All stories by Ranju Sarkar
Ratan Tata's start-up scorecard: 41 hits, 2 misses
Rediff.com7 Jun 2019These start-ups include high-growth companies such as Ola, Paytm, Lenskart, UrbanClap and Urban Ladder. Nearly half of these have gone on to raise follow-on funding, a key measure of success for start-ups. A few have become unicorns, the term for start-ups valued at $1 billion or more.
Why investors are putting their money on venture debt
Rediff.com27 May 2019In 2018, venture debt providers cumulatively deployed Rs 1,300 crore. This year, the market is expected to absorb venture debt of Rs 1,800 crore to Rs 2,000 crore. So what makes this asset class so attractive?
With $150 mn funding, BigBasket is the latest unicorn
Rediff.com7 May 2019Bigbasket's founder V S Sudhakar said his company was reengineering its supply chain to allow for faster delivery to its resellers and to reduce the time from farm to customer.
SoftBank on prowl to woo 'future stars'
Rediff.com19 Mar 2019Keen to back start-ups while they are half-unicorns, SoftBank plans to invest $100 million in a firm with $500-million valuation.
Why angel investors have turned cautious
Rediff.com31 Jan 2019The 'angel tax' and notices to start-ups and angel investors from the income tax department was certainly a dampener. However, a bigger factor is the lack of exits.
As big funds vanish, start-ups stare at M&A for survival
Rediff.com9 Mar 2018Experts argue that the top two players in each category will receive funding sooner or later, but for laggards, the market is still challenging
'For every house built, three to five jobs are created'
Rediff.com3 Mar 2018In an email interview with Ranju Sarkar, International Finance Corporation's South Asia director Mengistu Alemayehu explains why the firm is bullish on building affordable homes in India.
Why top angel investors are going slow on funding start-ups
Rediff.com25 Jan 2018Few angels have seen exits; till that happens, they won't be rushing to invest again.
Analjit Singh to raise Rs 2,000 cr for boutique hotels & vineyards
Rediff.com24 Jan 2018Four years after setting up a "home away from home" in the Franschhoek winelands of Cape Town, he is increasing his investments in the hospitality sector in South Africa.
How students can pick the right college course for their career
Rediff.com2 Jan 2018Univariety offers career guidance that is rooted in the real world.
The march of the millennial food brands
Rediff.com26 Nov 2017Start-ups line up food street with new-age menu.
Consumer firms catch the fancy of venture capitalists
Rediff.com15 Nov 2017As consumers in India seek variety and innovative products, there's a lot of interest among investors for healthier products.
6 million reasons why you should know this cancer scientist
Rediff.com27 Sep 2017Dr Manjiri Bakre's OncoStem is revolutionising breast cancer treatment. And has raised $6 million to do more!
This start-up can help the next 100 million loan seekers
Rediff.com22 Sep 2017Credit Vidya helps lenders assess credit and fraud risk for thin-file and new-to-credit customers.
Step aside, Siri & Alexa: Liv.Ai understands Indians
Rediff.com6 Sep 2017Liv.Ai makes speech recognition software that allows people to transact in their native languages.
Sebi lens on angels could lead to crowdfunding rules
Rediff.com9 Aug 2017Sebi wants angel networks to follow public and private placement norms
Byju's, Ola, Flipkart: One Chinese company is investing millions in them!
Rediff.com8 Aug 2017Tencent reinforces India's consumer internet story. Ranju Sarkar reports.
Why India loves a one-stop beauty store
Rediff.com5 Jul 2017Right marketing and product strategy have helped Falguni Nayar build a beauty retail business.
A time of curiosity for exciting brands
Rediff.com23 Jun 2017As the funnel of good-quality early-stage companies are built, mid-stage and growth capital always follows, says Fireside Ventures founder Kanwaljit Singh.
Worst over, funding crunch eases for start-ups
Rediff.com22 Jun 2017There were fewer Series-B deals this year versus last, but more money was raised