India’s IPO lifecycle is the process that takes a company from being privately owned to being publicly listed. The importance of each stage, from DRHP filing to listing day, cannot be underestimated for investors, regulators, and businesses as it determines the pace of growth and the level of transparency.

How Companies Go Public in India

“Going public” in India means the company will go through a metamorphosis. The IPO lifecycle acts as a blueprint that guarantees transparency, adherence to rules, and investor’s safety. In India, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) is in charge, hence the whole system can be considered one of the most organized IPO structures in the world.

Both Zomato and LIC’s examples have demonstrated how the achievement of an IPO relies heavily on the planning and the following of the regulations. Besides solving the problem of the needed capital, an IPO allows the public to take part in a company’s advancement.

Step 1: Pre-IPO Preparations – Laying the Foundation

Without completing their own internal preparation, no company would ever dare file for an IPO.

1. Financial Audits and Reporting:

According to SEBI, at least three years of audited financial statements are mandatory. Besides providing the essential financial figures, these documents also show how the company is making money and what is its level of indebtedness. For example, in the case of LIC’s IPO, for the sake of investors’ understanding, five years of audited financials were included.

2. Board Approvals and IPO Planning:

Among others, the board gets to approve the following: issue size, pricing strategy, and capital utilization. Ensuring harmony with the business’s long-term objectives is to be expected here.

3. Appointment of Merchant Bankers and Advisors:

Chartered bankers as Kotak Mahindra Capital or ICICI Securities are the ones responsible for managing the entire IPO program. They execute the due diligence, prepare the prospectus, and sort out the legality of it all.

4. Internal Restructuring and Compliance:

The operations of a company might have been overhauled, governance structures updated, and prepared disclosures for investors might have been done in order to meet the SEBI requirements.

Step 2: Filing the DRHP with SEBI – The First Step

The Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) is actually the first way for the company to communicate with SEBI. Information here includes:

• Business Overview: Products, services, revenue model, and market positioning
• Financials: Revenue, profits, and past performance
• Promoter Details: Background and shareholding pattern
• Risk Factors: Operational, market, and regulatory risks

Example: As part of its DRHP, Zomato detailed its losses against growth metrics; thus, it showed a transparent view to prospective investors.

Why it matters: The DRHP leads to the protection of investors’ rights by showing the company’s financial and operational health in totality.

Also Read: Studio LSD IPO: Subscription Status, Price Band, and Listing Forecast

Step 3: SEBI Review and Red Herring Prospectus (RHP)

The DRHP is initially submitted to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for a thorough check for accuracy, completeness, and consistency with the regulations. The company may have to provide clarifications to multiple queries and also amend the prospectus.

The RHP is then submitted to SEBI and the stock exchanges. It includes:

• Final price band for bidding
• Number of shares to be offered
• Details about the issue date and issue closure date

Fact: SEBI’s review process ensures that the investors are protected from the fraudulent disclosures and also, they get to know the prices and the operations in a transparent way.

Step 4: Marketing – The IPO Roadshow

One of the ways the corporations get the investors to be interested in their proposals is by carrying the roadshows out:

• Domestic Roadshows: Meetings with institutional investors held in India’s financial centers like Mumbai and Bengaluru

• International Roadshows: Looking for foreign institutional investors (FIIs) targeted for large IPOs

• Investor Education: Teaching about the product, the ways of making money, and the expansion strategy

Example: Zomato’s roadshow highlighted its growth plan and prospering food delivery industry to draw institutional investors.

Also Read: GNG Electronics IPO Opens Soon – ₹225–₹237 Price Band Confirmed!

Step 5: Book-Building and Price Discovery

India is inclined to use the book-building method while implementing IPOs. The major stages include:

1. Defining a price band (minimum and maximum price)
2. Aggregating bids from institutional and individual investors
3. Setting the final issue price depending on demand

Example: LIC IPO encountered a retail oversubscription of nearly 3x, pointing out substantial public interest.

Fact: Book-building gives a possibility of the fair market price to be found thus, demand and supply become balanced and consequently the risks of underpricing or overpricing will be diminished.

Step 6: Share Allotment and Refunds

Once the IPO has come to a close:

• Securities are allotted to successful applicants
• Money is refunded to the investors who did not receive the shares
• Shares are credited to demat accounts, which is a transparent process

Example: In Zomato’s IPO, retail investors got the shares in the proportion to their bids, with oversubscription causing the fractional allotment.

Step 7: Listing Day – The Public Debut

Listing day is opposite the end of the IPO process, the time when the shares begin trade on NSE and BSE.

• Price Movements: Driven by demand, market sentiment, and sector trends
• Market Perception: The strong listing raises investor confidence; the weak one can mean the caution

Examples:

• Zomato listed a little bit higher than its IPO price, early investors got a reward
• LIC shares listed at a price that was 8-9% higher than the IPO, showing the strong interest of retail and institutional investors

Fact: Listing day is very important for the market credibility and future capital-raising potential.

Step 8: Post-IPO Compliance

At the moment public, companies bear a big burden of ongoing compliance:

• Quarterly Financial Reporting: Publishing of revenue, profit, and cash flow
• Shareholding Disclosure: Frequent updates on promoters and institutional holdings
• Corporate Governance: Applying regulations of SEBI and stock exchanges

Example: HDFC Bank together with Infosys uphold investor presentations coupled with quarterly reporting as part of their shareholders’ trust program.

Key Facts About IPOs in India

• The IPO market in India is among the largest in Asia and has more than 70 IPOs in 2024.
• Book-building is the technique that guarantees fair pricing both for retail and institutional investors.
• Investors are allowed to participate in three types of categories: retail, institutional, and high-net-worth.
• IPOs turn out to be a capital source for companies to invest in their growth, repay their debts, or take over other companies.
• After the IPO, companies become more visible in the market and gain credibility.

The IPO lifespan in India is a multi-step, regulated process that is characterized by transparency, investor protection, and market efficiency. The filing of DRHP to the listing day is just as important as any other stage of it. Knowing this cycle will not only help investors make the right decisions but will also be a guide for companies when they go through a successful transition from being privately owned to a public entity.

FAQ’s

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Read the full article here: 7 Things to Know About India’s IPO lifecycle — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

Three different Goods and Services Tax (GST) orders with a total of more than Rs 40.3 crore were served on Eternal – the parent company of Zomato, Blinkit, and Hyperpure. The company plans to response by filing an appeal and anticipates no monetary impact.

The Joint GST Commissioner, Appeals-4, Bengaluru has sent three notices to Eternal, the parent company of Zomato, Blinkit, Hyperpure, and District, for a total of over Rs 40.3 crore in GST. The orders cover the period from July 2017 to March 2020.

A sum of Rs 17.2 crore of the total GST demand has been increased by Rs 21.4 crore as interest and Rs 1.7 crore as penalties, thus, the total liability becomes Rs 40.3 crore. The first draft is limited to the short payment of output tax, and the rest relate to the over-utilization of input tax credit.

Also Read: GST Reform: India Simplifies Tax Structure to 5% and 18%

Moreover, in a statement to the exchanges, Eternal said it has “strong merit grounds, supported by the opinion of lawyers,” and intends to file appeals against all the three orders. Besides, the company gave the shareholders the comfort that it does not expect any financial impact from the GST notices.

This incident is an indication that even big and well-known companies are thoroughly examined under the Goods and Services Tax system in India. According to analysts, companies running multiple brands must be very careful when it comes to the input tax credit rules and calculations of output tax to be at ease with the regulatory risks.

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Read the full article here: Rs 40 Crore GST Storm Hits Zomato’s Parent – What’s Next? — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

India-based food delivery giant Swiggy has raised its platform fee to Rs 14 per order during the festive season, aiming to improve profitability amid rising operational costs and growing competition.

Food delivery major Swiggy in India has increased its platform fee from Rs 12 to Rs 14 per order as demand spikes during the festive season. The move reflects the company’s strategy to enhance profitability while addressing higher operating costs, including payments to its delivery fleet.

Swiggy, which processes over 2 million orders daily, could generate an additional Rs 2.8 crore per day from the revised fee, translating into Rs 8.4 crore quarterly and Rs 33.6 crore annually if maintained. Analysts suggest that while a Rs 2 increase per order appears minimal for customers, it provides meaningful leverage for the company’s bottom line given its transaction volumes.

The platform fee, first introduced in April 2023 at Rs 2, has seen gradual hikes. The latest adjustment shows Swiggy’s focus on strengthening unit economics without impacting customer demand. Higher charges are often tested during peak demand events, and the company may reduce the fee back to Rs 12 once the festive season ends.

Also Read: Swiggy’s Q1 FY26: A Defining Moment in India’s Startup Economy

Swiggy’s financial results for Q1 FY26 revealed a widening net loss of Rs 1,197 crore, almost doubling from a year earlier, largely driven by heavy investments in its quick commerce vertical, Instamart. Despite this, revenue from operations grew sharply by 54% year-on-year to Rs 4,961 crore, reflecting robust customer engagement and demand growth.

Meanwhile, rival Zomato has also experimented with platform fee adjustments during high-demand periods. Both players are navigating the challenge of balancing growth with profitability, with analysts noting that platform fees could become a permanent lever in sustaining operational efficiency.

Experts highlight that the timing of Swiggy’s hike underlines the ongoing pressure on food delivery platforms to offset the high costs of expansion into quick commerce and logistics. By capitalizing on seasonal surges, companies can protect margins without eroding customer trust, as order volumes have shown resilience despite incremental charges.

As India’s food delivery market grows more competitive, strategic fee adjustments such as this are expected to remain part of the industry’s profitability playbook.

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Read the full article here: Swiggy Bets Big on Festive Season With Fee Hike Gamble — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

India’s Deepinder Goyal has announced the launch of a dedicated propulsion research team at LAT Aerospace, a startup focused on building indigenous gas turbine engines. With $20 million invested, Goyal aims to establish a world-class R&D center in Bengaluru led by engineers, not corporate executives.

In a significant move to advance domestic aviation technology, LAT Aerospace has launched a new propulsion research team based in Bengaluru. The initiative, spearheaded by non-executive cofounder Deepinder Goyal, aims to build lightweight and efficient gas turbine engines entirely within India.

Goyal, known for his strategic leadership, has committed $20 million in personal investment to power the aerospace venture. The startup, co-founded with former Zomato COO Surobhi Das, is not affiliated with Eternal and is focused on creating short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft with up to 24 seats for regional connectivity.

Also Read: Zomato’s Parent Builds a New Powerhouse with Blinkit Foods

R&D Lab With Industry-Grade Facilities

LAT Aerospace’s Bengaluru facility will host advanced labs focused on combustion systems, turbomachinery, thermal analysis, and materials engineering. The company is seeking specialists with experience in turbine design, rotor dynamics, and control systems.

“Building jet engines from scratch is one of the hardest engineering challenges globally,” an industry analyst noted. “But it also signals India’s intent to reduce reliance on imports in aerospace components, a move with long-term defense and economic implications.”

A Bold Bet on Aviation Independence

The decision to build propulsion systems in-house reflects a growing shift among Indian tech entrepreneurs toward core infrastructure and strategic sectors. LAT Aerospace’s model is to vertically integrate design, testing, and manufacturing within India’s talent-rich but underutilized aerospace ecosystem.

With India’s expanding domestic air travel demand and an increasing focus on Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) in critical tech sectors, LAT Aerospace’s direction could open doors for innovation and high-value job creation.

LAT Aerospace continues to accept applications from engineering professionals who are ready to work on next-generation aviation technology. The recruitment wave also sends a clear message—India’s startup ecosystem is evolving beyond digital to deep tech.

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Read the full article here: Deepinder Goyal’s LAT Aerospace Calls Innovators to Build Jet Engines in India — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

India-based Zomato’s parent company, Eternal, is set to launch a new subsidiary, Blinkit Foods, to strengthen its presence in the fast-growing 10-minute food service segment. This strategic move aims to scale Eternal’s cloud kitchen network, Bistro, and address rising consumer demand for quick-service, high-quality meals.

In a major strategic move, Eternal—the parent company of Zomato—has announced the incorporation of a new wholly owned subsidiary named Blinkit Foods Private Limited. The new entity will engage in the business of food innovation, sourcing, preparation, and delivery, marking a deeper expansion into India’s evolving quick-service food delivery market.

According to the company’s filing with the stock exchange, Blinkit Foods will be established with an authorized share capital of ₹1 crore and a paid-up capital of ₹10 lakh. While operational specifics remain under wraps, financial analysts expect this entity to play a pivotal role in Eternal’s scaling of its cloud kitchen vertical, Bistro.

Launched in late 2024, Bistro operates 38 kitchens across Bengaluru and Delhi-NCR, delivering freshly prepared meals, snacks, and beverages within 10 to 15 minutes. The kitchens operate on a cloud-first model designed for rapid service and low infrastructure costs. Eternal’s leadership believes the model is well-aligned with rising urban demand for fast, affordable, and high-quality food.

Also Read: Blinkit-Fueled Glory: Eternal’s Soaring Ambition Captures India

In a recent shareholder letter, Eternal CEO Deepinder Goyal emphasized that Bistro’s incremental demand complements Zomato’s core delivery operations without cannibalizing traffic. Goyal noted that while customer adoption has been strong, profitability and operational efficiency remain focal points for future investments.

The creation of Blinkit Foods is expected to serve as the structural backbone for refining these operational metrics. By streamlining food services under a dedicated unit, Eternal is positioning itself to respond more nimbly to consumer preferences, technological integration, and supply chain challenges that typically affect speed-focused delivery ventures.

This move also comes after Eternal discontinued two earlier food ventures in May due to low traction and inconsistent customer experience. With Blinkit Foods, the firm appears committed to a more focused and scalable model, driven by data-backed learnings and improved infrastructure.

Also Read: Eternal Cash Reserves Surge to ₹18,857 Cr in Q1FY26

Industry experts suggest that Blinkit Foods could also serve as a platform for further experimentation with proprietary food brands, menu personalization, and cost-efficient delivery models—all of which are seen as crucial levers in India’s competitive food-tech market.

While the company has not provided a timeline for operations commencement, investors are closely watching Blinkit Foods as a potential lever for revenue diversification and deeper consumer engagement.

As Eternal formalizes Blinkit Foods, the focus will be on execution and customer satisfaction in the high-stakes 10-minute delivery segment. The initiative marks a significant evolution in Eternal’s strategy to lead India’s on-demand food landscape through innovation, speed, and scale.

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Read the full article here: Zomato’s Parent Builds a New Powerhouse with Blinkit Foods — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

India’s Eternal reported a cash balance of ₹18,857 crore in Q1FY26, nearly tripling its key rival’s reserves. Strategic capex, strong operational cash flows, and QIP proceeds have fortified the company’s financial position ahead of intensifying competition in the quick commerce sector.

Eternal, the parent company of food delivery platform Zomato, reported a strong cash position of ₹18,857 crore for the quarter ending June 2025 (Q1FY26), up from ₹18,825 crore in the previous quarter. This bolstered balance sheet comes despite continued capital expenditure toward infrastructure and expansion, especially for its quick commerce arm, Blinkit.

The company’s cash position has significantly improved over the past year. In Q1FY25, Eternal’s cash reserves stood at ₹12,539 crore. A major contributor to this surge was a ₹8,446 crore capital raise through a Qualified Institutional Placement (QIP) during Q3FY25, which added meaningful liquidity to fund growth and maintain a competitive edge.

Eternal’s consistent profitability in its core food delivery business has allowed it to generate strong operating cash flows, which further fuel its war chest. The company stated in its filing that the increase in Q1FY26 could have been higher if not for partial recovery of ticketing advances issued in the previous quarter in its Going-Out vertical.

Significantly, Eternal’s current cash balance is almost three times larger than its closest rival. As per the last reported figures, Swiggy held ₹6,695 crore in cash as of Q4FY25. While Swiggy has yet to release its Q1FY26 results, analysts anticipate further depletion of its reserves due to sustained investment in Instamart, its quick commerce unit.

This widening gap in liquidity is critical as India’s quick commerce landscape intensifies. Players are ramping up expansion efforts, deploying capital toward dark store infrastructure, faster delivery networks, and competitive customer acquisition strategies. Eternal’s robust capital base offers a strategic advantage in absorbing these costs while maintaining operational agility.

Industry watchers note that with higher cash reserves, Eternal is better positioned to scale Blinkit, capture market share, and endure prolonged competitive pressure. The quick commerce segment, known for thin margins and high upfront costs, demands deep capital to achieve sustainable unit economics and long-term profitability.

Eternal’s recent performance underscores its strategy to balance growth with fiscal discipline, ensuring it remains a dominant force in India’s evolving consumer internet ecosystem. As the IPO-funded liquidity from competitors eventually thins out, the battle in quick commerce could increasingly favor players like Eternal that have not only scaled fast but also banked on strong internal accruals and capital raises at opportune times.

Read the full article here: Eternal Cash Reserves Surge to ₹18,857 Cr in Q1FY26 — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

Curefoods, a leading cloud kitchen company based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, has filed for an ₹800 crore ($95 million) IPO amid mounting losses, high attrition, and reliance on aggregators like Swiggy and Zomato. The offering aims to repay debt, expand kitchen infrastructure, and allow major investors like Iron Pillar and Accel to partially exit. While revenue has grown significantly, profitability and operational sustainability remain key concerns.

Curefoods, a prominent Indian cloud kitchen company headquartered in Bengaluru, Karnataka, has filed its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) with the market regulator for a ₹800 crore ($95 million) Initial Public Offering (IPO). The company operates well-known brands including EatFit, CakeZone, and India’s franchise of Krispy Kreme.

The IPO will include a fresh issue and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 4.85 crore shares, allowing early investors such as Iron Pillar, Accel, Chiratae Ventures, Crimson Winter, and Curefit Healthcare to trim their stakes. Notably, co-founder Ankit Nagori is not divesting any shares.

Investor Exits: Iron Pillar Takes the Largest Slice

Among exiting investors, Iron Pillar PCC will offload 1.91 crore shares, significantly more than Crimson Winter (97.6 lakh shares), Accel (45.7 lakh), and Chiratae (36.6 lakh). Curefit, co-founded by Mukesh Bansal and Nagori, plans to exit a modest 12.8 lakh shares. Iron Pillar is set to gain the most, with an exit value 2.6 times higher than Accel or Chiratae based on acquisition cost.

Operational Alarms: Attrition and Aggregator Dependence

Curefoods faces serious internal challenges. Employee attrition hit 111.73% in FY25, continuing a trend from FY24 (127.69%) and FY23 (116.59%). As of March 31, 2025, the company had 5,641 permanent staff and over 600 additional contractual and consulting personnel.

Meanwhile, 82.2% of FY25 revenue came through aggregator platforms like Swiggy and Zomato—a dependence Curefoods flags as a key business risk. These platforms charge 18–22% commissions, pressuring margins and making policy shifts a major vulnerability.

High Burn Rate and Profitability Concerns

Despite doubling revenue from ₹382 crore in FY23 to ₹746 crore in FY25, Curefoods remains unprofitable. FY25 net loss stood at ₹170 crore. While EBITDA losses have narrowed from ₹276 crore to ₹58 crore over two years, the company still spends ₹1.27 for every ₹1 earned. This underscores Curefoods’ reliance on capital inflow to sustain its working capital-heavy model.

IPO Proceeds: Expansion and Debt Repayment

Out of the ₹800 crore raised, Curefoods plans to use:

• ₹152.5 crore for new kitchen infrastructure
  
• ₹126.9 crore for repayment/prepayment of borrowings
  
• ₹40 crore for lease deposits
  
• ₹92 crore for Fan Hospitality, its wholly owned kitchen operations subsidiary
  
• ₹14 crore for marketing across its food brands
  

Additionally, a pre-IPO placement worth ₹160 crore is under consideration, which could reduce the fresh issue size.

As Curefoods readies for listing, it presents a classic case of growth at scale—but without profitability. For investors, the IPO offers access to a high-revenue, multi-brand foodtech company with established urban presence. But challenges like high employee churn, aggregator dependence, and continued cash burn pose significant risks that may impact long-term value.

Read the full article here: Curefoods IPO: A Recipe With a Secret Ingredient? — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

India’s leading quick-commerce players, Swiggy Ltd. and Eternal Ltd. (owner of Blinkit), are outperforming both domestic indices and Chinese peers amid growing investor optimism over their path to profitability. Swiggy shares surged 20% and Eternal rose 11% in June 2025, as the quick-commerce segment in India shows strong potential despite rising competition from global giants like Amazon and Flipkart.

India’s booming quick-commerce sector is delivering more than groceries — it’s now producing market-leading stock performance. Shares of Swiggy Ltd. surged 20% in June 2025, while Eternal Ltd., the parent company of Blinkit and Zomato, rose 11%, outperforming the NSE Nifty 100 Index and even outpacing e-commerce peers in China.

Swiggy, based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, is one of India’s most prominent food and grocery delivery companies. Eternal Ltd., headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, owns Blinkit, India’s leading quick-commerce platform, and Zomato, a top food delivery service.

This rally in Indian e-commerce contrasts sharply with China, where industry giants like Meituan and JD.com Inc. have lost over $70 billion in combined market value since March due to an intense price war.

India’s quick-commerce segment, which enables delivery of essentials in under 10 minutes, is heating up — and so is investor confidence. According to data from JM Financial Ltd., Blinkit, Swiggy’s Instamart, and Zepto collectively control around 88% of the Indian market.

Despite new entrants like Amazon India and Flipkart India Pvt., analysts say the early movers are better positioned to maintain dominance due to robust supplier networks and established logistics systems.

“These companies have learned to manage delivery costs efficiently, especially in utilizing riders optimally,” said Nirav Karkera, head of research at Fisdom.

India’s quick-commerce market could be worth up to USD 100 billion by 2030, according to Bloomberg Intelligence. Swiggy and Eternal have already built extensive fulfillment networks and are now shifting their focus from expansion to profitability. Initiatives include increasing average order values, reducing discounts, and charging additional service fees.

A note from JM Financial on June 26 indicated that losses may have already peaked for both Instamart and Blinkit, signaling a potential turnaround in margins. Eternal’s acquisition of Blinkit in 2022 has kept it in a leadership position, despite pressure from Zepto, which continues to gain ground, particularly at the expense of Swiggy’s Instamart.

Swiggy, while still unprofitable, has seen increased analyst confidence, with the highest level of buy recommendations since its late 2024 listing. Zepto’s anticipated IPO may attract some investor interest away from Swiggy and Eternal, but analysts remain optimistic about the sector’s long-term prospects.

“The incumbents continue to stretch their lead in users and store networks, even while lowering discounts and charging delivery fees,” said Aditya Soman of CLSA Ltd.. “We remain bullish on the quick-commerce opportunity in India.”

As the e-commerce sector matures, India appears poised to outpace China in quick-commerce momentum — with Swiggy and Eternal leading the charge toward profitability and sustainable growth.

Read the full article here: Can India’s Fastest Deliveries Turn into Fat Profits? — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

On July 2, 2025, Zomato co-founder Deepinder Goyal, known for revolutionizing India’s food delivery sector, announced a bold new step into regional aviation with his venture LAT Aerospace. Co-founded with former Zomato COO Surobhi Das, LAT Aerospace is aiming to build affordable, high-frequency, short-haul flights from ultra-compact air-stops — reimagining regional travel across India.

Zomato founder Deepinder Goyal, who reshaped India’s food delivery landscape, is setting his sights on a new frontier—regional air travel. His latest venture, LAT Aerospace, co-founded with former Zomato COO Surobhi Das, aims to launch affordable, high-frequency flights across India using compact air-stops.

In a LinkedIn post on July 2, Das revealed the duo’s long-standing vision to make regional flying “effortless, affordable, and accessible.” LAT Aerospace is developing 12 to 24-seater STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft intended to connect cities, towns, and remote communities often overlooked by traditional airlines.

“Think buses in the sky—affordable, high-frequency, and designed to connect the places the airline industry overlooked,” wrote Das.

The aircraft are designed to operate from ultra-compact “air-stops”, which can be as small as a parking lot. This setup could dramatically lower the cost of infrastructure while eliminating long queues, security bottlenecks, and baggage delays—offering a streamlined alternative to conventional air travel.

The new venture is headquartered in Delhi NCR, where a team of engineers, designers, and aviation specialists is being assembled. LAT Aerospace is focused on cutting-edge challenges in aerodynamics, aircraft design, materials science, hybrid propulsion, and turbo-machinery.

A PTI report noted that LAT Aerospace could potentially redefine regional aviation in India, a market still in its early stages. The venture’s success will depend on overcoming regulatory, technological, and adoption hurdles.

Das concluded her announcement with a call for talent, inviting aviation enthusiasts and experts to join the mission:

“If this excites you, we’d love to hear from you.”

As India continues to expand its domestic connectivity, LAT Aerospace represents a potentially transformative step toward inclusive and sustainable regional air travel.

Read the full article here: Zomato to Zoom: Deepinder Goyal Charts India’s Air Future — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).

The Indian government is planning to expand its social security benefits for gig and platform workers by adding life and accident insurance coverage, in addition to health insurance already offered under the Ayushman Bharat scheme. Contributions from aggregators such as Zomato, Swiggy, and Blinkit will help fund these initiatives under the Code on Social Security, 2020. The upcoming scheme will also allow partial fund withdrawals and introduce a Universal Account Number for workers.

The Government of India is set to expand its social security coverage for platform and gig workers by introducing life and accident insurance benefits, complementing the health insurance already extended under the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

This move is part of the broader implementation of the Code on Social Security, 2020, which mandates that aggregator platforms contribute up to 2% of their annual turnover to a Social Security Fund managed by the Central Government. According to officials from the Ministry of Labour and Employment, this fund will be used to cover various social benefits for unorganised, gig, and platform workers.

Prominent aggregator companies including Zomato, Swiggy, and Blinkit have aligned with the objectives of this scheme.

“Beyond pensions, we are now moving towards a comprehensive package of social protection, which includes life, accident, and health insurance,” an official said.

The Ayushman Bharat programme already provides health insurance to gig workers, and this extension will ensure broader coverage. The scheme will also adopt a contributory model, allowing workers to voluntarily contribute towards their pension fund.

Significantly, the scheme will offer financial flexibility. Workers may be allowed to withdraw part of the accumulated corpus for essential needs such as education or family events, rather than locking in the entire fund.

To streamline benefit access, each gig worker will receive a Universal Account Number (UAN) through the Employees’ Provident Fund Organisation (EPFO). This UAN will remain consistent even if the worker engages with multiple aggregators, ensuring all contributions flow into one unified account. Workers transitioning to regular employment can merge this account with their EPFO account.

In her Budget 2025–26 announcement, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed that 10 million gig workers will be registered on the labour ministry’s e-Shram portal and assigned UANs. By the end of April, more than one million gig workers had already received their UANs.

The NITI Aayog, India’s public policy think tank, estimated 7.7 million gig workers in 2020–21, a number expected to reach 23.5 million by 2030, reflecting the growing importance of this workforce segment.

The Ministry of Labour is expected to roll out the new scheme later this year, reinforcing India’s efforts to create a more inclusive and secure digital economy.

Read the full article here: Millions of Gig Workers May Soon Receive Life and Accident Insurance Coverage — For more updates, visit Wittiya – Top Business News, Stock Market Insights & Financial Updates (Wittiya).