Business
Zomato acquires 15-minute delivery platform Blinkit for Rs 4,447 cr
Online food delivery platform Zomato on Friday announced it had acquired quick-commerce platform Blinkit for Rs 4,447 crore (about $568 million) in an all-stock deal.
Zomato already owned more than 9 per cent stake in Blinkit (earlier Grofers).
While the earlier Blinkit deal value was around $700 million, the drop in Zomato’s share price reduced it to $568 million.
“This foray into the next big category is timely as our existing food business is steadily growing towards profitability,” said Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal.
Zomato has grown at a CAGR of 86 per cent in the last four years to an adjusted revenue of $710 million “while the adjusted EBITDA margin has improved from (153 per cent) in FY19 to (18 per cent) in FY22”, Goyal added.
Zomato’s restaurant supplies subsidiary Hyperpure will acquire the warehousing and ancillary services business of Hands on Trade Private Ltd (HOTPL) for Rs 60.7 crore.
Akshant Goyal, Chief Financial Officer, Zomato said the company is not acquiring the B2B trading business as “that no longer fits strategically into our plans”.
“Our existing Rs 2,228 million investment in HOTPL is protected through our liquidation preference right,” he said.
Blinkit is a quick commerce marketplace delivering grocery and other essentials to customers within minutes (average delivery time of 15 minutes in the month of May).
Blinkit was rebranded from Grofers after a pivot to quick commerce last year. Their erstwhile business model was next-day grocery delivery.
“Blinkit’s business pivoted to 100 per cent quick commerce in January 2022 and since then, the business has made tremendous progress on all important and relevant metrics for this business,” said Goyal.
In the month of May 2022, Blinkit did gross order value (GOV) of Rs 4,028 million, which is 1/5th of Zomato’s monthly average food delivery GOV in Q4 of FY22.
In August last year, Blinkit (then Grofers) raised $100 million from Zomato.
“As a food company, we are already tapping into the large food delivery opportunity in India. In addition to that, we now also want to focus on quick commerce as a natural extension of our food delivery business,” said Goyal.
“Quick commerce will help us increase the customer wallet share spent on our platform and also drive higher frequency and engagement from our customers,” he added.
The closing of the transaction is expected to happen in early August 2022.
Business
After Meta, Google to report child sexual abuse content directly to Indian authorities

New Delhi, Sep 22: After Meta, US tech giant Google will report content flagged as child sexual abuse material (CSAM) directly to the Indian authorities, contrary to the long‑standing global practice of routing such reports through a US non‑profit organisation.
Meta announced a similar change last week after Indian officials pressed major tech firms in recent weeks to speed up reporting, citing concerns that the existing system delays reports considerably.
Google “invests significantly to detect, deter, remove, and report child sexual abuse material,” a company spokesperson said, describing the change as part of the company’s “ongoing discussions with the government of India.”
Meta and Alphabet’s Google used to send tips to the US‑based National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) which then relayed them to local law enforcement, according to reports.
Such a practice could cause dangerous delays in cases where children may be at immediate risk as reports pass through an intermediary before reaching domestic police who can act on the ground.
The US nonprofit that erstwhile used to receive such reports first hand runs CyberTipline portal that recorded nearly 21.3 million reports from around the world of suspected child sexual exploitation in 2025.
India remains the largest market by user count for both Meta’s Facebook and Google’s YouTube. Meta’s shift in policy comes after weeks of friction with New Delhi, including an apology last month by CEO Mark Zuckerberg over the spread of child sexual abuse material on the company’s platforms.
Technology and law enforcement officials in the United States, the European Union and elsewhere have urged platforms to bolster detection and reporting. However, most countries continue to route reports through the US nonprofit as the primary international clearing house.
The Central government, in July, directed Google to take down multiple Firebase web development accounts that were impersonating the websites and mobile apps of major public- and private-sector banks and other financial institutions.
Business
Sensex, Nifty open marginally higher over crude price correction

Mumbai, Sep 22: The Indian equity markets inched up slightly on Tuesday morning, tracking positive global cues and correction in global crude prices.
As of 9.20 am, Sensex added 64 points, or 0.10 per cent, to reach 74,914 and Nifty gained 34 points, or 0.15 per cent, to reach 23,449.
Main broad-cap indices outperformed gains of the benchmark indices, as the Nifty Midcap 100 added 0.33 per cent, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 advanced 0.4 per cent.
Sectoral indices on NSE traded in green except Nifty IT down 1.09 per cent and FMCG down 0.01 per cent. Nifty realty was the top gainer, up 1 per cent, followed by chemicals, up 0.64 per cent.
“With precious metals stabilising and fixed income returns becoming attractive, investors can now opt for a multi-asset strategy,” an analyst said.
WTI crude trading in the $92–$93-a-barrel range and a stronger rupee provided additional comfort on the broader macroeconomic front.
Global risk sentiment has improved, with US equities posting strong gains and Asian markets largely positive, while softer crude prices have eased some pressure on oil-importing economies.
In the previous session, Nifty surged 0.29 per cent and closed at 23,414. Immediate support is placed at 23,250–23,300, while resistance is seen at 23,550–23,600.
In the previous session, Bank Nifty closed at 56,470, up 0.20 per cent. Immediate support is placed at 56,000–56,300, while resistance is seen at 56,800–57,000, said analysts.
In Asian markets, China’s Shanghai index gained 0.22 per cent, and Shenzhen added 0.62 per cent, Japan’s Nikkei added 1.38 per cent, and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index added 0.41 per cent. South Korea’s Kospi added 1.89 per cent.
The US markets ended in green overnight as Nasdaq gained 2.26 per cent. The S&P 500 added 1.49 per cent, and the Dow Jones added 0.71 per cent.
On September 21, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) net sold equities worth Rs 576 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought equities worth Rs 2,800 crore.
Business
FM Sitharaman meets JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon in Mumbai

Mumbai, Sep 21: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Monday met Jamie Dimon, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of JPMorgan Chase & Co., during the 11th edition of the JPMorgan India Investor Conference in Mumbai.
According to the Finance Ministry, Dimon interacted with the finance minister on the sidelines of the conference, which brought together investors, policymakers and corporate leaders to discuss India’s economic outlook and investment opportunities.
FM Sitharaman also addressed participants at the event and took part in a fireside chat with Sajjid Chinoy, Head of Asia Economics at JPMorgan.
“Jamie Dimon, Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase & Co., interacts with FM Sitharaman during the J.P. Morgan India Investor Conference in Mumbai, Maharashtra,” the finance minister posted on social media platform X.
” FM Sitharaman addressed the gathering and participated in a fireside chat with Sajjid Chinoy, Head of Asia Economics at JPMorgan, during the 11th edition of the J.P. Morgan India Investor Conference in Mumbai, Maharashtra,” the finance minister added.
The meeting comes as JPMorgan said in a recent report that a combination of tax reforms and regulatory measures had enhanced the attractiveness of equities for domestic investors, helping sustain robust inflows despite relatively muted market returns over the past two years.
The brokerage noted that changes in the taxation framework for long-term capital gains, debt mutual funds and certain insurance products have improved the relative appeal of equities.
It said these measures, alongside rising participation through systematic investment plans (SIPs), are supporting a continued shift of household savings toward financial assets.
According to JPMorgan, domestic investors have increasingly emerged as a stabilising force for Indian markets, offsetting bouts of volatility triggered by foreign portfolio investor outflows and global uncertainties.
The report highlighted that retail participation has remained resilient even during periods of modest benchmark returns, signalling a structural change in investment behaviour.
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