-II and Tier-III cities a sign that big dreams are no longer confined to metro skylines. From Indore to Kochi, aspiring founders are rewriting the map of innovation.

🛸 Ready for Takeoff: India’s drone ecosystem just got a lift-off signal the Centre is rolling out a ₹2,000 crore incentive scheme to supercharge homegrown drone tech. From smart agriculture to aerial surveys, this push aims to turn India into a global drone hub.

💸 Funding Freeze: India’s once-roaring fintech scene is catching its breath funding has nosedived to a five-year low of $889M in H1 2025. From BNPL to neobanks, startups are bracing for leaner times as investors tighten the purse strings.

LIFE HACKS

SPECIAL

✈️ Agoda’s Tech Bet Could Reinvent How We Travel

Agoda, the travel giant known for shaking up online bookings, is betting big on AI and automation to transform how we plan, book, and experience travel.

The fresh push? Smarter tools that do more than just find you a cheap hotel think personalized itineraries, real-time deal alerts, and AI-powered suggestions that learn what you actually like, not just what’s popular.

Why this matters:

• Post-pandemic, travellers crave seamless, flexible trips with less stress and more personalization.

• The big winners in travel tech will be platforms that blend AI + trust, not just discounts.

• More automation could mean smoother check-ins, better local experiences, and savings that put more stamps in your passport, not just more tabs open in your browser.

Agoda’s bet is clear: the next wave of travel won’t be about throwing deals at you it’ll be about quietly making every trip smoother, faster, and tailored to you.

Your Opinion Matters!

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Thanks for reading.

Until tomorrow!

Hanoomaan India Business team

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