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L’Oreal’s BOLD fund to co-invest with Nykaa
A strategic corporate fund and a listed retailer will take minority stakes in Indian beauty brands together. Founders keep control. Fund size, stage and deal count are not disclosed.
2 min read
ONYA raises Rs 12.5 crore for lab-grown retail
Eight stores, Rs 3.5 crore of monthly revenue and a cheque that has to cover four things at once. The smallest of this year's lab-grown rounds is also the most instructive.
25 Sep 2026 · via Inc42TPG exits FirstCry with Rs 202 Cr bulk deal
TPG sold its entire 2.21 per cent holding in FirstCry through a bulk deal, five years after it first invested and two years after the IPO.
25 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrAmazon Now and Fresh: Rs 1,158 Cr loss, $3 Bn reported
Amazon Retail, the arm behind Amazon Now and Amazon Fresh, nearly tripled its loss in FY26. Separately, Reuters reports a $3 Bn quick commerce commitment Amazon has not announced.
22 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrSkillmatics hits Rs 659 Cr revenue, profit up just 4.2%
A profitable Indian toy brand at Rs 659 crore is rare. The detail that matters is that 87% of it is earned abroad, and that costs grew faster than sales.
22 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrWrogn revenue hits Rs 244 Cr, FY26 loss widens 17%
The clearest live look at a celebrity equity apparel P&L. Revenue up 9%, loss up 17%, and the extra money went into marketing and brand consultancy rather than into cost of goods.
22 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Snapdeal parent AceVector: loss down 64%, IPO set
AceVector goes public with a sharply smaller loss, positive free cash flow and a marketplace that is now the smaller half of its own parent.
22 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Captain Fresh FY26: revenue up 52% to Rs 5,169 Cr
Captain Fresh reported a 52 per cent revenue jump on unaudited numbers, and did not disclose the FY26 profit figure behind it.
21 Sep 2026 · via Storyboard18Festive buyers plan for weeks, then buy in 22 seconds
Returning shoppers completed jewellery purchases in an average of 22 seconds on GoKwik's Kwik Pass, while 49 percent of festive buyers start researching 15 or more days ahead. The decision window is long. The checkout is not.
21 Sep 2026 · via Storyboard18Retail media took 19 percent of 2024 digital ads
India's digital ad spend reached Rs 88,912 crore in 2024. That is a measured 2024 number published in September 2026, not a current run rate, and the line that matters to a marketplace brand is ecommerce and retail media at Rs 17,215 crore.
21 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrCurefoods FY26 revenue up 23 percent, loss widens
Curefoods grew FY26 revenue 23 percent and still widened its loss. Rebel Foods, reporting the same week for the same financial year, grew slower and narrowed its loss. The gap sits in commission and depreciation.
18 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Apple Pay India launch reported, nothing confirmed
Reuters, citing unnamed sources, says Apple Pay could reach India as early as October with Axis Bank credit cards first. Inc42 carried the report. Apple did not respond and Axis Bank said nothing.
18 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Gillette vs Bombay Shaving: Switch4 ad revised
Bombay Shaving Company revised its Switch4 advertisement after a Delhi High Court direction in Gillette India's disparagement suit. The court recorded compliance with an undertaking. It has not ruled on the merits.
18 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrRebel Foods FY26 revenue Rs 1,951.6 crore, loss narrows
Rebel Foods grew FY26 revenue 21 percent and cut its loss 16 percent. The line worth your attention is brokerage and commissions at Rs 317.7 crore, which is 16.3 percent of revenue going to the aggregator layer.
17 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrFiri raises $3 Mn for beauty quick commerce in Gurugram
Firi has raised $3 million led by 360 ONE Asset for a curated beauty and personal care marketplace that delivers in Gurugram, in some cases inside nine minutes. The round stage is not named in the source, and no revenue, GMV or order figures are disclosed.
17 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Meta’s intermediary status under review, no decision
Government sources have questioned whether Meta should keep intermediary status under Section 79 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the safe harbour that covers Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. Nothing has been decided. This is PTI reporting unnamed sources, carried onward by Inc42, with no order or amendment behind it.
17 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrPhonePe and Google Pay hold 77.9% of UPI volume
PhonePe crossed 11.19 billion UPI transactions in August and Google Pay reached 7.91 billion. Between them the two apps carry more than three quarters of UPI volume and more than four fifths of its value, which makes UPI success rate a two-app question for any seller.
17 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrNPCI sets 0.4% UPI MDR above Rs 2,000 from 15 Oct
UPI MDR now has a rate and a date. NPCI has set 0.4 percent on select merchant transactions above Rs 2,000, capped at Rs 300 from Rs 75,000, effective 15 October 2026. Everything up to Rs 2,000 stays at zero.
13 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrIndia’s food delivery nears Meituan economics
A Bernstein analysis finds Indian food delivery earning close to what Meituan earns per order, in a market it sizes at a fraction of China's. The 22X in the headline refers to one specific thing, and the per-order figures are not quite like for like.
13 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrRs 532 crore into a restaurant operator
Popo Global, which runs The Pizza Bakery, Paris Panini and Smash Guys, has raised Rs 532 crore from Artal Asia. A cheque that size going to a company that operates restaurants rather than a packaged brand is worth reading carefully, including the parts the company did not disclose.
13 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Zomato puts a price on paying in cash
Zomato has begun adding a separate charge when customers choose to pay on delivery. The amount varies, the platform has not confirmed the rollout, and the headline figure is thinner than it looks. For brands running cash on delivery, the signal still matters.
13 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrSwish raises $24 Mn for ten-minute cooked food
Swish has raised $24 million led by Bertelsmann India Investments to expand a network of neighbourhood kitchens that cook and deliver inside ten minutes. Cooked food on a ten-minute clock is a different operating problem from grocery, and the round is buying the part that makes it possible.
9 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrSorry Sugar raises $1 million seed for zero-sugar drinks
Sorry Sugar, a Gurugram beverage brand founded this year, has raised $1 million in seed funding co-led by the Dhanuka family and Amishi London. It claims more than Rs 1 crore of revenue in its first month.
9 Sep 2026 · via Inc42Circle to acquire cross-border payments firm Tazapay
Circle Internet Group has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Singapore-based cross-border payments company Tazapay, five months after taking part in its Series B. Neither party disclosed the price.
9 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrBlissClub founder holds 37% after Series B
BlissClub's post-Series B register puts founder Minu Margeret at 37.03%, Elevation Capital at 22.19% and Meesho chief executive Vidit Aatrey at 6.94%. The valuation attached to it is the outlet's computation, not a disclosed figure.
9 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrFashion brand Theater closes Rs 75 crore Series A
Digital-first fashion and lifestyle brand Theater has closed a Rs 75 crore Series A led by Niveshaay, at a post-money valuation of Rs 410 crore. That is above the Rs 56.25 crore first reported from the company's filings a day earlier.
5 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrRentomojo IPO: 152X is one cheque, not the spread
The 152X in the headline is one individual selling Rs 6 crore. Every institution in Rentomojo's offer for sale sits between 4X and 9X, and every multiple in the table is Entrackr's own calculation.
5 Sep 2026 · via Storyboard18CCPA fines Pladis Rs 1 lakh over Wholewheat claim
The CCPA fined Pladis India Rs 1 lakh over a Wholewheat claim on a biscuit that was 19.5 percent whole wheat flour and 52 percent maida, and held that a small disclaimer did not save it.
5 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrComet raises Rs 100 crore Series B led by Verlinvest
Comet raised Rs 100 crore at a Rs 535 crore post-money, and the plan attached to it is 10 stores this month against Rs 29 crore of FY25 revenue.
5 Sep 2026 · via Inc42SUGAR raises Rs 144.47 crore at a sharply lower mark
A91 Partners put Rs 144.47 crore into SUGAR Cosmetics at a Rs 433.6 crore pre-money, in a year when the brand's revenue fell about 20 percent and its net loss roughly doubled.
4 Sep 2026 · via Storyboard18HUL: 30,000 creators, most premium media on digital
More than 60 percent of premium brand media now goes to digital, and HUL has disclosed influencer activity covering 100 percent of its brands under an advocacy-led model.
4 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrCars24 revenue falls for a second straight year
The used-car marketplace booked Rs 5,092 crore of operating revenue in FY26, down about 18 percent, while trimming its net loss to Rs 441 crore.
4 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrRentoMojo files RHP for Rs 1,255.6 crore IPO
The rental subscription company goes to market on FY26 profit that grew far faster than revenue, with an offer for sale that makes up almost 88 percent of the issue.
4 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrPlum crosses Rs 500 crore revenue, profit roughly doubles
Revenue moved from Rs 402 crore to Rs 515 crore in FY26 and profit roughly doubled in the same year, which is not the usual shape for a beauty and personal care brand at this size.
2 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrEcommerce gets $48.23 million in a $954 million August
Indian startups raised about $954 million across 88 deals in August. Ecommerce took $48.23 million of that, spread across 12 deals.
2 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrZostel opens Zo Selections premium tier in Jaipur
Zostel has launched Zo Selections, a premium hospitality vertical, with the first property open in Jaipur and four more locations planned.
2 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrUltrahuman closes $70 million round led by Qualcomm
Qualcomm Ventures has led a $70 million Series C in Ultrahuman, a consumer hardware brand that reported a profit after tax in FY25.
2 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrMokobara Series C now reported at Rs 170 crore
Mokobara Series C is now reported at Rs 170 crore, above the Rs 90.66 crore recorded in its filings, with roughly Rs 80 crore of the round still unexplained.
1 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrGood Flippin’ Burgers raising Rs 55 cr at Rs 480 cr
Revenue more than tripled across FY23 to FY25 and the loss line grew faster still. The new round funds more outlets on the bet that density fixes the second number.
1 Sep 2026 · via Storyboard18Influencer usage rights: a separate, steeper fee
The content fee and the right to run that content as paid media are now two separate negotiations, and the second one is being priced as a multiple of the first.
1 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrUPI AutoPay mandates may become portable: report
If a customer moves their recurring mandate from one UPI app to another without cancelling it, a churn event you never caused disappears from your subscription numbers. That is what is being reported, not announced.
1 Sep 2026 · via EntrackrSatvacart shuts down: profitable in 2019, still closed
An e-grocery company that demonstrated profitability in 2019 has closed after twelve years, and the reason given is that profitability at its scale was not what investors or acquirers were buying.
30 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18FSSAI Prohibits Everest, Laljee Godhoo Hing Sales
FSSAI has stopped the sale of compounded hing made by Everest Food Products and Laljee Godhoo and Company, with immediate effect and till further orders. Any seller carrying those SKUs has a delisting job today, whoever manufactured them.
29 Aug 2026 · via EntrackrFurlenco FY26 revenue Rs 370 Cr, profit up 19 times
Furlenco posted FY26 revenue from operations of Rs 370.43 crore and profit of Rs 59.52 crore, with 92% of revenue from furniture rental. The source does not reconcile the profit figure against reported total expenses.
29 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Meta’s India and Southeast Asia VP joins OpenAI
Sandhya Devanathan is leaving Meta for OpenAI after more than a decade. Her new remit covers Southeast Asia and Australia from Singapore, and does not include India.
29 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Uber, Eternal and Porter quit Karnataka gig board
Uber, Eternal and Porter have exited the Karnataka Platform-Based Gig Workers Welfare Board while Amazon India stays on. The exit reason is attributed to ET reporting, not confirmed by the companies.
29 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18FSSAI proposes red hexagon warnings on packaged food
FSSAI has proposed a red hexagonal front-of-pack warning system for high sugar, saturated fat and salt, rolled out in two phases. The nutrient thresholds are not specified in the proposal as reported, and no implementation date has been given.
27 Aug 2026 · via Free Press JournalFSSAI’s five claim words, and Nestle’s CEO backing
Nestle's global chief has backed FSSAI's line on misleading labels, and the specific claim words now under scrutiny are the part packaged food brands should act on.
27 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18ChatGPT ads: what is actually left for agencies
WPP and Omnicom are the first agency partners on ChatGPT Ads in India, the arrangement is non-exclusive, and a self-serve buying model leaves an open question about what agencies are for here.
27 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18Where ChatGPT ads sit and what data comes back
Ads sit below a ChatGPT response, labelled and visually separated from the answer, and advertisers get aggregate impressions and clicks rather than conversations.
27 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18OpenAI opens ChatGPT Ads in India at Rs 725 a day
ChatGPT Ads is live in India for Free and Go tier users, with daily campaign budgets starting at Rs 725 and self-serve access to the Ads Manager opening on 4 September.
26 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Nitro lets Shopify sellers build apps by prompt
Nitro Commerce has launched Nitro Apps, which builds and installs private Shopify applications from a prompt, with more than 700 created during its private beta.
26 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Curaa raises Rs 40 Cr Series A led by 3one4 Capital
Two-year-old kitchenware brand Curaa has raised Rs 40 Cr to widen its range and build warehousing, with existing backers doubling down alongside 3one4 Capital.
26 Aug 2026 · via Inc42boAt FY26: profit up 38% as revenue slips
boAt lifted net profit 38% to Rs 84.5 Cr in FY26 while operating revenue fell to Rs 2,931 Cr, with wearables swinging to a segment profit.
26 Aug 2026 · via EntrackrFlipkart Minutes edges past Instamart in CLSA count
A CLSA note puts Flipkart Minutes 12 stores ahead of Swiggy Instamart across India's top 10 cities, in a count that leaves out Amazon and JioMart entirely.
25 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Purple Style Labs: Rs 680 crore all-fresh-issue IPO
Purple Style Labs, parent of Pernia's Pop Up Shop, has filed its RHP for a Rs 680 crore IPO, up from Rs 660 crore, with no offer for sale. The largest use of proceeds is lease liabilities on its experience centre network.
25 Aug 2026 · via Inc42Epigamia: $20 Mn secondary, no fresh capital in
Verlinvest, the Mirchandani family and new entrant Sauce.vc have bought about $20 million of Epigamia shares from existing investors. It is a secondary transaction, so the company itself received no money.
25 Aug 2026 · via EntrackrDealShare: sale talks reported as options narrow
Entrackr reports that DealShare is in acquisition talks with TrueMeds and Captain Fresh, citing unnamed sources who requested anonymity. No party contacted for the story confirmed anything, and no deal value is stated.
25 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18AI ad spend by FY27: a forecast, not a finding
One practitioner expects AI to control 65 to 75 per cent of digital media spend by FY27. Another named in the same piece puts FY27 at 50 to 70 per cent. Neither number comes from a published report, and the only report-sourced figures measure something else.
25 Aug 2026 · via Storyboard18Dark stores become the shelf as festive ad rates rise
Six quick commerce platforms are processing around 9.5 million orders a day, and festive placement costs are rising to match. The dark store now works as shelf space, but the costs the reporting actually discloses are advertising costs, not rent.
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