Tushar Kshirsagar

Venture capital firm Peak XV Partners has about Rs 16,000 crore of “dry powder” ready for investment Just think of it, a lot of problems in the ecosystem will be solved So just be strong, focused and lean for now Sooner or later, things are going to change

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𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐕𝐂 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐆𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬—𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐞! Indian startups are making waves! From January to July 2024, they raised an impressive $6.3 billion across 672 VC deals, a 43% jump in funding value compared to last year, even with a minimal increase in deal volume. 💰✨ Big wins like Zepto's $665M, Meesho's $300M, and PharmEasy's $216M showcase the resilience and potential of India’s startup ecosystem, pushing India to the forefront of global VC landscapes, trailing only China in Asia-Pacific. With India accounting for 7% of global VC deal volume, the message is clear: Despite global economic caution, the appetite for Indian innovation is thriving! 🌏 #VCgrowth #Startups #InnovationNation #IndiaRising #GlobalInvestments 💡🚀

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Who exactly is losing market share in the hotly contest grocery commerce? I thought it must be the now-not-so modern retail, but I'm not so sure. Zepto raised $665 Mn at a valuation of $3.6 Bn, and is in talks to raise $250 Mn more. And their cofounder and CEO Aadit Palicha recently commented that they can beat DMart - Avenue Supermarts Ltd on GMV in the next 12-18 months. Swiggy Instamart also is growing, and Blinkit is likely to be more valuable than their owner Zomato itself - so they are all doing well, even if Dunzo isn't. Sure, no idea what JioMart Digital is doing, but deep pockets. Same with Tata Digital and their weird assortment forced to converge on Neu. bigbasket.com is trying to unlearn and relearn, and it just might. And Flipkart Grocery and Amazon Fresh are also upping their game - launching faster deliveries, discounts, improved fill rates, and selection. So I wonder if it is the modern-trade players? The likes of More Retail Private Limited, Spencer's Retail, STAR BAZAR, and SPAR Retail that are suffering? The nearest Spencer's to me is definitely a sore sight, now reduced to a shell of it's former glory - I think they aren't even replenishing inventory now. And we all know what happened to Big Bazaar - Future Retail. But Dmart itself isn't doing half bad - with pareto presence in just 23 cities, and no presence in UP (except NCR), Bihar, and West Bengal, they have considerable headroom, still. And they haven't yet quite solved for ecommerce, so while The Ken says that they are lost, they may find their way, eventually? I also don't think that the real consumption is growing, if at all, it may even shrink with the K-growth. Thus, some one _is_ losing share. And if it is not modern trade, then is it the regional chains? The single kiranas? The corner-store? The hand-cart? I'm not entirely sure because this data is hard to organize, and get. Would you know? Image created by AI in Microsoft Bing Copilot.

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The much-awaited reform to boost startup investments is finally here. Angel tax is completely abolished on all classes of Indian startups prospectively. Hope this creates an atmosphere of positivity in the startup and investor community, especially for early stage startups. On the crucial issue of employment, the FM has also announced an internship program through which 1 cr youth can intern with 'top 500 companies' with a state-funded allowance. To really create the additionality and achieve its objectives, this scheme should also allow startups and smaller companies to participate: 1. Startups offer steep learning curves and are great to skill new workforce. 2. Extending this to startups and smaller companies creates more employment opportunities. 3. Greatly boosts workforce availability for startup ecosystem to thrive. The budget's focus on DeepTech and R&D allocation for private sector driven research, innovation and prototyping are inevitable for India's sustainable growth in long-term. The fine-print here should include all emerging technologies poised to change the face of the world, like AI, robotics and life sciences. The only way to combat any AI induced job loss sustainably for our country is to be a pivotal player in this field, creating more jobs in AI sector and to play a crucial role in the world of tomorrow. #Budget2024 #Startups

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At WAIOZ Consultancy Services Pvt Ltd's stall at StartupTN thiruvizha, when speaking with a few physical store owners about adding an online sales channel, their biggest concern was clear: the cost and complexity of handling product returns. For many, the idea of managing high return volumes and the associated costs is enough to deter them from exploring online sales. At first, I tried to assure them that adding an online channel could increase sales volume and drive topline growth. But I realized this wasn’t enough to address their core concerns around returns. Curious to dig deeper, I started researching how larger brands manage returns. I spoke with friends in the industry, and a common theme emerged: returns are more than a logistical challenge—they’re a goldmine of data. By analyzing returns, these brands gather actionable insights to fuel sales and marketing strategies. They understand customer preferences, improve product descriptions, and refine their offerings based on real data. 🎯 𝗞𝗲𝘆 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝗴𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀: • 📊 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Analyzing returns across sales channels (online, in-store, mobile) helps identify where products resonate best, opening up targeted marketing and optimized channel strategies. • 🔍 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗲𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗿 & 𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Returns reveal important insights into customer preferences, especially for new buyers. By adjusting product descriptions, sizing, and other factors based on returns feedback, businesses can increase retention and build customer loyalty. • 📦 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 Forecasting inventory becomes easier with returns data. It reduces risks of overstocking or stock-outs and helps manage warehousing costs more effectively, particularly for next year’s Black Friday. • 🛠️ 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 Frequent returns of specific products can spotlight needed adjustments—whether it’s refining product specs, packaging, or descriptions. Improving these factors can reduce future returns and enhance the customer experience. These insights highlight an important point for small businesses: returns, while challenging, offer valuable information that can enhance decision-making and optimize future sales. With the right approach, embracing online sales isn’t just about growing topline revenue; it’s about leveraging data to build a smarter, more resilient business.

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How to build a growth system? You see, growth is the output of every product. Retention - acquisition and monetisation are the inputs. You cannot build a growth system for a dumbass product, the product should create great value to the user so that the user organically comes on to the app with their natural frequency to experience the value. You then build a system that not only increases this natural frequency (increasing retention) but also building acquisition and monetisation loops while the user is experiencing the value of your product. These three things, retention - monetisation - acquisition, wont act like a funnel, rather they work as a system of compounding loops driving sustainable, repeatable and massive growth over time, but it all depends on creating product value first, if you're pre-product market fit, get to product value fit first, then a growth system. Now, how to build a growth system? We have a process and to keep it straightforward we call that the growth process. This process is specifically designed to make sure that we are removing human biases from the equation so that we can understand how to intentionally pull the levers within our growth system to produce more growth rather than trying things at random. for example, for driving retention - along with the product value - the growth process uses design and leverages the user psychology to create consistent positive experience in every screen, setting up the user for experiencing the value so the user genuinely feels delightful and aha, and build natural and manufactured loops (like notifications) to create a habit and experience the product value again and again for driving retention. In the same way, for acquisition - we have our growth models and for monetisation we have experimentations. Covering one by one, going forward.

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"possible nahi hai to mat karna, aur possible hai to tung mat karna" Over the past many years, we've seen founders face numerous struggles that should not have been in the first place - from the liquidation process to ODI transactions to KYC/FIRC of foreign inbound wires to demat documentation for foreign investors and much more. All of these were simple processes that instead led to long and painful journeys consuming 100s of hours - and several times holding up critical round closures and what not. After seeing these closely for a few years, we got involved and looked at the problems closely, identified relevant providers, and asked them to provide clarity on what is possible and what is not possible and how to avoid bureaucracy and get stuff one - we did it all constructively but since we had a large volume of cases across each category, we were in a position to show examples of what was going wrong and how resolutions can be achieved smoothly. Thanks to so many of our partners many of the above processes are now 10x smoother than before -- but we haven't been able to solve for everything yet and the work will continue. Our mantra with working with providers was simple -- we wanted clarity on how anything is to be done and if we did that it was upon them to get it done. If they themselves don't have clarity, then they should let us know ahead of time instead of misguiding us forever. Simply captured in this -- "possible nahi hai to mat kar, aur possible hai to tung mat kar". Grateful to all our PoC across providers who follow this to the t :)

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It's fascinating to see how Industrial Corridors are popping up all over India. Each state is working hard to entice companies to set up shop, offering them great benefits in the long run. They're coming up with different plans to attract both manufacturing and service industries. Let's explore some of the emerging industrial clusters in India: Tamil Nadu - Sriperumbudur-Oragadam Belt: Known for its automotive industry, hosting big names like Renault-Nissan, Royal Enfield, and Ford. Maharashtra - Raigad Belt: A hotspot for the petrochemical industry, with refineries and chemical plants. Gujarat - Ahmedabad Region: A hub for chemical manufacturing, petrochemicals, and pharmaceuticals. Maharashtra - Pune Market: Famous for its IT sector, providing a blend of manufacturing infrastructure and affordability, making it a haven for tech companies, startups & SMEs. Jharkhand - Chotanagpur Plateau: Rich in coal and iron ore, driving heavy industries like steel production. West Bengal - Hugli Region: A central area for jute cultivation and industry, with key mills situated along the river Hooghly. Kerala - Kollam Region: The top exporter of processed cashew nuts in the country, making way more than 50% of the cashew exports. And let's not forget about government initiatives like Dholera City, which are shaping up to be impressive and boosting India's global manufacturing powerhouse. These efforts not only lead to economic growth and investment opportunities but also make us proud contributors to industrial progress across the nation. #industrialcorridors #EconomicDevelopment #IndiaIndustrialization #innovation #IndustrialGrowth #india #dholera #StateInitiatives

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💥💥Budget 2024 || Startups💥💥 Tax benefits have been announced for startups and their investors, such as scrapping the contentious angel tax for all classes of investors and aligning capital gains tax rates for listed equity with those for unlisted equity The abolition of angel tax assumes significance as it comes at a time when startups funding dropped 60-70% in 2023. Eliminating the angel tax is a significant milestone for India’s startup community. Will this be a game changer and will give big boost to startup world? #startups #angelinvesting #investors #angeltax #

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A Delhi techie cleverly purchased the Jiohotstar domain before the Disney-Jio merger. What would you do if you found yourself holding a key piece of real estate in the domain world just as two giants are gearing up for a merger? This move highlights the intersection of foresight, opportunism, and digital ingenuity. It’s a masterclass in understanding the value of "virtual property" in today's internet-driven landscape. For business owners and tech enthusiasts, here's a thought: 1. Always be on the lookout for trends and upcoming mergers that could create opportunities in related domains. 2. Understand the power of a strategic digital asset. A seemingly simple domain name can hold substantial leverage. 3. As unique as the price might be, ensure to evaluate both short-term gains and long-term relationships before deciding to sell. It’s a fascinating time for tech and business alike as these unexpected opportunities pave the way for creative strategies #DigitalRealEstate #DomainInvestment #TechTrends #MergerOpportunities #Entrepreneurship #BusinessStrategy #Innovation #DigitalAssets #Foresight #Opportunism #InternetEconomy

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What Is At The Core Of Any Business ❓ ▶ Sales Numbers ? ▶ Marketing/Branding ? ▶ Product-Market Fit ? ▶ Processes/Policies ? ▶ Employee Numbers ? ▶ Technology ? There is one more level deeper that makes up a core of a business ! And that is.......drumroll please 🥁 ......PEOPLE !! 📌 Your customers are PEOPLE who you sell to 📌 You market and brand your product/service so that PEOPLE will relate 📌 You design solutions for problems faced by PEOPLE 📌 The processes and policies are made by and for PEOPLE 📌 Your employees are PEOPLE 📌 Your technology is being created by PEOPLE You crack PEOPLE and you have cracked your way to a sustainable business 🗝 At GetSetGig we made sure that we respected our artists. We processed their payments on time even if we did not get it from client, we helped them carry their instruments, we always answered their queries, we listened to their problems, we discussed our plans with them, we called them to our office, we promoted them without asking for payment and we listened to their requests. As a result, wherever we went, we always heard, "You are the only company we know who treats artists with respect" And when we faced situations like pandemic, our artists understood us, supported and treated us like humans. ➡ Being A Good Samaritan costs nothing, and I strongly believe that businesses should practise it to be sustainable ⬅ #KafiSahajHai #StartupForGood Follow Sahaj Nalgirkar for more such optimistic and real startup learnings ☑

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With operators breaking into Venture Capital domain. What is happening in the Indian Venture Capital ecosystem? Suhail Sameer - Ex CEO of BharatPe launches OTP Ventures with INR 400 Cr Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl - Ex COO of BharatPe launches his debut fund of INR 120 Cr - Eternal Capital (India) Pratekk Agarwaal - Ex CBO of BharatPe launched his fund GrowthCap Ventures focused on supporting early stage startups Sunil Kamath - Ex CBO of Koo have started his active investor journey with We Founder Circle. The operators' entry into the Indian venture capital domain marks a new era of innovation and collaboration. They bridge the gap between operational expertise and financial capital, catalyzing startup ecosystem growth and fostering the emergence of the next generation of unicorns. As they chart new frontiers and redefine venture investing norms, it's evident that the future of Indian entrepreneurship shines brighter than ever. #India #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurs

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CHANNELIAM FUNDING TRACKER RECENT UPDATES 1.    Chosen® Raises USD 1.2 Mn in Seed Round 2.    Clodura.AI Raises USD 2 Mn from Bharat Innovation Fund 3.    Digital marketing automation #startup Maino.ai raises $1.8 Mn 4.    #Healthtech startup DocPlix raises Rs 1.2 Cr in bridge round 5.    Speciality chemicals startup Scimplify to raise $5 Mn 6.    Robinhood acquires Bitstamp in $200M deal to expand #crypto presence globally #funding #startups #businessnews #channeliam

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Our next AI4India Weekly is here. Do read, like and share. Follow AI4India Org for more

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A few days back, some amazing founders of Indore-based startups met to realize two things, First, We haven't spent our free time sitting casually doing nothing like college goers for a long time. Second, For the last ten years, the one standard answer we give for this normal question, without an exception, is - Que: Kaisa chal rha hai? Ans: Bas lagi padi hai 🙂 (Just hanging in there) No matter how much we've learned, how many challenges we've faced, or how much we've grown, the founder's journey is always full of new challenges. Each step brings difficulties, and we need more preparation for what comes next. But this constant wave of challenges has taught us something valuable. We've learned to find joy even while being constantly on our toes and facing numerous obstacles. It made us resilient and strong. Ultimately, we laughed, giggled about the upcoming "Lagi padi hai situation," and committed "to back each other." This is what a "Startup" life is, and so are the "Founders." Kya apki b lagi padi hai? (Are you also hanging in there?). What challenges are you facing? Let me know in the comments. #startuplife #founders #supersourcing

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🌍❤️♾️🗝🔓⚡️🌅🧬🌌 My apologies to all sending msg's to my inbox. I have been quite busy as of late. 🌍🌅🌌⚡️📞☎️ Real #GENESIS #EPOCH "System Contracts are contracts initialized during the Genesis block." 0x-System Contract Installation- MasterKeys- Genetic Energetic Codex validation implementation #DIVINE MECHANISMS #GalacticTrust #MasterRoot #BlockchainUniverse #PureQuantum #CryptoScience #QuantumNodeNetwork

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