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Business Standard
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Udaan acquires retail technology startup ShopKirana ahead of IPO
Business-to-business e-commerce firm Udaan acquired retail technology startup ShopKirana in an all-stock transaction, bringing internet company Info Edge into Udaan's shareholder base as consolidation accelerates in the country's digital commerce sector. The deal combines Udaan, which connects small retailers with suppliers, with ShopKirana, a platform that helps neighbourhood stores manage inventory and operations. Financial terms weren't disclosed, and the transaction requires regulatory approval. However, in a letter to the National Stock Exchange of India Limited, Info Edge has valued the transaction at $23.13 million. 'This acquisition is a strategic milestone in our journey to the IPO and beyond,' said Vaibhav Gupta, co-founder and CEO, Udaan. 'With the combined strength of both organisations and a strong leadership team, we are well-positioned to deliver on our agenda of 'growth with profitability at scale'.' The acquisition will complement Udaan's leadership across core categories, including staples, fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), and hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa). ShopKirana and Udaan's integration aims to boost efficiency, expand reach, and add value through combined FMCG expertise, tech, and supply chain strengths. This combination will further accelerate Udaan's profitability journey by scaling high-turnover categories. It would also help improve operating leverage and deliver differentiated value through data-driven logistics and infrastructure. 'Together, we will unlock growth across existing and emerging markets while delivering superior value to buyers, sellers, and consumers,' said Sumit Ghorawat, co-founder, ShopKirana. 'We continue to work towards our shared vision of building a large, future-ready GTM (go-to-market) retail superpower,' he noted. The latest acquisition follows the successful closure of Udaan's $114 million Series G fundraise, led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed. The capital will strengthen category leadership in FMCG and HoReCa, expand into new markets, and boost efficiency through scale sourcing, supply chain optimisation, and cost control. 'This strategic consolidation is an important step forward in Udaan's journey towards consolidating the eB2B market, driving profitability with sustained growth, and strengthening the value proposition for retailers and brands,' said Bejul Somaia, partner, Lightspeed. Kitty Agarwal, Partner, InfoEdge Ventures, noted that the merger marks a significant step towards consolidating the leadership position of the combined Udaan-ShopKirana entity in the sector. 'We're looking forward to the journey ahead as the combined team executes its strategic roadmap with a path toward an IPO in India in the next two years.' Founded in 2015, ShopKirana has enabled thousands of kirana stores through digital procurement, transparent pricing, and efficient last-mile delivery. With a strong footprint in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities such as Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Agra, Surat, and Meerut, ShopKirana complements Udaan's national market presence. Experts said the acquisition reflects increasing consolidation among Indian e-commerce companies as they seek profitable growth after years of cash-burning expansion. Udaan said it continues to demonstrate strong contribution margin accretive growth, clocking over 60 per cent year-on-year growth in CY 2024. Alongside the contribution margin growth and scale operating leverage, Udaan also reduced its fixed costs by 20 per cent, leading to a 40 per cent reduction in EBITDA burn in calendar year CY 2024 and an additional 20 per cent reduction year-to-date in CY 2025.
News18
18-07-2025
- Business
- News18
IPO-bound udaan acquires retail-tech startup ShopKirana
Mumbai, Jul 18 (PTI) IPO-bound e-b2b platform udaan on Friday announced the acquisition of retail-tech startup ShopKirana in an all-stock deal, marking a strategic consolidation in the domestic eB2B space. The acquisition will complement the platform's leadership across core categories, including staples, FMCG and hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa), udaan said. Founded in 2015, ShopKirana enables kirana stores through digital procurement, transparent pricing, and efficient last-mile delivery. With a strong footprint in tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Agra, Surat, and Meerut, ShopKirana complements udaan's national market presence, further strengthening the unified entity as the platform of choice for kiranas and brands across Bharat, it said. The acquisition also reinforces udaan's strategy of driving profitable growth through deeper market penetration, operational efficiency, and broader geographic reach, the company stated. By integrating ShopKirana's deep retailer network and core expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's tech infrastructure, nation-wide supply-chain capabilities and wide credit offerings, the combined entity aims to further enhance efficiency, expand coverage and deliver greater value to retailers, brands, and consumers, the company said. 'This acquisition is a strategic milestone in our journey to the IPO and beyond. ShopKirana has a quality team. Together, we share the belief in winning by becoming a 'preferred supplier to our shopkeepers' and 'preferred partner to brands'," said Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, udaan. 'We also share the core strategy of 'winning on costs'. With the combined strength of both organisations and a strong leadership team, we are well-positioned to deliver on our agenda of growth with profitability at scale," he said. With this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Info Edge, which owns, operates and invests in internet-led businesses, joins as a shareholder in udaan, with a shared vision to digitally transform India's retail-tech ecosystem, the platform said. The latest buyout follows the closure of udaan's USD 114-million Series G fundraise, led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed, it said. The capital, according to udaan, would be strategically deployed to reinforce category leadership, particularly in high-frequency segments like FMCG and HoReCa, further drive expansion into untapped markets, and unlock operating leverage through enhanced sourcing-at-scale, improved supply chain utilisation, and rigorous cost optimisation. 'Joining hands with udaan marks a defining moment in our journey to empower kirana stores across India. This partnership brings together our expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's overall scale and infrastructure advantage — enabling us to take more brands to more retailers more efficiently, capturing market share," Sumit Ghorawat, Co-Founder, ShopKirana, said. PTI IAS TRB view comments First Published: July 18, 2025, 12:30 IST Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
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Business Standard
18-07-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
IPO-bound udaan acquires retail-tech startup ShopKirana in all-stock deal
IPO-bound e-b2b platform udaan on Friday announced the acquisition of retail-tech startup ShopKirana in an all-stock deal, marking a strategic consolidation in the domestic eB2B space. The acquisition will complement the platform's leadership across core categories, including staples, FMCG and hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa), udaan said. Founded in 2015, ShopKirana enables kirana stores through digital procurement, transparent pricing, and efficient last-mile delivery. With a strong footprint in tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Agra, Surat, and Meerut, ShopKirana complements udaan's national market presence, further strengthening the unified entity as the platform of choice for kiranas and brands across Bharat, it said. The acquisition also reinforces udaan's strategy of driving profitable growth through deeper market penetration, operational efficiency, and broader geographic reach, the company stated. By integrating ShopKirana's deep retailer network and core expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's tech infrastructure, nation-wide supply-chain capabilities and wide credit offerings, the combined entity aims to further enhance efficiency, expand coverage and deliver greater value to retailers, brands, and consumers, the company said. This combination will further accelerate udaan's profitability journey by scaling high-turnover categories, improving operating leverage, and delivering differentiated value through data-driven logistics and infrastructure, it added. "This acquisition is a strategic milestone in our journey to the IPO and beyond. ShopKirana has a quality team. Together, we share the belief in winning by becoming a 'preferred supplier to our shopkeepers' and 'preferred partner to brands'," said Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, udaan. "We also share the core strategy of 'winning on costs'. With the combined strength of both organisations and a strong leadership team, we are well-positioned to deliver on our agenda of growth with profitability at scale," he said. With this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Info Edge, which owns, operates and invests in internet-led businesses, joins as a shareholder in udaan, with a shared vision to digitally transform India's retail-tech ecosystem, the platform said. The latest buyout follows the closure of udaan's USD 114-million Series G fundraise, led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed, it said. The capital, according to udaan, would be strategically deployed to reinforce category leadership, particularly in high-frequency segments like FMCG and HoReCa, further drive expansion into untapped markets, and unlock operating leverage through enhanced sourcing-at-scale, improved supply chain utilisation, and rigorous cost optimisation. "Joining hands with udaan marks a defining moment in our journey to empower kirana stores across India. This partnership brings together our expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's overall scale and infrastructure advantage -- enabling us to take more brands to more retailers more efficiently, capturing market share," Sumit Ghorawat, Co-Founder, ShopKirana, said.
Time of India
18-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
udaan acquires retail-tech startup ShopKirana
udaan , an eB2B platform, on Friday, announced the acquisition of ShopKirana , a retail-tech startup for kirana stores. With this transaction, Info Edge , an Indian technology holding company which owns, operates and invests in internet-led businesses joins as a shareholder in udaan. The transaction is subject to all regulatory approvals. The acquisition aims to compliment udaan's leadership across core categories including Staples, Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) and Hotel, Restaurant, and Catering (HoReCa). By integrating ShopKirana's deep retailer network and core expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's robust tech infrastructure, nation-wide supply-chain capabilities and wide credit offerings, the combined entity aims to further enhance efficiency, expand coverage and deliver greater value to retailers, brands, and consumers. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Vaibhav Gupta , Co-Founder and CEO, udaan, said in a statement, 'This acquisition is a strategic milestone in our journey to the IPO and beyond. ShopKirana has a quality team, who have worked in-depth on the FMCG category and excelled at designing for costs. Together, we share the belief in winning by becoming a 'preferred supplier to our shopkeepers' and 'preferred partner to brands'. We also share the core strategy of 'winning on costs'. With the combined strength of both organisations and a strong leadership team, we are well-positioned to deliver on our agenda of 'growth with profitability at scale'.' by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas Prices In Dubai Might Be More Affordable Than You Think Villas In Dubai | Search Ads Get Quote Sumit Ghorawat , Co-Founder, ShopKirana, said in a statement, 'Joining hands with udaan marks a defining moment in our journey to empower kirana stores across India. This partnership brings together our expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's overall scale and infrastructure advantage - enabling us to take more brands to more retailers more efficiently, capturing market share. Together, we will unlock growth across existing and emerging markets while delivering superior value to buyers, sellers, and consumers. While retailers have already shown great adoption, we believe this is the right time to come together and make B2B ecommerce mainstream for FMCG brands. We continue to work towards our shared vision of building a large, future ready GTM retail superpower and become the preferred choice for retailers, brands, employees and investors.' The latest acquisition follows the closure of udaan's $114 Million Series G fundraise, led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed. The capital would be strategically deployed to reinforce category leadership, particularly in high-frequency segments like FMCG and HoReCa, further drive expansion into untapped markets, and unlock operating leverage through enhanced sourcing-at-scale, improved supply chain utilisation, and rigorous cost optimisation. Live Events
Mint
16-07-2025
- Business
- Mint
From Shah Rukh Khan's family to Sidharth Malhotra: Celebs who have invested in Ritesh Agarwal's Oyo
Amid a buzzing investing environment in India, travel startups have seen capital flowing into them as the environment remains stable. Not just institutional investors, it now seems celebrities are also interested in becoming financial backers for these companies — a shift from their earlier roles that were restricted t brand ambassadors or endorsers. High profile Indians, including actors and A-list cricketers, are betting on online travel platforms, marking a shift in how this ecosystem is being funded. Recently, Ritesh Agarwal's Oyo raised over ₹ 1,400 crore in its Series G funding round, which was not just led by venture capital firms. According to a report by Skift, film producer and designer Gauri Khan, who is the wife of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan, was among the investors in Oyo's latest fundraiser. Gauri picked around 2.4 million shares in the company, as per the report. This comes ahead of the much-awaited IPO of the online travel-booking platform, which is in discussion with banks to float its public offering soon. Preliminary discussions with investment banks have indicated a potential valuation range of $6-7 billion for the public offering, sources quoted by PTI said. Mint could not independently verify the authenticity of the Skift report. This article will be updated once there is an official statement available. The individual investment value of the movie producer has not been disclosed by Oyo as of now. The investment comes months after she backed Innov8, the Oyo-owned co-working brand. As per the Skift report, actor Madhuri Dixit, her husband Dr. Sriram Nene, and Dr. Ritesh Malik, founder of Innov8, have together bought 2 million shares in Oyo. Meanwhile, actor Amrita Rao and her husband, radio jockey Anmol Sood, have also invested in Innov8 via the secondary market. Bollywood actors Sidharth Malhotra and Kiara Advani have also bought shares in Oyo earlier. However, the concept of celebrities financially backing travel startups is not entirely new. In 2012, Salman Khan picked up a less-than 5 per cent stake in Yatra when he became the brand ambassador of the company. In 2013, Sachin Tendulkar picked up 7.5 per cent sweat equity in UAE-based OTA as he appeared for its campaigns. However, the rareity of the situation is changing now, as more and more celebrities look to invest in the travel industry, signalling possible growth.
