Mayank Yadav

Why Swiggy Almost Always Wins for Me Over Zomato When it comes to food delivery, groceries, or even dining out, Swiggy consistently comes out ahead in my book—and here’s why: 1. Pricing: Swiggy often offers better deals and fewer surprises at checkout. Whether it’s a promo code or a well-timed discount, they seem to get the value-conscious customer. 2. Customer service that listens: Swiggy’s resolution process is quick and fair. From refunds to addressing concerns, I’ve found their support team far more reliable and efficient (and also empathetic). They really feel close to the benchmark that Amazon (or even Licious) has set for me. 3. Seamless delivery experience: Faster delivery and accurate ETAs 4. An app that just works: While subjective, Swiggy’s app feels more intuitive (and faster?). 5. Quick commerce – Instamart and Blinkit: Here’s where Swiggy really pulls ahead for me. With their Swiggy One membership and HDFC card partnership, Instamart feels like a no-brainer for quick grocery needs. All of this combined with a free delivery on a really low 99/- minimum cart value, make it a standout. 6. Dineout integration: Dining out can feel like a luxury sometimes, but here too their Dineout offering changes that. With discounts and cashback offers (that sometimes touch 35%), it makes those occasional meals out much more affordable— and less guilt-inducing. 7. And, saving the best for the last - Swiggy One. It truly feels it has something for everyone: Whether it’s food delivery, groceries, dining out or even Genie for courier services. It feels like a complete and well-rounded offering compared to Zomato Gold, which, while good, feels more limited in scope. While Zomato has its strong points (restaurant reviews, likely more listed restaurants and a broader quick commerce catalog), Swiggy offers a more holistic, value-driven experience that makes it feel less like a splurge. How about you? Which app wins for you — and why? #CustomerExperience #Swiggy #Zomato #QuickCommerce #Dining #Grocery #Blinkit #Instamart

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From Swiggy to Zomato: VC Exits Hit $4.06 Billion—Is This Sustainable? Now we understand why everyone’s rushing to list their startups—because VCs are eyeing hefty exits. In 2024, VCs scored a massive $4.06 billion in exits, primarily from the IPO market. Key Exits in 2024 • Swiggy: $750M from IPO • FirstCry.com (BrainBees Solutions Ltd.):$227M • Zomato: $909M • Policybazaar.com (PB Fintech): $291M Year-wise VC Exits - 2020: 7 deals, $113M - 2021: 18 deals, $3.3B - 2022: 13 deals, $1.5B - 2023: 32 deals, $2.06B - 2024: 44 deals, $4.06B VCs are the real 'sharks', making massive profits by offloading shares to the public through IPOs. But who’s really winning in startup exits? The founder? The VC? The retail investors? Looking at the current wave, it’s clear—VCs are the real winners. But here's the flip side: while VCs are cashing in on their early exits, it’s also important to remember the crucial role they’ve played in scaling and funding these companies. Without their backing, these companies might never have seen the light of an IPO. Retail investors, though they may not always see quick wins, help fuel market liquidity and contribute to the longer-term growth of these businesses. They sustain these ventures even beyond the exit event. So, are VCs merely playing a funding game, or are they shaping the long-term future of startups? (follow - Aradhya Varyani) P.S. VC firms know the game—get in early, exit through IPO, and enjoy the rewards. But are they true architects of success, or just out for the payout? #VentureCapital #Investments #Startups #MarketTrends #IPO #VCExits Elevation Capital | Goldman Sachs | Norwest Venture Partners | Accel | DST Global | Alpha Wave Global | Hillhouse Capital Group | Tencent | Harmony Partners | Barons Capital Partners | Naspers Ventures BV | Alibaba Group | Temasek | TPG | SoftBank Investment Advisers

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Top News of the Week in Indian Startup Ecosystem: 1. The week saw the first mega funding deal materialise for an Indian startup in the form of healthtech unicorn Innovaccer’s $275 Mn Series F fundraise. 2. On the back of this, healthtech emerged as the most funded startup sector this week. Besides Innovaccer, BrainSinghtAI and Zoplar also raised $5 Mn and $3.4 Mn this week. 3. Fintech, cleantech and ecommerce all saw three funding deals materialise this week, leading to fresh capital infusion of $48.9 Mn, $14.2 Mn and $13.3 Mn respectively. 4.  After months of speculations, Ritesh Agarwal increased his stake in his startup OYO with a capital infusion of $65 Mn via his venture capital firm Redsprig Innovation Partners. This funding round made travel tech the second most funded sector this week. 5. This week’s most active investor was VC firm Alteria Capital, investing in BrainSightAI’s $5 Mn pre-Series A funding round and Pratilipi’s $1.2 Mn funding round. 6. Eyewear major Lenskart is said to have initiated talks with bankers for a $1 Bn IPO that could value it in the range of $7 Bn to $8 Bn. Its IPO could hit the Indian bourses toward the end of the next financial year. Read the full post on link below Stay up do that with the Indian startup ecosystem on Medial.

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Uber One: An experiment for dynamic priced mass-premium service for the value conscious Indian users There's a lot of debate around 'value conscious' Indian customers, and to serve them better, Uber just launched a new subscription program called 'Uber One', a mass-premium service that is more nuanced than a direct premium service competitors like Shoffr. Quick overview of Uber one: It is offering up to 10% Uber one credits, prioirty support, zomato gold for 3 months, and top rated drivers! To understand 'mass-premium', let's understand the user segment: - Frequent urban commuters who use Uber 3-4 times per week - Value-conscious professionals seeking predictable ride expenses - Cross-platform users who utilize both rides and food delivery services But the most interesting thing is the subscription price: Uber introduced a dynamic city-based pricing that indicates market testing. What it means is there's a different price for difference city. For Kolkata, the subscription fee is around 99 rupees/month where as in delhi it is priced around 49 rupees/month Now Let's dig deep into this positioning to understand the intent behind 'Uber one' - Creating a middle-market loyalty program rather than competing with ultra-premium services - Focusing on increasing usage frequency and cross-platform adoption - Building an ecosystem play rather than a pure premium service offering - Targeting value-maximizing regular users rather than luxury-seeking customers But why now? Let's understand how is Uber doing as a business? and we may get a clue! - Record-Breaking Growth - Uber achieved its first GAAP operating profit exceeding $1 billion - 20% year-over-year increase in gross bookings - 82% year-over-year growth in Adjusted EBITDA to $1.4 billion This seems the perfect timing, right? And on top of that: - 25 million Uber One members globally - Global Uber One members spend 3x more than non-members - 70% year-over-year growth in subscription base And even on top of that, the competition is on fire: - Rising competition from Google-backed Namma Yatri, which recently Secured $11 million in funding - Emergence of specialized players like Rapido, which recently achieved unicorn status with $120 million funding But as any other experiment, it has a room for improvement. Personally I would recommend: - Pricing Strategy: Implement consistent pricing across cities to reduce confusion. Create tier-based subscription levels based on usage patterns. Offer flexible subscription periods beyond current monthly/annual options - Product Enhancement: . Introduce city-specific benefits for different city-wise user segment rather than one-size-fits-all approach

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Swiggy vs. Zomato: Who's Leading the Race? Swiggy's revenue trails Zomato by 30%, with figures from FY24 showing Swiggy at $1.36 billion and Zomato at $1.46 billion. While Zomato turned a profit this quarter, Swiggy’s losses widened, particularly in quick commerce where Instamart lags behind Blinkit’s $112 million revenue. Swiggy Highlights: Tops in user return rate at 4.5 per month. Shifted to a profit of Rs 58 crore in food delivery, up from last year’s loss. With Swiggy showing signs of growth, will it be enough to overtake Zomato in the market race? I'd love to hear your predictions and analysis. #swiggy #zomato #marketstats #latest #technews #sundaypost

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"Startup Leadership Shift: Dunzo's CEO Kabeer Biswas Steps Down 🚚 In a significant move for India's delivery ecosystem, Kabeer Biswas is exiting Dunzo, the Reliance-backed startup he co-founded. This transition comes amid challenging financial circumstances for the delivery platform, signaling potential strategic restructuring. The startup world is constantly evolving, and leadership changes often mark critical turning points for innovative companies. Biswas's departure highlights the intense pressures facing tech-enabled delivery services in a competitive market. Intrigued by the latest startup dynamics? Dive deeper into the full story and industry insights! #StartupEcosystem #IndianStartups #TechInnovation" Call to Action: Read the full analysis → https://lnkd.in/gbyJHu7w

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Swiggy is launching "Daily" to compete with Zomato "Everyday" and totally proves how timing is very critical 👇 Swiggy was the first mover in the space of daily food subscription for office goers. Due to strategic decisions and Covid, they shut down this "Daily" offering. But guess who started it as soon as world declared complete normalcy? Zomato Zomato successfully launched Everyday and is an integral part of the app if you see. I see my colleagues having a daily subscription of it. Now Swiggy is in pre IPO stage and has decided to re introduce it after seeing how Zomato has scaled this segment of the business now. Swiggy isn't far from Zomato in terms of transacting users and will definitely catch up with the same kind of margins as Zomato enjoys today. Today Swiggy has more losses than Zomato but the food ordering space + quick commerce is the best segment to witness a healthy strategic competition. What do you think about this? Let me know!

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Do we already have the next Zomato ? Zepto has increased their platform fee to Rs. 9.99 i.e ~Rs.10 (Bangalore) and this is the highest platform fee for any e/q-commerce company so far. AoV (Average order value) at Zepto is Rs. 350 for which Delivery is free whereas for order less than Rs. 199 there is a delivery charge of Rs. 27 (Bangalore). Considering a near hypothetical scenario where no. of orders above Rs. 199 is 50% and below Rs. 199 is 50% and total no. of orders is 100 per day. Zepto pay nearly Rs.50 per order to it's delivery guys who delivers close to 35 orders and works on all 7 days of the week. Mon-Fri, Sat and Sunday have three different earning rates and also based on the number of orders delivered on that particular day. 1. Scenario 1: For 50 orders above Rs. 199 : Zepto fixed income is Rs. 10 per order. i.e Rs. 500 per day. For 50 orders below Rs. 199 : Zepto fixed income is Rs. 10 + 27 (delivery cost) per order. i.e Rs. 1850 per day. Total Fixed Income : Rs. 2350 Variable Income - Zepto charges upto 35% commission from some D2C brands which are onboarded recently and on top of that there is an advertising cost. For some established brands, the commission is also lesser like 15-20% range Assuming Blended margin to be 25%, earning from commission on AoV of Rs. 350 is Rs. 87.5 per order. This equates to Rs. 8750 for the assumption of 100 orders. Total Zepto earning : Rs. (8750 + 2350) = Rs. 11100. Zepto's cost of Delivery : Rs. 50*100 = Rs. 5000 (higher side) Profit at Unit Level = Rs. (11100 - 5000) = Rs. 6100/100 i.e Rs. 61 per order. Additional Income : Partner Advertising Income, Listing Fee, Third Party Advertising like Credit Cards etc. Additional Cost : Dark Store Operation, Employee Salary, Server Cost and many things. If the volume doesn't show de-growth and they keep introducing private labels like "Relish Chicken" which has a higher margin. Zepto can be the next Zomato. Antithesis : There is a de-growth already in the D2C space. Due to funding crunch and path to profitability, offers are drying up leading to de-growth of the entire space. If this is actually happening and keeps on declining, Zepto has a problem in hand as these D2C brands are the major spender on Quick Commerce. Quick Commerce is not as bad as it was portrayed 3 years back. It grew on the back of these D2C brands and eventually accepted by Legacy and established brands as well. #entrepreneurship #technology

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Can you think of a business that runs on a 0-day working capital cycle? PharmEasy saw a 90% valuation cut last year, from its peak of ~$6B. Practo, and MFine are also struggling. Online medicine delivery is tough because, unlike #ecommerce , people don’t buy medicines for discounts. It is a very high-trust transaction, hence offline any day triumphs. That’s why most #medicine delivery startups have started to foray into a slightly higher margin and to some extent broken #business : Lab testing. Pharmeasy had acquired Thyrocare to up its lab testing game. You would get a lot of promotional messages on Practo, MediBuddy and other teleconsultation #apps to carry out tests from their app. But if one player has cracked and monopolised this #market, it is Dr Lal Pathlabs. Dr Lal PathLabs has ~6000 diagnostic centres across India that provide 5000+ tests. Out of these ~3000 tests no other path lab provides(high EBITDA margin). It does about ~Rs 3000 Cr in revenue and is a market leader in lab testing and pathology #business. So how Dr Lal manage to do so? Lab testing is an extremely fragmented market with local players almost holding ~85% of the market. It is also a very difficult business. Unlike the US, where it's more of a B2B business and insurance companies directly tie up labs and strike bulk deals. India is a B2C #market, where most of the time the final consumer pays for every test. Hence managing working capital is difficult and critical. That’s where Dr Lal triumphs. Working Capital Cycle is: Average Receivables Period + Average Inventory Period - Average Payables Period A longer cycle is not favourable for any #company because it ties up capital for a long time without generating any return. Receivables are solved because every time you take a test, you pay money upfront. Hence it is 0 in most cases. Managing inventory is very tricky. Every test involves 3-4 inventory items. For 5000 tests across 6000 centres becomes a herculean task. Dr Lal follows a different model. What it does is, it aggregates demand from a bunch of its test centres and then places a bulk order. Its #technology allows to get a real-time analysis of inventory across each of its centres. Hence with so much data it predicts the combined inventory required across, multiple centres and gives bulk order. Since it gives such large orders, it is able to strike deals with suppliers for larger credit cycles (larger payable days). The higher days of inventory is compensated by a higher payable day. Hence it is able to operate at a 0-day working capital cycle, compared to its competitors with 15-20 day cycle. It is also a formidable #wealth creator. It operates at an ROCE of 20-25% and has almost tripled its stock price in the last three years. Do you think the new-age teleconsultation/medicine delivery #startups will be able to compete with Dr Lal Pathlabs? #kneeledge

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I recently placed an order on Blinkit app and noticed a couple of interesting design innovations that stand out from other popular grocery apps like Swiggy Instamart, Zepto, and BB Now. These small but impactful UX decisions are worth highlighting for product managers and designers in the space. 1. Floating "View Cart" Icon 🛒 Blinkit’s floating "View Cart" button is subtle yet functional. Instead of taking the user to a new screen to view cart details, this floating icon sticks at the bottom of the page, ensuring easy access without disrupting the user’s shopping flow. Unlike traditional navigation where users have to navigate back to the cart, this floating icon reduces the friction significantly, leading to a better experience. 🌟Takeaway for PMs: Incorporating such persistent elements can keep users focused on adding more items, boosting overall cart size. It’s a balance between keeping core features visible while letting users explore freely. 2. Bottom Drawer with "Order Again" & "Print" Tabs 📦🖨️ The "Order Again" and "Print" options in the bottom navigation drawer are unique! Most apps like Swiggy and Zepto either show past orders within the account section or focus on immediate actions like checkout. Blinkit’s "Order Again" feature is directly placed at the bottom, making repetitive orders a breeze for customers. This is particularly powerful for a grocery app, where users tend to re-order the same essentials. The "Print" option, likely for printing receipts or order details, is an innovation many competitors overlook. It speaks directly to users who may need physical documentation for tracking purposes. Although digital-first, it recognizes that users may still value hard copies. 🌟 Takeaway for PMs: Creating easy access to repetitive actions (like "Order Again") while including offline-friendly features (like "Print") can differentiate a platform. Understanding your user’s workflow beyond the app (like printing) is critical to boosting engagement and retention. 🔑 Summarized Takeaways for Product Managers: 1️⃣ Persistent UI elements (like the floating cart) ensure core actions are accessible, improving ease of use. 2️⃣Catering to repeat behavior (like reordering groceries) saves user time and reduces friction. Understanding frequent user paths and bringing them forward can enhance retention. 3️⃣ Offline-friendly features like the "Print" tab might seem outdated, but they show a deep understanding of the diverse needs of the customer base, offering flexibility. With a focus on functional and intuitive design, Blinkit is adding a fresh layer of convenience to the online grocery shopping experience. What do you think of Blinkit design? Let me know in the comments! #ProductDesign #UXInnovation #ProductManagement #UserExperience #Blinkit #UIUX #Design

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Looking forward to talking with Rajiv Srivatsa about the decision to switch from CTO to Founder. One year ago, a lot of people asked me "why do you want to leave a good CTO role and take the risk of starting up? " . Rajiv and I will unpack the thought process behind this decision. I hope this provides some insight to other tech leaders who may be considering this switch themselves. Link to sign up is in the post below. Antler

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Blinkit : 693 RPM (Rakhis sold per minute) Zepto : 1 million lifafas, 4x vs last year Swiggy Instamart : 5x vs last year 👉 As Raksha Bandhan approached, the familiar buzz of last-minute shopping filled the air. But this year, something was different. Blinkit reported an astounding 693 Rakhis sold per minute, Zepto shipped over a million lifafas (envelopes) while selling four times more Rakhis than last year, and Swiggy Instamart saw a fivefold increase in Rakhi sales. 👉 These numbers tell a compelling story—quick commerce (q-commerce) platforms are no longer just a convenience, they're becoming a lifeline for our festive traditions. In the past, many of us would have rushed to the nearest market, weaving through crowded lanes to find the perfect Rakhi or gift. 👉 But with the rapid growth of q-commerce, those frantic trips are being replaced by a few taps on our smartphones. It's not just about convenience; it's about how these platforms are reshaping the way we celebrate, especially for those caught up in the hustle of daily life. 👉 The story of Raksha Bandhan this year is not just one of sibling love but also of technological innovation meeting cultural need. Q-commerce has bridged the gap between our fast-paced lives and our timeless traditions, ensuring that no matter how busy we are, we can still celebrate our bonds. 👉 These are not just transactions; they are moments saved, relationships nurtured, and traditions upheld. As q-commerce continues to evolve, it’s clear that its role in our lives extends far beyond convenience—it's becoming an essential part of how we connect, celebrate, and cherish the things that truly matter. We at ProRider (Delivery Jobwala) support this convenience with tech enabled manpower hiring, we are helping food-tech, e-commerce and courier companies PAN INDIA 🇮🇳 #manpower #rakhi #quickcommerce #vendor #GIG #ProRider

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🤔 A BFCM Reality Check: Why We Pivoted With BFCM in full swing, here's a story that feels relevant: Like many founders, we started with big dreams - building yet another Shopify alternative for India. The opportunity seemed clear as day. Then we launched a simple Shopify app as a side experiment. What happened next changed everything. Here's what hit us: Merchants weren't looking to abandon Shopify. They just wanted better tools to run their stores. So we adapted. Instead of competing with Shopify, we're now building apps that make merchants' lives easier - from India to the world. Sometimes the smartest move isn't starting from scratch - it's making existing things work better. #BFCM2024 #ShopifyPartners #StartupLife P.S. Good luck to everyone hustling through BFCM! 💪

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🚨 The best product innovation in recent times? Look no further than Swiggy! 🚨 Swiggy has cracked the code on profitability by charging full cancellation fees even when their own delivery agent cancels the order! Now that's next-level innovation! 🙌 Why waste time delivering when you can just keep canceling orders and still get paid? Swiggy has unlocked the secret to infinite revenue—no service, no product, just endless fees. 💸 Budding product managers, take note! This is how you create a business model that scales effortlessly. Forget about value addition, just focus on perfecting the art of canceling and charging. Swiggy is truly revolutionizing how we think about "service." Thank you for the masterclass in turning inconvenience into profit! #InnovationAtItsFinest #ProductManagement101 #CustomerServiceRevolution Sriharsha M. Swiggy

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Zepto in Talks to Raise $300M—Doubling Down on Its Initial Target! Zepto is in discussions to secure $300 million from top domestic investors—twice its original target. This isn’t just a funding round; it’s a major step in Zepto’s battle with Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart. Key highlights from this potential raise: 💠 This move would boost Indian ownership in Zepto to 35%, with founders Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra gaining an extra 1% equity for hitting key performance targets. 💠 Investors include RJ Corp’s Ravi Jaipuria, Harsh Goenka’s RPG group, and Motilal Oswal, alongside iconic names like Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar. 💠 With over 1 million daily orders, Zepto is already the largest private player in quick commerce—poised to solidify its lead with this funding as it eyes an IPO. The quick commerce space is heating up, and Zepto is making all the right moves to stay ahead. What do you think about this next chapter? #zepto #QuickCommerce #FundingNews #GrowthJourney #Ecommerce #grocerydelivery #swiggy #instamart #blinkit #zomato

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