Welcome “India” Bulls!

India’s startup ecosystem loves headlines about billion-dollar rounds - but what about balance sheets?

So far, early results show an ecosystem still finding its financial footing. From Zomato’s profitability push to Byju’s turbulent restructuring, the stories tell us one thing: valuation hype means little if unit economics don’t hold up.

Founders: This tracker is your mirror. Are your costs scaling faster than revenue? Is your runway shrinking while your GMV grows? Sustainable growth isn’t about vanity metrics - it’s about whether your business can stand without VC crutches.

Investors are watching this too. In an era where IPO windows tighten and funding rounds face more scrutiny, clear, healthy financials are the moat.

💡 My takeaway: The Indian startup story is no longer about who raises big - it’s about who stays profitable enough to thrive when the market cools. If you’re a founder, bookmark this tracker. Use it to benchmark your own growth plan.

Are you building a valuation or a business? The numbers never lie.

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

🚕 Ola’s Zero-Commission Pivot: Will Subscription Work for India’s Gig Economy?

In a bold experiment, Ola is flipping its business model - ditching per-ride commissions for a flat subscription fee for drivers. If it works, this could fundamentally rewrite India’s gig economy playbook.

The promise? More income predictability for drivers, less conflict over high commission cuts, and an incentive for Ola to grow through scale rather than squeezing margins.

But here’s the real test: will enough drivers pay upfront for the promise of “keep what you earn”? The answer depends on trust. Gig workers have long felt platforms wield all the power. Ola must prove this pivot isn’t just a headline but a real shift toward partner-first economics.

For founders in the platform space, the bigger lesson is this: at scale, take rates alone can be fragile. Subscription or SaaS-like layers - even in mobility - can unlock steady cash flows.

💡 If this works, expect ripple effects beyond cabs: from delivery fleets to freelance marketplaces.

FUNDING SPACE

💰 Weekly Funding Spotlight: Major Startup Investments (Jun 21 - Jun 27)

The past week witnessed significant investments across various sectors:

👗 Zilo Bags $4.5M To Fast-Track Fashion: Quick-fashion upstart Zilo has secured a cool $4.5M in seed funding to turbocharge hyper-fast apparel deliveries. With this fresh capital, Zilo wants to blur the line between online carts and doorstep wardrobes think same-day trends at your fingertips.

🥚 Eggoz Cracks ₹125 Cr To Expand Fresh Eggs: Eggoz is about to hatch a ₹125 Cr round led by Gaja Capital, aiming to bring cleaner, farm-fresh eggs to Indian breakfast tables. By upgrading supply chains and farmer networks, Eggoz plans to scramble the unorganised egg sector.

🔋 Sthyr Energy Sparks $1M Deeptech Boost: Deeptech startup Sthyr Energy just secured $1M to supercharge its cutting-edge renewable energy solutions. By pushing the frontiers of smart grid tech and storage, the company is betting big on a cleaner, smarter energy future.

PSYCHOLOGY

☀️ How to Maximize Summer Profits - Even if You’re a Small Business

Summer slowdowns are real - but they’re not inevitable. This practical guide flips the script: what if you treated the season as a launchpad instead?

The advice is refreshingly simple. Run flash sales to clear old inventory. Lean into seasonal needs - whether that’s summer workshops, outdoor pop-ups, or cooling products. And don’t forget the power of small tweaks: limited-time discounts, creative bundles, and local partnerships can give your summer a revenue bump.

For digital-first founders, it’s the perfect window to test retention campaigns - think newsletters, summer loyalty perks, or time-limited referral bonuses.

💡 The mindset shift? Treat summer not as downtime but as an agile lab. Test ideas, deepen customer relationships, and prep for the big holiday surge later.

Small business growth is rarely about waiting for perfect timing. It’s about using what’s here - sun, heat, mood - to your advantage.

FROM THE WAR ZONE

Everything else you need to know

🛍️ Flipkart Backs First-Time Sellers: Flipkart just unveiled a fresh programme to onboard first-time sellers, aiming to turbocharge India’s small business ecosystem. By lowering barriers to entry and offering tailored support, the e-commerce giant wants to turn hesitant entrepreneurs into confident online merchants.

🏏 Virat Kohli Bats for Agilitas: Cricket superstar Virat Kohli has teamed up with Agilitas, the sportswear startup pushing to disrupt India’s athletic market. With Kohli’s star power and Agilitas’ tech-driven design, this partnership is poised to give global giants like Nike and Adidas a serious run for their money.

🚖 Mumbai Autos Get a Smart Upgrade: In a bold move, Mumbai’s auto union has rolled out Yatri Mitra, a new meter-based ride-hailing app to rival big names like Uber and Ola. Promising fair fares and transparent rides, this grassroots tech play could redefine daily commutes for millions.

💬 WhatsApp Tests AI Chat Summaries: WhatsApp is quietly beta testing an AI tool to summarize messy group chats into crisp takeaways - no more endless scrolling to find that one update. This state-of-the-art feature hints at a smarter, clutter-free future for the world’s favorite messaging app.

LIFE HACKS

SPECIAL

🏆 5 Leadership Lessons from Mukesh Ambani’s Playbook

What makes India’s richest man tick? Entrepreneur India distills Mukesh Ambani’s mindset into five lessons every founder should read.

My top three takeaways?

1️ Long-Term Vision Trumps Short-Term Wins
Ambani plays decades ahead. Jio wasn’t about today’s revenue - it was about tomorrow’s digital India. Founders stuck in quarterly targets miss the exponential big picture.

2️⃣ Bet Big on Talent and Culture
Ambani repeatedly says he bets more on people than ideas. Teams scale ideas. Ideas rarely scale teams.

3️⃣ Take Calculated, Audacious Bets
His biggest moves (like Jio and retail) were ridiculed at first. But he knew that risk + strategic depth beats safe, small steps.

💡 Final insight: The Ambani playbook is simple but rare - think long, invest deep, risk big and build cultural glue. That’s not just business. That’s legacy.

What part of this mindset will you borrow for your next bold move?

Your Opinion Matters!

Got more feedback or just want to get in touch? Reply to this email and we’ll get back to you.

Thanks for reading.

Until tomorrow!

Hanoomaan India Business team

If you find the contents of this email useful, subscribe now & share with your friends.

Content, news, research, tools, and securities symbols are for educational and illustrative purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell a particular security or to engage in any particular investment strategy. For more details, Click Here.