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Fractal Analytics wants to get paid for results that nobody can predict

The newly listed enterprise AI firm is hoping to attract clients by offering outcome-based pricing for the software it provides, but there’s no saying if it will find enough takers.

Anas Ali

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In Brief

NCDEX moves beyond farms with equities, MFs and non-agricultural contracts · 20 May

Emaar posts solid Q1 financials amid Iran war · 11 May

BSE blames rival bourse for lacklustre exchange-agnostic trading · 08 May

NSE signals IPO on track across valuation scenarios · 06 May

The Middle East Edition

Dispatches from our Gulf desk

BNPL apps Tabby and Tamara make it to UAE credit reports

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

Can the UAE stay ahead in the AI data centre race?

Latest Stories

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Business

HUL recovers under Priya Nair but it needs better volumes

Investors expect the FMCG major to get back on the growth track in the quarters ahead, but protecting margins at the same time could be tough.

Devika Singh

Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

The emirate’s financial centre has surpassed the 10,000-company mark, Lucid Motors has a new investor, and digital assets are having a great week.

Harveen Ahluwalia

Business

Birla’s $1.8 bn bet to catch up in renewables comes with risks attached

The Sprng Energy acquisition gives Aditya Birla Renewables instant scale and diversification. But high leverage, execution delays and margin pressures point to a tough test ahead.

Nitesh Kumar

Internet

India’s lab-grown diamond startup glut

Brands are struggling amid plunging prices of lab-grown diamonds, poor margins, intense competition, shaky global demand and a domestic market where tradition continues to shape buying decisions.

Ananya Upadhyaya

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Business

HUL recovers under Priya Nair but it needs better volumes

Investors expect the FMCG major to get back on the growth track in the quarters ahead, but protecting margins at the same time could be tough.

Devika Singh

The Middle East Edition

Dispatches from our Gulf desk

BNPL apps Tabby and Tamara make it to UAE credit reports

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

Can the UAE stay ahead in the AI data centre race?

In Brief

NCDEX moves beyond farms with equities, MFs and non-agricultural contracts · 20 May

Emaar posts solid Q1 financials amid Iran war · 11 May

BSE blames rival bourse for lacklustre exchange-agnostic trading · 08 May

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On The
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Essential perspective on journalism from one of its best practitioners.

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Fountain pen on annotated manuscript — On The Record

Demystifying the world of freelance journalism

In a failing news ecosystem, independent journalists keep the story alive. A sneak peek into how they do things to get the best results and the challenges they face.

Think editing is a waste of time? Think again

In the fast-changing world of news, editors at the copy desk continue to be gatekeepers of quality and accuracy.

What’s the best way for newsrooms to handle corrections?

At a time when journalism is rotting away, corrections are truly a saving grace. How newsrooms handle them says a lot about their credibility.

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Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

The emirate’s financial centre has surpassed the 10,000-company mark, Lucid Motors has a new investor, and digital assets are having a great week.

Harveen Ahluwalia

Internet

Early-stage deals take a dive in the Mideast, amid Iran war

Venture capital funding is showing signs of a slowdown; the US opens access to advanced technologies for the UAE; and other updates.

Harveen Ahluwalia

Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

The emirate’s financial centre has surpassed the 10,000-company mark, Lucid Motors has a new investor, and digital assets are having a great week.

Harveen Ahluwalia

Internet

Early-stage deals take a dive in the Mideast, amid Iran war

Harveen Ahluwalia

Explore Newsletters on

Spotlight

Internet

Emergent’s ARR is all smoke and mirrors

The AI startup’s $100 million ARR claim does not quite add up even as Dream11—forced out of real-money gaming—prepares to take its massive user base into stockbroking.

Ashish K. Mishra

Business

The anti-jugaad story of Royal Enfield

What four years at the legendary motorcycle maker taught me about India’s most celebrated delusion.

Venki Padmanabhan

Internet

Emergent’s ARR is all smoke and mirrors

The AI startup’s $100 million ARR claim does not quite add up even as Dream11—forced out of real-money gaming—prepares to take its massive user base into stockbroking.

Ashish K. Mishra

Business

The anti-jugaad story of Royal Enfield

Venki Padmanabhan

Middle East

Internet

BNPL apps Tabby and Tamara make it to UAE credit reports

Etihad Credit Bureau will now be incorporating buy now, pay later data from two of the largest fintechs in the Mideast in credit reports.

Maanav D J

Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

The emirate’s financial centre has surpassed the 10,000-company mark, Lucid Motors has a new investor, and digital assets are having a great week.

Harveen Ahluwalia

Internet

Can the UAE stay ahead in the AI data centre race?

From India to Europe, governments are piling in to build centres to support (and profit from) the AI boom. What does the UAE have that others don't?

Maanav D J

Internet

BNPL apps Tabby and Tamara make it to UAE credit reports

Etihad Credit Bureau will now be incorporating buy now, pay later data from two of the largest fintechs in the Mideast in credit reports.

Maanav D J

Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

Harveen Ahluwalia

Internet

Can the UAE stay ahead in the AI data centre race?

Maanav D J

Best of Internet Coverage

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

India’s lab-grown diamond startup glut

Brands are struggling amid plunging prices of lab-grown diamonds, poor margins, intense competition, shaky global demand and a domestic market where tradition continues to shape buying decisions.

Ananya Upadhyaya

Internet

Bistro is (not really) Eternal’s answer to Toing or Ownly

Bistro may look like a response to Swiggy and Rapido’s 'budget' food delivery apps, but the similarities end at affordability—the playbooks are fundamentally different.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Comeback to collapse: how FreshMenu came undone

The food-tech pioneer is on the brink of losing its decade-long fight for survival, laying bare the pitfalls of the cloud kitchen business.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Exclusive: Behind Udaan's refinancing lies a silent investor takeover

After 19 investment rounds and over $2.1 billion raised, the kirana supply startup’s investors seem to finally be in the mood to collect their dues. What happens next?

Muskaan Gupta

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

India’s lab-grown diamond startup glut

Ananya Upadhyaya

Internet

Bistro is (not really) Eternal’s answer to Toing or Ownly

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Comeback to collapse: how FreshMenu came undone

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Exclusive: Behind Udaan's refinancing lies a silent investor takeover

Muskaan Gupta

Explore by Theme

Best of Public Markets coverage

Business

Fractal Analytics wants to get paid for results that nobody can predict

The newly listed enterprise AI firm is hoping to attract clients by offering outcome-based pricing for the software it provides, but there’s no saying if it will find enough takers.

Anas Ali

Business

HUL recovers under Priya Nair but it needs better volumes

Investors expect the FMCG major to get back on the growth track in the quarters ahead, but protecting margins at the same time could be tough.

Devika Singh

Business

Fractal Analytics wants to get paid for results that nobody can predict

The newly listed enterprise AI firm is hoping to attract clients by offering outcome-based pricing for the software it provides, but there’s no saying if it will find enough takers.

Anas Ali

Business

HUL recovers under Priya Nair but it needs better volumes

Devika Singh

Business

Dubai’s financial hub posts record numbers, despite the Iran war

Harveen Ahluwalia

Business

Birla’s $1.8 bn bet to catch up in renewables comes with risks attached

Nitesh Kumar

Business

Cipla’s conservative approach is beginning to hurt

Anas Ali

Business

Akasa, Air India Express or SpiceJet: plenty on offer for Adani’s airline play

Prince M. Thomas

Best of Chaos Coverage

Chaos

India’s jet engine gap turns into a strategic fault line

The country's fighter jet roadmap rests on imported propulsion, leaving its military plans hostage to cost shocks, delays and geopolitics.

Sushant Singh

Chaos

NEET and the military shortcut risks long-term damage

The government’s reliance on the armed forces may help it address a credibility crisis, but risks weakening civilian institutions.

Sushant Singh

Chaos

Why (so many) Indians have stayed put in the UAE amid Iran war

Remittances show that many non-resident Indians may not want an immediate out, even as the threat of war looms large. We take a look at what is making them stay in the country.

Maanav D J

Chaos

Ten military lessons India must learn from the US-Israel war on Iran

The war in West Asia offers a preview of how India’s next conflict could unfold—fast, multi-domain, drone-saturated and under a nuclear shadow. New Delhi must learn quickly.

Sushant Singh

Chaos

India's modest climate targets: smart diplomacy or missed opportunity?

A 10-percentage-point gap between what India plans domestically and what it promises the UN tells you everything about its climate strategy.

Azman Usmani

Chaos

India’s jet engine gap turns into a strategic fault line

The country's fighter jet roadmap rests on imported propulsion, leaving its military plans hostage to cost shocks, delays and geopolitics.

Sushant Singh

Chaos

NEET and the military shortcut risks long-term damage

Sushant Singh

Chaos

Why (so many) Indians have stayed put in the UAE amid Iran war

Maanav D J

Chaos

Ten military lessons India must learn from the US-Israel war on Iran

Sushant Singh

Chaos

India's modest climate targets: smart diplomacy or missed opportunity?

Azman Usmani

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Startups

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Bistro is (not really) Eternal’s answer to Toing or Ownly

Bistro may look like a response to Swiggy and Rapido’s 'budget' food delivery apps, but the similarities end at affordability—the playbooks are fundamentally different.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Zepto’s IPO dilemma: valuation vs survival

The quick-commerce startup weighs a valuation cut or finding alternative funding to stay afloat as investor appetite for loss-making businesses weakens.

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Bistro is (not really) Eternal’s answer to Toing or Ownly

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Comeback to collapse: how FreshMenu came undone

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Swiggy Instamart has a people and strategy problem

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Rapido’s Ownly is a serious risk to Zomato-Swiggy duopoly

Hiral Goyal

Internet

Pratilipi has 20 million stories but no big hits. Can microdramas deliver one?

Hiral Goyal

Internet

A high-risk, unfinished, cash-guzzling Zepto comes to public markets

Hiral Goyal

Education Technology

Internet

Allen Career Institute is in flux and nowhere close to an IPO

Four years after Bodhi Tree’s investment, the test-prep giant remains caught between a slowing legacy business and growth bets that are still in their infancy.

Muskaan Gupta

Internet

Can Bhanzu break India's edtech curse?

The math learning platform is growing fast and expanding globally. Success will depend on how smartly it can manoeuvre the very pitfalls that have crippled peers.

Muskaan Gupta

Internet

Allen Career Institute is in flux and nowhere close to an IPO

Four years after Bodhi Tree’s investment, the test-prep giant remains caught between a slowing legacy business and growth bets that are still in their infancy.

Muskaan Gupta

Internet

Can Bhanzu break India's edtech curse?

Muskaan Gupta

Internet

Ronnie Screwvala is stretching upGrad to mean more

Bhuvana

Business

Varkey Group’s GEMS bets on Saudi Arabia to revive global ambitions

Maanav D J

Internet

Seekho and the parable of how entertainment consumed edtech

Pradip K. Saha

Internet

Physics Wallah carries the baggage of the industry it’s meant to redeem

Pradip K. Saha

Internet

How Reliance’s $180 million bet on Embibe came to naught

Pradip K. Saha

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State of Unicorns

State of the Unicorns

How ShopClues faded without a fight

The fall of this e-commerce giant within a decade of its launch was marked by blind optimism, a total disregard for customers and a massive failure to read the tea leaves.

Muskaan Gupta

State of the Unicorns

Drools has come a long way. Just not long enough to beat Pedigree

From starting life as a mere offshoot of a poultry company to achieving unicorn status, Drools has quietly rewritten the rules of India’s pet food market. But competition remains a challenge.

Muskaan Gupta

State of the Unicorns

Porter just became a unicorn. Now comes the hard part

The on-demand company has entered the billion-dollar valuation club, thanks to its smart intra-city play. The segment is now hotting up, with both startups and legacy players joining the race.

Muskaan Gupta

State of the Unicorns

India’s pre-owned vehicle startups fail the internet business test

We look at Spinny, a unicorn, to demonstrate how the used-car business is a graveyard of ideas pretending to be internet-first or internet businesses only to realize years later that the soul of the business lies in brick and mortar.

Muskaan Gupta

State of the Unicorns

The forgotten lessons of Hike-Part III

We look at Hike’s failed super app bet, its messaging flop show and where the company stands today.

Harveen Ahluwalia

State of the Unicorns

The forgotten lessons of Hike—Part II

We take a look at the company’s trajectory from a messaging platform to a super app and its rise to prominence.

Sethu Pradeep

State of the Unicorns

The forgotten lessons of Hike—Part I

A three-part series that documents the rise and decline of the original Indian social media company.

Sethu Pradeep

Conglomerates

Business

Airtel’s Q4 performance adds to Jio IPO headwinds

FY26 numbers show that Airtel is stealing a march on its larger rival on most counts and is unrelenting in its ambition, casting a cloud on Jio’s valuation.

Ujval Nanavati

Business

A mixed bag of a year for Reliance Industries

Telecom and retail both continue with their ‘hit and miss’, while O2C delivers an unsurprisingly poor performance in Q4. This is a year RIL will be glad to see the back of.

Ujval Nanavati

Business

Airtel’s Q4 performance adds to Jio IPO headwinds

FY26 numbers show that Airtel is stealing a march on its larger rival on most counts and is unrelenting in its ambition, casting a cloud on Jio’s valuation.

Ujval Nanavati

Business

A mixed bag of a year for Reliance Industries

Ujval Nanavati

Business

Reliance’s growth engines may be losing steam

Ujval Nanavati

Business

Conglomerates, duopolies and domination hamper India

Ujval Nanavati

Business

Anil Ambani owes his gravy train ride to apathy, leniency