Listed New-Age Internet Firms Brace for a Costly Ride as War Clouds Math
India’s listed new‑age consumer‑internet firms are bracing for profit pressure as the Iran‑related war drives up fuel, packaging, freight and raw‑material costs. While the March quarter showed revenue growth and improving operating metrics, analysts warn that the first two quarters of FY27 will see earnings compression if price hikes cannot be fully passed to price‑sensitive consumers. Food‑delivery and quick‑commerce platforms have some pricing levers, but many niche e‑commerce and beauty players face tighter margins. Logistics firms with fuel‑indexing contracts may weather the shock better than smaller rivals.
West Asia Crisis May Soon Make Everyday Goods Costlier in India: Crisil Report
A Crisil Quickonomics report warns that the West Asia conflict is pushing input costs for Indian manufacturers higher than the prices they can charge consumers. The Wholesale Price Index‑based input‑output ratio topped 1.0 in April 2026, the first breach in...
Swiggy CEO Sriharsha Majety Vows to Stay Out of Amazon-Ambani Spending War
Swiggy CEO Sriharsha Majety told Bloomberg the company will not join the discount‑driven spending war sparked by Amazon, Walmart and Reliance, opting instead for profitability and disciplined growth. Instamart, Swiggy’s quick‑commerce arm, now runs more than 1,100 micro‑warehouses but added...
Rs 199 for a Diet Coke: How Q-Commerce Is Capitalizing on India's Canned Drink Deficit
India faces a severe canned‑drink deficit, especially for Diet Coke, which is sold only in 330 ml aluminium cans. Quick‑commerce platforms like Blinkit and Zepto are listing imported cans at Rs 199 (~$2.40) each—about five times the Rs 40 (~$0.48) price of locally...
Modi Wants Indians to Press Pause on Gold. But the $5.2 Trillion Obsession Runs Deep
Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged Indians to pause gold purchases and the government responded by raising import duties from 6% to 15%, adding roughly ₹4,500 per 10 g ($54) to retail prices. India’s households hold about 34,600 tonnes of gold, valued at...
Udaan in Talks to Raise $50-60 Million From Existing Backers Lightspeed, M&G: Sources
B2B ecommerce platform Udaan is negotiating a $50‑60 million top‑up from existing investors Lightspeed and M&G at a flat $1.8 billion valuation, potentially its last private raise before an IPO. The company has slashed its EBITDA burn by 40% in FY25 and...
Delivery Platforms Deploy Cooling Cover as Orders Heat Up
Intense heat waves and work‑from‑home policies have sparked a sharp rise in e‑commerce, quick‑commerce and food‑delivery orders across India. Amazon reported double‑digit growth during its 10‑day summer sale, Swiggy saw a 31.4% month‑over‑month increase, and Flipkart’s Minutes platform logged a...
Walmart’s International Sales Growth in Q4 Driven by Flipkart, China Units
Walmart International posted an 18% year‑on‑year sales rise to $35.1 billion in Q4, driven largely by its Indian ecommerce arm Flipkart. Flipkart’s ecommerce volume jumped 27% and its advertising revenue surged 32%, while the quick‑commerce service Flipkart Minutes now fulfills orders...
Varun Beverages, PepsiCo India Extend Bottling Pact Till 2049, Gets Wider Business Freedom
Varun Beverages Ltd has extended its exclusive bottling and trademark license agreement with PepsiCo India until April 30, 2049, adding a decade to the partnership. The revised contract removes a long‑standing clause that barred VBL from pursuing non‑PepsiCo businesses, granting the bottler...
Lenskart to Step up AI Push in FY27, Targets Scale-Up in Eye Tests, Automation
Lenskart announced that artificial intelligence will drive its FY27 growth strategy, rebranding itself as a consumer‑AI company. The retailer plans to scale eye‑testing capacity to 100 million tests, up from roughly 30 million today, and embed AI across stores, factories, and its...
Prestige’s New Bengaluru Mall to Dedicate One-Third Space to Sports, Athleisure
Prestige Group’s Forum North Bangalore mall will open in 2027, dedicating roughly one‑third of its 800,000 sq ft footprint to sports and athleisure brands. About 250,000 sq ft will host 45‑50 sports‑focused stores, a 50,000 sq ft multi‑sport arena, and related gear rentals. The remaining space...
Lenskart’s Q4 Revenue Jumps 46% on Strong Volume Expansion
Lenskart posted a 46% jump in Q4 revenue to Rs 2,515 crore (≈$303 million), driven by strong volume growth and new customer acquisition. Operating margin widened to 21.3% even as profit after tax fell to Rs 203.6 crore due to the absence of a one‑time...
Competition Between Direct Selling Industry, E-Comm Platforms Intensifying: Report
The India Direct Selling Association (IDSA) reports that direct‑selling firms are feeling heightened pressure from e‑commerce, D2C and quick‑commerce platforms, with 58% of sellers naming these channels as a key challenge. Despite this, the sector posted a 4% year‑on‑year revenue...
Your Swiggy, Zomato Orders May Get Costlier as Fuel Prices Rise
Rising fuel prices in India, up about 4% (roughly $0.05 per litre), are adding cost pressure to food‑delivery and quick‑commerce platforms. Elara Capital estimates the extra fuel component translates to a Rs0.44 ($0.005) per‑order hit today, potentially rising to Rs1‑1.2...
It's the Same Old Phone with a New Name & Fatter Price Tag
Indian smartphone makers are rebranding existing budget handsets with new model names while inflating prices by 50‑60%. The move stems from soaring component costs and a weak rupee, which have pushed the bill of materials above original MRPs. Minimal hardware...