This article has been contributed by Zoina Shaikh, Founder, Hodlpr.
Web2 and Web3 marketing share the same fundamental principles, but treating them the same way is a recipe for failure.
Having spent over eight years in both traditional and crypto marketing, I’ve seen both sides firsthand. The difference is massive. Web3’s volatility doesn’t just affect the market; it directly shapes its communities and, in return, marketing strategies. A single wave of FUD or a well-timed KOL endorsement can make or break a project overnight.
In Web3, timing is everything. If you hesitate, you risk getting left behind. While time also matters in Web2, traditional marketers are used to predictable metrics, stable KPIs, and a greater sense of control. In Web3, however, you’re in for a ride.
Some Key Fundamental Differences Between Web3 & Web2 Marketing
As I mentioned earlier, Web2 and Web3 share the same fundamental principles, yet they operate very differently. One of the best ways to understand this difference is through the classic marketing funnel.
In traditional marketing, the funnel typically consists of three major stages:
Awareness → Consideration → Conversion
However, in Web3, this funnel is more complex, with community and engagement playing a major role at every step.
Awareness Stage
In Web2, awareness is primarily driven by strategies like social media marketing (SMM), SEO, and advertisements to attract potential customers. In Web3, however, you need to go beyond traditional methods. This includes airdrops, token incentives, community AMAs, and strategic partnerships with projects & KOLs to generate hype, the key driver of awareness in Web3.
Consideration Stage
In Web2, the consideration stage focuses on driving users to a website, offering product demos, and showcasing reviews. In Web3, however, users go through multiple assurance points before making a decision. These include whitepapers, roadmaps, websites, social media, tokenomics, and, most importantly, an active community. Based on my experience, a strong, engaged community is a key validator that influences the user’s decision to move to the next stage.
In Web2, conversion typically means getting the user to sign up, subscribe, or purchase a product/service. In Web3, conversion takes different forms; users might mint an NFT, join a community, stake tokens, or participate in a DAO. Unlike Web2, where users simply buy a product, Web3 users often invest in a project, making them more deeply involved.
Post-Conversion & Loyalty
The loyalty phase in Web2 relies on loyalty programs, email marketing, and retargeting strategies to keep users engaged. In Web3, loyalty is driven by tokenized rewards, governance participation, and on-chain perks, giving users direct incentives to stay involved in the ecosystem.
Optimizing the Web3 Funnel
Optimizing a Web3 funnel is far more complex than it seems, as Web2 top-down approach playbooks don’t work here. The triggers and psychology of Web3 users are highly volatile, and community sentiment plays a massive role in decision-making. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for crafting successful Web3 marketing strategies.
Engagement Channels
Traditional marketing is largely dominated by one-way communication strategies such as TV, radio, social media, SEO, content marketing, and paid ads. In contrast, Web3 marketing builds on these strategies by leveraging decentralized platforms like Discord and Telegram to enable two-way communication. Additionally, Web3 utilizes innovative approaches like meme marketing and community-driven content creation. However, Web3 still faces limitations in utilizing traditional Above The Line (ATL) media like outdoor, radio, and TV ads. This is primarily because global crypto adoption is currently estimated at only 8%, meaning these mass channels are underutilized in Web3 marketing. As adoption increases, we can expect greater usage of these traditional media outlets.
Timing is Key in Web3
Recently, the number of Web3 projects has surpassed 11 million on CoinMarketCap alone. What does this mean? It leads to increased clutter, diluting dwell time and community engagement. On top of that, we see new narratives emerging regularly. In the last cycle, the focus was on the metaverse, and we saw a flood of tokens tied to that trend. Now, the focus has shifted to AI, rendering those past narratives less relevant.
Timing in Web3 is crucial. Unlike in Web2, where you have the luxury of taking time to research, plan, evaluate, and execute, Web3 moves at a much faster pace. The market changes rapidly, and you must adapt. Your campaigns need to be optimized to align with the current sentiment, or you risk falling behind.
Your Competitors Are Not Your Competition
One key difference in Web3 is that we see our competitors as potential collaborators. But how does this help in marketing? Constant collaborations are crucial for community engagement in Web3 and also build goodwill, creating a positive perception in investors’ minds. Continuous collaborations foster growth within the Web3 space by expanding reach, sharing resources, and strengthening relationships.
For example, recently, Injective and Fetch.ai (ASI) partnered to power AI-enabled finance on Injective. How does it aid marketing? This partnership gives both projects access to each other’s communities, generating hype and expanding their reach. It also boosts credibility, as each platform’s innovation and resources are showcased, attracting more attention from investors and users alike. Such collaborations help in creating a buzz, driving adoption, and fueling growth in the ecosystem.
Conclusion: Insights for Brands Looking to Adapt to the Web3 Ecosystem
The difference between Web2 and Web3 is massive. Web3 moves fast, demands adaptability, and is far more community-driven than traditional marketing. It requires a mindset shift from competition to collaboration, from sales to community engagement.
If you’re a traditional marketer looking to adapt to Web3, your best bet is to embracevolatility, listen to your community, and put them at the center of your strategy. Focus on user empowerment, stay ahead of the curve, and act accordingly.
In Web2, the goal is to end with engagement. In Web3, the goal is to start with engagement. I’ll leave it here.
This article has been contributed by Preeti Bhandhary, Co-founder and director, Little Elly.
India, in the recent few years, has experienced a tremendous revolution in the field of early childhood education (ECE) under the guidance of women who have made the transition from traditional teachers to trendsetting entrepreneurs. This not only shows us the transformation that ECE itself is going through but also indicates that the future direction of education in India is increasingly going to be influenced by women at the center.
The Emergence of Women Edupreneurs in India
Women constitute a large percentage of the Indian education industry’s workforce. With the understanding that the system has gaps and is driven by a desire for the all-around development of children, a lot of women have turned into edupreneurs. These edupreneurs are starting innovative preschools, developing study materials, and establishing platforms that cater to the diverse needs of young children.
India’s preschool market, worth around INR 25,000 crore, has expanded with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20%. The reason behind this growth is rising parental consciousness on the significance of preschool education and higher nuclear household penetration with increasing demand for quality preschool services. Women entrepreneurs have pioneered this growth, using their innate understanding of child psychology and education.
Innovative Strategies and Integration of Technology
Contemporary women-owned businesses in the ECE industry are incorporating technology to maximize learning experiences. Adaptive learning systems, customized educational content, and interactive applications are being created to respond to individual learning styles and developmental levels. Various platforms now provide holistic solutions that enable teachers to provide enriched learning experiences, combining traditional teaching techniques with contemporary technology.
Challenges Confronting Women Edupreneurs
Although they have made notable contributions, women entrepreneurs in the ECE industry encounter some challenges:
Women entrepreneurs operating in the early childhood education sector are confronted with several challenges that negatively impact their development and success. Access to finance is one major challenge, where just 0.3% of India’s venture capital in 2021 went to women-led startups, reflecting a dismal gender funding disparity.
Also, the operation in the highly regulated education business is difficult, especially for first-time entrepreneurs, as compliance with regulations and policies, together with licensing conditions, may be burdensome. Apart from capital and regulatory constraints, most women are faced with negotiating family obligations against entrepreneurial pursuits, hence, a strong support network and mentorship program is crucial to ensure they stay afloat and grow their businesses.
Several women have managed to overcome these issues, becoming leaders in the ECE industry:
An early childhood education institution is dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education by introducing curriculum planning and training programs for teachers. Through introducing innovative learning models, they seek to enhance educational achievements among young children.
Similarly, certain preschool chains have launched franchise systems customized for women entrepreneurs, offering them the autonomy to combine professional with personal obligations while adding to the development of the early education industry. These initiatives are helping to create a more inclusive and high-quality early learning environment.
The Socio-Economic Ripple Effect
The emergence of women entrepreneurs in the ECE sector has significant socio-economic consequences:
Employment Generation: Women-owned education ventures and preschools create employment, typically preferring to hire other women, thereby changing entire communities.
Empowerment: Entrepreneurship empowers women with economic independence and a voice to influence educational policy and practice.
Enhanced Educational Quality: With an emphasis on quality and innovation, the edupreneurs are developing new standards, which are leading to improved overall early childhood education quality in the country.
Government Support and Initiatives
With the potential that women entrepreneurs hold for nation-building, the government of India has initiated several initiatives:
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao: Though essentially focused on education for girls, the program indirectly encourages women’s participation in education through gender equity.
MUDRA Yojana: Micro-financing for small and medium-scale enterprises, of which several are women-owned, makes access to capital less of a hurdle.
The Road Ahead
As India evolves, the role of women in transforming the sector of early childhood education becomes increasingly vital. To further enhance their contribution, a few important measures can be undertaken. Access to funds must be improved, with institutions of finance required to recognize the potential of women-owned businesses and provide specific financing solutions.
Capacity building via training, mentorship, and workshops will be in a position to empower women with the relevant competence for accomplishment within the world of entrepreneurship. Policy changes that make regulatory mechanisms easy and offer incentives can also promote more women entering the industry. Lastly, setting up networking platforms where women entrepreneurs can exchange experiences, problems, and solutions will create a strong support system of entrepreneurs who spur collective advancement in early childhood education.
Indian women are transforming the early childhood education industry by harmoniously integrating time-tested educational principles with new-age entrepreneurial strategies. Their transition from teachers to entrepreneurs is not only a reflection of their determination and foresight but also an inspiration of women-led endeavors’ ability to change the destiny of education in India.
Investors are alarmed by President Donald Trump’s tariffs, and a stock market sell-off has erased $4 trillion from the S&P 500’s top last month, when Wall Street was applauding most of Trump’s program, due to fears of an economic slowdown. Businesses, consumers, and investors are now more anxious due to a flurry of new Trump initiatives, particularly the back-and-forth tariff moves against China, Canada, and Mexico, who are important trading partners. On March 10, the stock market selloff intensified. With its largest daily decline of the year, the benchmark S&P 500 opened the day down 2.7%. The Nasdaq Composite saw a 4% drop the biggest one-day drop since September 2022. Monday saw the S&P 500 settle 8.6% lower than its record high of February 19, losing more than $4 trillion in market value since then. The index is now approaching a 10% fall, which would be considered a correction.
Tariff War Causing Uncertainty in the US Market
Over the weekend, as investors feared the effects of his trade strategy, Trump refrained from making any predictions on whether the United States would experience a recession. Speaking at the CERAWeek conference in Houston, Lazard CEO Peter Orszag said that the level of uncertainty brought about by the trade conflicts involving Canada, Mexico, and Europe is making boards and C-suites reevaluate the way forward. The portion about Canada, Mexico, and Europe is unclear, but people can comprehend the ongoing problems with China. This might seriously harm the US economy and M&A activity if it isn’t resolved over the next month or so.
When Delta Air Lines opened on March 10th, it cut its first-quarter profit projections in half, which caused its shares to drop 14% in post-market trading. Ed Bastian, the CEO, cited the increased economic uncertainties in the United States. In order to prevent a partial shutdown of the federal government, investors are also keeping an eye on whether Congress can enact a financing bill. On March 12, the United States will release its inflation report. Based on data from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis as of July 2024, the percentage of total corporate stocks and mutual fund shares owned by the wealthiest 10% of Americans was 87%, while the same percentage for the bottom 50% of Americans was roughly 1%. Megacap technology and tech-related stocks like Nvidia and Tesla, which have underperformed so far in 2025, propelled the S&P 500 to back-to-back gains of over 20% in 2023 and 2024, pulling major indexes along.
Ongoing Developments at Wall Street
Since Trump’s election on November 5, the S&P 500 has lost all of its gains and has fallen by almost 3%. According to a March 10 Goldman Sachs note, hedge funds cut their stock exposure on 7 March for the biggest amount in over two years. Although investors had been hopeful that Trump’s anticipated pro-growth program, which included deregulation and tax cuts, would boost stocks, their euphoria has been tempered by uncertainties around tariffs and other measures, such as federal staff layoffs. Despite the current decline, stock market values are still far higher than historical averages. LSEG Datastream, a global source of financial datasets, reports that as of 7 March, the S&P 500 was slightly above 21 times earnings projections for the upcoming year, as opposed to its long-term average forward P/E of 15.8.
March 11, 2025: Angad Bhatia has been appointed as the CEO of Firstpost and Creator18, a brand-new and exciting venture from the Network18 stable.
In addition to shepherding Firstpost, India’s most credible international news brand, he will lead the building of a creator network on off-platform extensions across our digital properties.
An experienced builder of digital businesses, Angad brings deep expertise in starting and scaling B2C media ventures. Angad has an entrepreneurial approach which is bolstered by clear strategic planning. He has shown a knack for identifying adjacencies to existing businesses and has demonstrated growth in the companies he has worked with.
Before joining Network18, Angad was CEO of India Lifestyle Network. He also led Brand & Marketing Growth for other Mensa Brands. He brings more than 15 years’ experience in media, content, technology, creation & innovation, and digital commerce while building some of India’s most influential digital-first consumer brands like MensXP (a digital platform that he founded & scaled it into a market leader before its acquisition by Times Internet), iDiva & Hypp.
Angad’s entrepreneurial zeal will bring to life new ideas, helping the group reach new audiences and explore new growth opportunities.
Angad will report to Rahul Joshi, MD & Group Editor-in-chief, Network18.
About Firstpost
Firstpost is a leading Indian news website offering in-depth coverage and analysis. Launched in 2011, it is part of the Network18 Group. The platform covers politics, business, sports, and entertainment. Known for its bold journalism, Firstpost delivers credible and timely news. It is headquartered in Mumbai, Maharashtra.
About Creator18
Creator18 is a brand-new venture from Network18, aiming to build a creator network on off-platform extensions across its digital properties. While specific details about Creator18 are yet to be publicly disclosed, it represents Network18’s initiative to expand its digital footprint and engage with content creators to enhance its media offerings.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) season is held yearly, and our cricket-crazy nation cannot stop raging about it. One of the most expensive leagues in the world, IPL is undoubtedly the biggest T20 premier league in the world—a festival in itself for all cricket worshipers.
IPL is a huge money-crunching season for those involved in the play on and off the field. The players, team owners, media outlets, and franchises deal in millions of rupees. This concept can be traced to the Premier League matches of European football and is closely similar to the NBA of the United States. The then BCCI Vice-President Lalit Modi had declared that they had worked on the same idea for over two years before they could materialize the franchise-based T20 cricket competition, IPL, in April 2008.
What could be better than having a cricket frenzy for cricket-crazy people? The first season was a total hit since it involved international players and it was something new to watch our favorite Indian players pitted against each other group into different teams.
Since everyone is involved in making money, why should you and I be left alone? No, I am not asking you to play or invest in the IPL hoopla, although owning an IPL team is on most millennials’ bucket lists. However, there are ways people can make the most of the IPL season and earn from it.
Are you unaware of the ways how to earn money in IPL? Then, let us look at the several legitimate ways for how to earn money from IPL in 2025.
Social media, with its dearth of privacy, of course, never runs out of entertainment. Users glued to their devices are always looking for a sneak peek into famous people’s lives. Besides, our hotshot IPL players are no exception.
Remember KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya on Koffee with Karan? The series of meme threads it spread was hilarious. This brings us to one of the ways we can cash in on some humour. Memes are a great way to make a quick buck during IPL if you’re the creative one and are able to set off a viral trend on social media.
You can also begin writing or blogging about IPL for example, revolving around interesting facts and trivia about the players or the games being held. Fans are always eager to know about their favourite players, and blogging out fresh new information can only make it more enjoyable. Therefore, IPL event blogging can surely be one of the best ways to earn money from cricket during the Indian Premier League.
YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook are other platforms where the masses consume your content, and if they like it, you can make more of it and even monetize it.
2. Fantasy Leagues
How to Earn Money From IPL – Fantasy Leagues
Fantasy Leagues are where you create your own team with players from the ongoing season; meanwhile, the performance of these players in actual games earns you points and monetary rewards. The better the team, the bigger the rewards. Choose your players wisely, and you can earn a fortune.
Here are the top 6 Fantasy apps you can try to earn money from cricket now:
MyTeam11
MyTeam11 is the fastest-growing Fantasy Sports app with a user base of 18+ million. With the legendary batsman of the Indian cricket team, Virender Sehwag, as its ambassador, MyTeam11 offers fantasy games for more than ten sports.
Dream11
The first sports fantasy app to become a unicorn, Dream11 hosts three fantasy sports and gives you access to the latest news, results, and main rankings, based on which you can create your own team and even coach it. Dream11 has a maximum payout of INR 30,00,000, and you can withdraw your earned amount within one day.
Playerzpot
Playerzpot has referral rewards every time your referrals play at Playerzpot. It has facilities for instant withdrawal by linking your Paytm with the app. Playerzpot offers sports fantasy games such as Cricket, Football, and Kabaddi.
MPL
MPL has over 60 games, and fantasy cricket is one of them. It offers various transaction options such as Paytm, UPI, Amazon Pay, and bank transfers. With a celebrity face like Virat Kohli, MPL has gained ground with its 24*7 customer support and huge cashback offers.
Probo
Headquartered in Gurgaon, India, Probo is designed to be an opinions trading platform where users are offered opportunities to test their knowledge or predictions. With a wide variety of niches that Probo covers, including Finance, Sports, Entertainment, News, and more, the platform enables its users to answer questions from their preferred domains in a simple Yes/No and then select the amount they would like to invest on the same. They would then just have to wait for their rewards based on the actual outcome of the events.
Howzat
Howzat, a Delhi-based app, already has over 7 million users and has collaborated with popular players such as Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan to promote itself during the IPL season.
How to Earn Money Through IPL
3. IPL Merchandise
India is a cricket-crazy nation and will live up to this title during any cricket tournament, whether in the T20, ODI or the World Cup. If you’re looking to cash in on this cricket frenzy, you can create and sell some IPL merchandise such as jersey replicas, caps, bats, quirky quotes from players on t-shirts, mugs, diaries, and so on. There is a highly functional wholesale market during the IPL season where you buy and sell these items at retail pricing.
You can try to organize a hyperlocal T20 tournament with local sponsors in your community or society. Cricket enthusiasts hype every season, and this will encourage people to participate. Seeing your neighboring uncle aunties sort out their spats through cricket matches will be fun. Plus, you will earn some quick bucks, which is a win-win during this IPL season. These tournaments can be fun and a major way to earn money in IPL.
5. IPL Screenings
We have all, at least once in our lifetime, been to football or cricket screenings, particularly in a pop café or bars. But why should bars have all the fun? You can organize an IPL screening in your society’s community hall or even your school playground (with official permission).
Watching an IPL screening can be fun, especially when there’s an eagerly cheery crowd and some favorite comfort food. On top of this, you can arrange for happy hours with local drinks and delicacies at a cover charge, and there you go; people would love to hop in.
If you happen to possess a considerable number of followers on your social media platforms, you could potentially earn money by endorsing IPL teams or players on your page. As the Indian Premier League (IPL) season approaches, teams and players are in search of innovative ways to widen their exposure and attract more fans. By leveraging your social media presence, you could offer them a platform to connect with a broader audience, which in turn could benefit both you and the teams/players. So, if you’re interested in exploring this opportunity, you could reach out to IPL teams or players and suggest a collaboration that aligns with your audience’s interests and preferences.
7. Affiliate Marketing
If you are an avid cricket fan and want to earn money while promoting cricket-related products or services, you can consider affiliate marketing programs. These programs allow you to share affiliate links with your followers or audience, and you can earn commissions on the sales generated through your referrals. With the growing popularity of cricket, it’s an excellent opportunity to monetize your interest in the sport and earn a passive income. Additionally, you can choose from a wide range of cricket-related products or services, such as sports equipment, merchandise, online courses, or even live-streaming services. This is one of the ways of how you can earn money from IPL. So, if you are passionate about cricket and want to turn your interest into a source of income, affiliate marketing programs can be an ideal option for you. Affiliate Marketing is one of the prominent ways to earn money from IPL.
8. Set Up a Stall
Cricket attracts a lot of fans to stadiums, and you can make money by setting up a stall nearby. Just make sure to get the right permissions and permits so your business runs smoothly.
You can visit a stadium on match days to see what sells the most and plan your stall accordingly.
If you have photography and videography skills, you can capture IPL match moments and sell them to media outlets, news agencies, or IPL teams. High-quality images and videos are in demand for sports websites, magazines, and social media promotions. You can also offer exclusive behind-the-scenes content or player interviews to attract more buyers and increase your earnings.
FAQs
How do IPL teams earn money?
The IPL teams earn from Broadcast or Media Rights and Title Sponsorship, which constitute the Central Revenue channel and make up around 70% of their revenues. The other prominent channels that help the IPL teams earn money are – Ad and Promotional Revenue and Local Revenue, which add 20% and 10% of the IPL teams’ revenues.
How much do IPL teams earn?
IPL franchises could earn between ₹500–600 crore in 2024, which is an 80–100% increase from the previous year. This is due to team sponsorships, which are estimated to be between ₹75–100 crore per team.
How does IPL make money?
BCCI makes money by selling media rights, the biggest revenue source.
How do you earn money from cricket?
You can earn money from cricket by hosting screening events via fantasy apps, selling merchandise, conducting hyperlocal T20 tournaments, and more.
How do IPL sponsors make money?
The IPL sponsors, like Tata, Dream11, Unacademy, Tata Safari, CRED, Upstox, RuPay, Star Sports, Paytm, and others, make money from the amount of advertisement done on their behalf, which helps them:
Build credibility
Improve ROI
Enhance the brand image
Generate relevant leads
Strengthen marketing
Multiply sales and revenues
How can watch IPL and earn money?
You can watch IPL and earn money by live-streaming match commentary, creating analysis videos on YouTube, or writing match reports for sports blogs. Betting apps, fantasy cricket leagues, and selling match photos or videos to media outlets are also ways to profit. Sponsorships and ads can boost earnings if you build a strong online presence.
Which apps will help you make money during IPL?
Apps like Dream11 or MPL offer fantasy cricket leagues during IPL where you can make money by creating teams and participating in contests. Additionally, betting apps like Betway or Bet365 allow you to wager on IPL matches for potential earnings.
The cash-rich Indian Premier League— as a product and brand— has emerged as one of the most profitable arms of cricket. Since its inception in 2008, the Board of Control for Cricket in India’s brainchild has risen by leaps and bounds to be adequately represented by the title sponsors bragging rights to cricket’s most profitable competition.
The title sponsor fees of IPL are strategically important to the BCCI and the companies wanting the gig. So far, three companies had the most extended contracts with BCCI’s cash-rich T20 league— Pepsi, Vivo, and Tata Group. However, the former two had to unexpectedly terminate their agreement due to spot-fixing allegations and border politics.
The large viewership of this lucrative sport has lured brands and MNCs to bid on the title sponsorship. The title sponsorship forms a crucial key to the IPL’s revenue-sharing agreement with the franchises— a fraction of the title sponsorship money goes to the ten franchises.
The 2025 Indian Premier League, also called IPL 18 or TATA IPL 2025, will be the 18th season of the IPL. The tournament will have ten teams playing 74 matches from March 22 to May 25, 2025.
IPL Title Sponsorship Over the Years
Here’s a timeline of IPL title sponsors price over the years 2008 to 2028:
Year
Sponsor
Fees
2008
DLF
INR 40 crores
2009
DLF
INR 40 crores
2010
DLF
INR 40 crores
2011
DLF
INR 40 crores
2012
DLF
INR 40 crores
2013
Pepsi
INR 79.4 crores
2014
Pepsi
INR 79.4 crores
2015
Pepsi
INR 79.4 crores
2016
Vivo
INR 100 crores
2017
Vivo
INR 100 crores
2018
Vivo
INR 439.8 crores
2019
Vivo
INR 439.8 crores
2020
Dream 11
INR 222 crores
2021
Vivo
INR 439.8 crores
2022
Tata
INR 335 crores
2023
Tata
INR 335 crores
2024
Tata
INR 500 crores
2025
Tata
INR 500 crores
2026
Tata
INR 500 crores
2027
Tata
INR 500 crores
2028
Tata
INR 500 crores
Here is a list of the IPL title sponsors over the years:
The Delhi-based then India’s largest real estate firm, DLF, was the sponsor of the first-ever edition of the Indian Premier League in 2008. Signing a four-year deal with BCCI, DLF bagged the bid by paying BCCI INR 40 crore per annum and became a household name. It was a clever move for the company as it instantly came into the limelight— mainly as the first brand to become the title sponsor of IPL. DLF remained the title sponsor till 2012, and as the deal ended in 2012, the company decided not to renew it. DLF was the first IPL sponsor.
After DLF’s contract with BCCI was terminated, the soft drink giant Pepsi took over from DLF and grabbed sponsorship rights at INR 396 Crore for five years. The second brand sponsor of IPL had the contract till 2017, but the FMCG giant had to step down in 2015 owing to the spot-fixing allegations swirling around. In 2015, an infamous match-fixing scandal in the IPL came, which led to the suspension of two eminent teams from the IPL— the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two years by the Lodha Committee. After this, Pepsi terminated the contract of 5 years in just three years only. This implies that the multinational beverage company just paid INR 238.2 crores to BCCI for the three years it served as the title sponsor of IPL in 2013, 2014, and 2015.
When Pepsi walked out of the contract two years before its termination, the BCCI was in a spot of bother to fill the void. However, that void was seen as a golden opportunity by the Chinese mobile company VIVO, which jumped in and grabbed the opportunity to sponsor IPL. Vivo bought rights for the remaining two years of the previous contract from Pepsi by paying INR 100 crores till 2017. The mobile company heavily benefitted from this deal as their sales skyrocketed in the Indian market.
Vivo: 2018-19
Sponsor
Vivo
Tenure
2018 to 2019
Fees
INR 439.8 Crores per annum
IPL Title Sponsors List – Vivo
Following the resounding success of their previous two-year deal, VIVO renewed and gained the title rights for five years. The Chinese mobile company upped the bar to seal the agreement by paying a whopping INR 2,199 crore and outbid their business rivals, Oppo. This meant the company paid a massive amount of INR 439.8 crores annually. However, Vivo could not complete its five-year contract with BCCI because of escalating Indo-China border tensions. In 2020, the Sino-Indian diplomatic relations got sour, and Vivo pulled out as an IPL sponsor before the Indo-China Galwan Valley face-off. The growing anti-Chinese sentiments forced Vivo to back off and call a premature end to the contract in 2020.
After Vivo prematurely sacked the agreement following a public backlash, the fantasy sports platform Dream11 in 2020 took its place. After the Chinese mobile manufacturing company, Vivo dropped the contract due to the Indo-China tension, Dream11 came on board and made a deal for INR 222 Crore. The fantasy sports platform had a face-off against one of India’s heavyweights— the Tata Group and Edtech startups such as Byju’s and Unacademy— and bagged the bid, causing BCCI to receive INR 217.80 crores less from the previous contract with Vivo. With a clever marketing strategy and catchy advertisements featuring renowned cricketers, the deal with BCCI accelerated the fantasy game platform Dream11, to become one of the world’s top fantasy platforms.
Dream11 IPL 2020: Ek Saath Waali Baat
Vivo: 2021
Sponsor
Vivo
Tenure
2021
Fees
INR 439.8 Crores per annum
With the hope of diluting Sino-Indian tension in the minds of Indians, the Chinese mobile company VIVO once again returned as the Title Sponsor for the 2021 IPL, paying the same amount as it paid before Dream 11. As this deal was signed, IPL sponsorship cost BCCI a whopping INR 439.8 crores for title sponsorship, but the Chinese manufacturing company again had to pull out after this year as the Indo-China border clash continued to haunt the company. With this, Vivo somehow served five years as the title sponsor of the Indian Premier League. That said, Vivo will also have to pay a 6 percent assignment fee for two years, which comes to INR 29 crore in 2022 and INR 31 crore in 2023, making Vivo pay INR 454 crore— a little over the annual sponsorship money initially committed by the company. The Chinese phone manufacturer wanted to commit to its agreement. Nonetheless, the military face-off between India and China in 2020 caused a large-scale ban on Chinese products in the South Asian peninsula and caused Vivo to step back.
One of India’s largest businesses and most reputed Industrial conglomerates, TATA Group, replaced VIVO for 2022 and 2023 as the IPL title sponsor by paying around INR 670 crore.
With an annual fee of INR 335 crores from TATA and INR 454 crores from Vivo, BCCI had a win-win situation as it is to earn a whopping INR 1124 crore for seasons 2022 and 2023. Of INR 335 crore per year, INR 301 crore is the Rights Fee, and an additional INR 34 crore is the cumulative fee (for an increase of 14 games). As one of the largest and most reliable industrial groups, TATA looks forward to promoting the sport across political borders.
Tata Group: 2024-28
Sponsor
Tata Group
Tenure
2023 to 2028
Fees
INR 500 crores per annum
The Tata Group has secured the title sponsorship rights for the Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2024 to 2028, with a record-breaking financial commitment of INR 2500 crore. This is the highest-ever sponsorship amount in the history of the league, which reflects the immense value and appeal that the IPL holds in the world of sports. The Tata Group is a symbol of excellence in India, with a diverse range of verticals, and has previously held the title sponsorship rights for the IPL in 2022 and 2023. Additionally, the group is also the title sponsor of the Women’s Premier League, the biggest women’s T20 league in the world.
The collaboration between the BCCI and the Tata Group embodies the spirit of growth, innovation, and mutual dedication to excellence. The unprecedented financial commitment by the Tata Group underscores the immense scale and global impact of the IPL on the international sports stage.
For the 2025 IPL season, besides the title sponsor, there are other key partners:
Associate Partners: My11Circle, Angel One, and RuPay
Who have the IPL title sponsors been over the years?
The IPL title sponsors over the years are DLF, Pepsi, Vivo, Dream 11, and Tata Group.
Why did Pepsi have to step down as the title sponsor of IPL in 2015?
In 2015, an infamous match-fixing scandal in the IPL came, which led to the suspension of two eminent teams from the IPL— the Chennai Super Kings and the Rajasthan Royals were suspended for two years. After this, Pepsi terminated the contract of 5 years in just three years only.
How much does it cost to sponsor an IPL team?
Sponsoring an IPL team can vary in cost. Tata Group secured the title sponsorship for IPL 2024-2028 for a record-breaking amount of INR 2500 crore. Team sponsorships are expected to increase by 10% in 2023, with each franchise earning between Rs 50-100 crore depending on the team.
Which was the first company to sponsor IPL?
DLF was the first company to be the title sponsor of IPL at INR 40 crores annually.
Which year was DLF title sponsor of IPL?
DLF was the title sponsor of IPL from 2008-2012.
Who was the IPL 2008 sponsor?
DLF was the IPL title 2008 sponsor.
What is the IPL title sponsors list from 2008 to 2023?
IPL title sponsors from 2008-2012 was DLF, Pepsi from 2013-2015, Vivo from 2016-2019, Dream 11 for 2020, Vivo again for 2021, and Tata from 2022 to 2028.
What is the Vivo IPL sponsorship amount?
Vivo was the title sponsor of IPL from 2016-2019 for INR 100 crore from 2016-2017, INR 440 crore from 2018-2019, and then INR 440 crore for 2021.
What is IPL sponsors 2025 price?
IPL title sponsor from 2024-2028 is Tata with INR 500 crore for every year.
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The traditional supply chain is highly inefficient, unorganized, and sees a lot of wastage when it comes to food items. Besides, it has always been discovered that the farmers experience price risk, asymmetry in information about demand, inefficiency when it comes to distribution, and also fall prey to delayed payments. Furthermore, the retailers also face a whole lot of problems pertaining to higher costs, low-quality items, unhygienic produce, volatility of prices, and are spurred to rush to the market regularly even amidst erratic conditions. All of these are reasons why Ninjacart came into being.
Ninjacart is India’s largest Fresh Produce Supply Chain platform, which is built to improve the supply chain distribution when it comes to fresh produces. The ninjacart company is a pioneer in solving one of the toughest supply chain problems in the world by leveraging innovative technology. The high-quality and hygienically-handled fresh produce ensures healthy food to the consumers along with maintaining transparency among the points of supply chain and distribution. Read more to find out about Ninjacart company details, ninjacart founders, ninjacart revenue, ninjacart business model, etc.
Ninjacart is India’s largest fresh produce supply chain company that is solving one of the toughest problems in the world through technology. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Ninjacart company connects producers of food directly with retailers, restaurants, and service providers with the help of in-house applications that drive the end-to-end operations.
Ninjacart Supply Chain is equipped to move 1400+ tonnes of perishables from farms to businesses, every day, in less than 12 hours. The ninjacart startup currently has a network of more than 200 collection centres and over 1,200 warehouses in the country as of 2022.
The Ninjacart company is not only a developer of agricultural marketing but also provides a supply chain platform intended to revolutionalize the fresh produce supply chain. The ninjacart app and website leverage data science, infrastructure, and networks to connect farmers directly to businesses and end retailers such as grocery stores, enabling retailers and merchants to source fresh farm produce directly from farmers in less time and in a cost-effective way.
Ninjacart India has eliminated intermediaries by taking control of the Supply Chain by using technology and analytics.
The company has built reliable, cost-effective, and high-speed logistics and infrastructure to solve inefficiencies in the Supply Chain.
On one end, farmers get better prices and consistent demand, and on the other end, retailers receive fresh produce at competitive prices that are delivered to their doorstep.
The Ninjacart founders areAshutosh Vikram, Kartheeswaran KK, Sharath Loganathan, Sachin Jose, Thirukumaran Nagarajan, and Vasudevan Chinnathambi, 2015. The ninjacart company has successfully built a tech-enabled supply chain for fresh farm produce and is able to deliver over 1,400 tonnes of fruits and vegetables daily.
Ninjacart Founders
Ashutosh Vikram
Ashutosh Vikram is the co-founder of Ninjacart. After completing his Btech degree in Computer Science from B.I.E.T Jhansi, Vikram obtained a PGDM from IIM Kozhikode. Ashutosh started by founding Shout App, after which he joined CommonFloor.com as the Associate Product Manager. Again, after a little more than a year and a half, Vikram joined OLACabs as the Associate Product Manager, but he served this role only for 6 months when he decided to co-found Ninjacart. Along with being the co-founder of Ninjacart, Vikram also serves as a Program Manager/Mentor.
Kartheeswaran KK
Kartheeswaran is known as the co-founder of Ninjacart, and also serves as the COO of the company. KK completed a Bachelor of Engineering in Computer Science from the College of Engineering, Guindy and then went for PGP in General Management from IIM Ahmedabad. Kartheeswaran was a Student Director at CEG Tech Forum and he soon joined Microsoft as the Program Manager, but he left the role within 2 months and joined TaxiforSure with the same designation. He left the company a year after his joining and co-founded Ninjacart, where he also served as the CTO of the company.
Sharath Loganathan
After obtaining a Mechatronics Engineering Bachelor’s degree from Anna University, Sharath went for a PGDM in General Management from IIM Kozhikode. In his professional life, Loganathan started as the Team Lead at Satyam Computers and Services Ltd., he eventually joined Financial Inclusion Network and Operations Ltd as a Manager after leaving his previous job. Loganathan left his job after a period of a little more than 2 years and decided to pave his entrepreneurial career. He started by co-founding EduRaft Solutions and the Shout Out App. However, he spent around a year at each of the companies after which he joined CommonFloor.com as a Product Manager. However, he left the company in less than 2 years’ time to co-found Ninjacart.
Thirukumaran Nagarajan
Ninjacart Co-founder and CEO Thirukumaran Nagarajan was a BE Electrical and Electronics student at the College of Engineering, Guindy. He was then enrolled in a course in Foreign Exchange, and Finance at the Università Commerciale ‘Luigi Bocconi’. Nagarajan again pursued an MBA (PGDM) from the Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode logo Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode Indian Institute of Management, Kozhikode. Starting with ABB as a Sales and Marketing Executive, Nagarajan then joined Axis Bank after 2 years. After around 1.6 years, he left Axis Bank and joined as an Investment Associate at Aavishkaar. Nagarajan then co-founded EduRaft Private Ltd. A serial entrepreneur now, Thirukumaran Nagarajan went on to found 2 more companies – Shout and Ninjacart. He also worked at TaxiforSure for a brief period of 9 months in between before he founded Ninjacart, where he is presently a Co-founder and CEO.
Vasu C
Vasu C is another co-founder of Ninjacart. He had previous experiences serving as a Senior Systems Engineer at Infosys, Product Manager at Firefly E-ventures, and a Product Manager for TaxiforSure, before he co-founded Ninjacart along with the other co-founders. Vasudevan has cites Shanmuga Arts, Science, Technology and Research Academy and School of Inspired Leadership as his alma mater.
Sachin Jose
Sachin Jose is an Ex-co-founder of Ninjacart. Jose is an alumnus of the Copenhagen Institute of Interaction Design. CommonFloor was the first company that Jose worked in as an intern and later as a Visual Designer. Sachin then co-founded Shout, where he stayed for less than 6 months before co-founding Ninjacart in 2015. However, he quit the company in September 2017. Jose worked with a range of companies like Verizon, Saiga, Byjus, and Think & Learn and is presently serving as a Product Design Lead at rebuy recommence.
The startup team of Ninjacart bonded together with Thiru leading the setup, who soon found Sharath as the obvious choice because the two of them have always been partners in crime since the biryani startup days. KK, Vasu, and Ashutosh soon came together to form Ninjacart.
The Ninjacart team is currently led by Thirukumaran Nagarajan – Ninjakart as the Founder & CEO where Abhishek Agarwal, Prashannth Vijayakumar, Kartheeswaran K K, and Theyagarajan S manage key leadership positions.
Ninjacart – Startup Story
Ninjacart startup started operating in 2015 as a hyperlocal grocery delivery platform, and its main aim was to help retailers take their inventory online and deliver quality groceries to consumers in less than 60 minutes from ordering at scale. This was still a novel concept back then.
The Ninjacart pitch that was to be presented to Accel was an interesting story that Thiru (Founder and CEO of Ninjacart) and Subrata Mitra (Partner at Accel) can clearly remember even after so many years since the launch of Ninjacart. It was a Saturday afternoon when Subrata planned to meet two entrepreneurs at his own house, but to his surprise, he saw five of them showing up at his doorstep. This made Subrata hold the meeting at the dinner table. The Founders of Ninjacart didn’t have any formal pitch ready, so they just wanted to talk about their idea, product and plans. Thiru opened their app and showed how people can order via the same, which impressed Subrata. The Accel Partner was impressed by the quality of the app and the potential opportunity for growth that it had in the market. However, what impressed him the most is the team at Ninjacart.
But soon Ninjacart founders realized that with little product differentiation, customers were unwilling to pay a premium rate just for the marginal convenience of ordering online, especially for fruits and vegetables. On one hand, kirana partners faced problems regarding tedious procurement processes and proper management of quality, hygiene, price, assortment, and customer understanding. On the other, farmers experienced unfair practices, high food wastage due to a supply-demand mismatch, and lower incomes.
So, they changed the ninjacart business model and the ninjacart revenue model to an agri-tech platform to solve one of the toughest agricultural supply chain problems at its root, built reliable, cost-effective, and high-speed infrastructure, and enabled retailers and merchants to source fresh produce directly from farmers daily.
Ninjacart – Mission and Vision
“Better Lives for Every Agri-Citizen” says the vision statement of the brand.
The company’s mission is Build the most trusted, efficient, and inclusive agri-trade network.
Ninjacart – Name, Tagline, Logo and its Meaning
Ninjacart Logo
Ninjacart introduced a new logo as part of its rebranding, showcasing its dynamic and adaptable nature. The fresh design aims to build trust among farmers, traders, and retailers while highlighting the company’s commitment to strengthening connections in the food supply chain and supporting the entire agricultural community.
Ninjacart’s business model is based on removing inefficiencies and intermediate middlemen in the fruits and vegetables supply chain. On one hand, the company helps improve farmers’ incomes and provides a consistent demand and on the other hand, they deliver quality, fresh, and hygienically handled produce to retailers and food service providers. Ninja cart buys from farmers and sells to retailers and food service providers within 12 hours.
Nagarajan says that more than 25% of the vegetables Ninjacart sells are procured directly from farmers. The ninjacart business model helps the company in engaging farmers in various awareness programs to educate them about the Ninjacart app and the benefits of selling directly to the venture.
Ninjacart earns from the sales of the fresh goods to the retailers at profitable prices. The company also makes some money via its app. The Ninjacart revenue model aims to further build a farmer ecosystem and has already started its work on creating a fintech platform for the farmers. The ninjacart app will help them get the capital they would need to buy tractors, build greenhouses, and other working capital they need from time to time.
Ninjacart – Shareholding
Ninjacart’s shareholding pattern as of March 2024, sourced from Tracxn:
Ninjacart Shareholders
Percentage
Thirukumaran Nagarajan
9.5%
Ashutosh Vikram
2.7%
Vasudevan Chinnathambi
1.8%
Sharath Loganathan
1.7%
Kartheeswaran Karandipalayam Kandasamy
1.7%
Sachin Jose
1.6%
Tiger Global Management
18.9%
Accel
13.9%
Syngenta Group
4.2%
Entrust Family Office
2.3%
Qualcomm Ventures
2.2%
Tanglin Venture Partners
1.9%
Mistletoe
2.5%
STIC Investments
3.5%
Hahn & Company
1.2%
Steadview
1.2%
Neoplux
1.1%
M&S Capital Partners
0.4%
ABG Capital
0.2%
NPTK Emerging Asia Fund 1
0.2%
Trifecta Capital
0.2%
SIN Capital
0.1%
GEC3
12.6%
Flipkart
12.6%
Angel
5.2%
Other People
0.4%
ESOP Pool
5.8%
Total
100.0%
Ninjacart Shareholding
Ninjacart – Growth
The company claims to have more than 200 collection centres across the country to procure fresh goods, and 1200+ warehouses to stock them. Valued at over $815 million, Ninjacart is hailed as the highest valued agri-tech startup, as of January 27, 2022. The $815 million valuations of Ninjacart is a decent indicator that the agri-tech startup can easily become the first unicorn in the space ahead!
Some of the Ninjacart growth highlights are as follows:
Ninjacart is hailed as the pioneer of tech-driven supply chain space for fresh produce
The company is backed by a wide range of esteemed venture funds and companies including Accel, Qualcomm, Tiger Global, and others
The Ninjacart Supply Chain i equipped to move more than 1,400 tonnes of perishables from farms to businesses, every day, and that too within less than 12 hours
The Bengaluru-based company proves beneficial to farmers, retailers, and consumers
Ninjacart is operating in 150+ markets across multiple agri-commodities
Ninjacart launched Agri Seed Fund on March 4, 2022. The Agri Seed Fund is a $25 million fund, which is aimed to support the emerging and new-age startups in the agricultural sector. This seed fund would help Ninjacart make “seed investments in startups, entrepreneurs and tech innovators”, who will come up with “unique, sustainable and tech-enabled solutions“, as per the company’s press release.
It is important to note here that with this new seed fund initiative, Ninjacart will invest in teams who have great technical abilities but may lack a particular solution or the right idea at the moment. This development comes as part of the agri-tech giant’s larger effort to boost the Indian agricultural landscape. The Agri Seed Fund is focused on strengthening innovation and accelerating disruption across the agriculture sector with the help of seed investments over the next two years.
Ninjacart – Financials
Ninjacart has shown significant revenue growth over the years, reaching INR 2,081.5 crore in FY24, but continues to operate at a loss. Expenses have also increased, affecting profitability.
Particulars
FY24
FY23
FY22
FY21
FY20
Revenue
INR 2,081.5 crore
INR 1,212.3 crore
INR 991 crore
INR 776.9 crore
INR 509.1 crore
Expenses
INR 2,341.2 crore
INR 1,538.7 crore
INR 1,298.9 crore
INR 1,799.9 crore
INR 993.6 crore
Profit/Loss
INR -259.6 crore
INR -326.4 crore
INR -307.9 crore
INR -1,023.1 crore
INR -484.4 crore
Ninjacart Financials
Revenue increased from INR 1,212.3 crore in FY23 to INR 2,081.5 crore in FY24, but losses narrowed slightly from INR 326.4 crore to INR 259.6 crore.
Ninjacart Revenue
Revenue has grown significantly, up 71.7% YoY from INR 1,212.3 crore (FY23) to INR 2,081.5 crore (FY24).
Revenue Breakdown
FY24
FY23
Revenue from Operations
INR 2,002.7 crore
INR 1,153.5 crore
Other Income
INR 78.8 crore
INR 58.9 crore
Total Revenue
INR 2,081.5 crore
INR 1,212.3 crore
Strong revenue growth, mainly from core operations, with other income also increasing.
Ninjacart Profit/Loss
While losses continue, they reduced by 20.4% from INR 326.4 crore in FY23 to INR 259.6 crore in FY24. Despite rising revenue, losses remain, though they are decreasing.
Ninjacart Expenses
Expenses increased by 52.2% YoY, mainly due to higher stock purchases and operational costs.
Expense Breakdown
FY24
FY23
Purchases of Stock-in-Trade
INR 1,930.8 Cr
INR 1,085.6 Cr
Employee Benefit Expense
INR 237.6 Cr
INR 246.8 Cr
Finance Cost
INR 9.1 Cr
INR 1.1 Cr
Depreciation & Amortization
INR 15.1 Cr
INR 22.1 Cr
Other Expenses
INR 155.8 Cr
INR 180.8 Cr
Total Expenses
INR 2,341.2 Cr
INR 1,538.7 Cr
Expenses increased mainly due to higher purchases, but employee costs slightly reduced.
Quick Summary (FY24 vs FY23)
Revenue: Grew 71.7% to INR 2,081.5 crore.
Expenses: Increased 52.2%, mainly due to higher stock purchases.
Profit/Loss: Loss reduced by 20.4% from INR 326.4 crore to INR 259.6 crore.
Business Impact: Growth in revenue is promising, but reducing losses further is key to long-term profitability.
Ninjacart – Product And Services
Export import agricultural platform
Ninja Global, a platform for agricultural export-import companies in the United Arab Emirates and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) nations, has been introduced by Ninjacart on November, 2022. It will make it possible for importers and exporters to establish networks with reliable companies, get access to new markets, and grow their companies successfully on a global basis.
Agri Next
Ninjacart stated in August of 2023 that its “Agri Next” concept would be launched in the future. Ninjacart is demonstrating its dedication to revolutionizing agriculture through the modernization of agri spaces and the promotion of digital solutions throughout the agricultural value chain with this ground-breaking project.
Ninjacart – ESOPs
Ninjacart crossed the $800 million mark in valuation when it raised its Series D round of funding in December 2021. This also led the company to increase the size and value of its ESOP pool. According to the regulatory filings, as of April 29, 2022, Ninjacart passed a special resolution to increase its share options from 2444 to 3156, the ESOP pool of which is currently valued at around Rs 170 crore.
The last ESOP news of Ninjcart was heard when the company announced its ESOP buyback last in January 2022, when a buyback worth Rs 100 crore ($13.33 mn) was announced from its workforce, which also included MSOPs.
The ESOP pool of Ninjacart, an agritech business financed by Walmart, has increased by more than 100%. On August 18, 2022, the Bengaluru-based business had an extraordinary general meeting whereby a resolution was voted to expand the size of its ESOP pool to 6,522 shares from the current 3,156 shares.
Ninjacart – Partnerships
Ninjacart mainly partners with the farmers and the retailers of the country to ease things in the supply chain. The company has earlier partnered with Flipkart in 2019, which went into a strategic partnership to find a reliable supplier of fresh produce.
Kilofarms
The company has partnered with agri-tech platform Kilofarms and has made the production of residue-free tomatoes easy.
Avant Finance
Together, Ninjacart and Avanti Finance formed a collaboration in April 2022, with the goal of facilitating simple access to financial products and utilizing special technological resources and capabilities to support the agri-value chain community.
Garuda Aerospace
In order to deliver disruptive tech innovation to India’s agriculture sector, Garuda Aerospace partnered with Ninjacart in March of 2023. Through a collaborative partnership, both businesses will provide farmers with short-term financing choices so they may purchase the newest drone technology.
Arado
Arado, originally Clicampo, is a Brazilian agriculture marketplace. Ninjacart has announced a partnership with Arado on September, 18, 2023. Through this partnership, the Brazilian market will be exposed to Ninjacart’s technology platform, supply chain management solutions, and consultancy services.
Ninjacart – Awards
Hailed as the largest B2B fresh produce supply chain company in India, Ninjacart has been awarded several awards and recognitions throughout the years. The company recently been awarded the ‘Startup of the Year- 2021’ by Agriculture Today magazine on October 22, 2021. The company has also been recognized as the ‘Overall Supply Chain Solution of the Year’ in the Agtech Breakthrough Awards 2020.
Ninjacart’s campaign, “Behtar Kal ka Saathi,” or “Partners for a better tomorrow,” highlights the company’s dedication to improving lives, generating opportunities, and fostering a sustainable and prosperous future for all parties involved in the value chain. This campaign embodies the brand’s vision of creating “Better Lives for Every Agri citizen.”
Ninjacart – Challenges Faced
“It’s been a crazy journey, we encountered a lot of problems and we solved every small issue we met on the way with the help of technology and right now we move at least 1,000 tonnes of vegetables and fruits across seven cities,” says Thirukumaran Nagarajan, Ninjacart founder and CEO of Ninjacart.
The journey of any startup does not begin with immediate success. What once appeared to be problems may not actually create that much of an impact on the overall market, but something else completely unexpected could crop up. Thirukumaran Nagarajan (ninjacart founder and CEO) initially expected to scale up to 50 tonnes of fruits and vegetables from the get-go. It was only when the team first confronted the behemoth of Indian agri-trading that the importance of effectively understanding the real problem and pivoting the startup’s problem statement came into play. But this is not the only time startups should focus on pivoting, according to Thirukumaran.
The founder of ninjacart states, “Many entrepreneurs struggle to scale once a startup enters the growth stage. When you are a small size company, your needs and the problems you look to solve are completely different. Once you start growing, the business demands changes. For instance, we started with a supply of 1 or 2 tons of farmer produce. But today, we have grown to almost 300 tons of supply — in a day. Of course, we faced many problems related to scaling, like managing the large supply of the produce, keeping away from frauds, and hiring the right people.”
The major challenges that Ninjacart and the country faced earlier were associated with:
The farmers experience price risk, asymmetry of information about demand, distribution inefficiency, and often received late payments.
The retailers often face problems with higher costs, unhygienic produce, which often turns out to be of low quality, along with other problems of high-price volatility and the hassles of going to market each day.
Besides, the traditional supply chain had also been declared highly inefficient and unorganized, with a high rate of wastage of food.
However, Ninjacart has brought effective solutions to dodge the challenges that the industry and its representatives faced earlier. Fueled by the latest technologies and services, Ninjacart has eliminated the role of the intermediaries and has controlled the supply chain commandingly. It has built cost-effective, reliable, and efficient logistics and infrastructure to wipe out the inefficiencies in the Supply chain. Ninjacart has evolved into an organization that looks up to the farmers who now get better prices and consistent demands, while the retailers receive the fresh produce that they wanted and at competitive prices, which are also delivered to their doorsteps.
Ninjacart – Funding and Investors
Ninjacart has received $367.8 mn in funding as of May 2022. The company received fresh funds worth $9.6 mn (Rs 75 cr), as per the news dated May 18, 2022. In this fresh funding round, STIC and Mainstreet Digital both invested Rs 37.5 crore each.
The previous funding that Ninjacart received came in on December 13, 2021, when the company mopped up $145M in funding led by Flipkart and Walmart. The company has seen 15 funding rounds in total and the company has been backed by around 22 investors till now.
Ninjacart has acquired Tecxprt, a SaaS-based end-to-end solutions provider, which is designed to help businesses streamline their operations, on March 10, 2022. With this maiden acquisition of Tecxprt, Ninjacart will now be able to help expand the opportunities for the participants to make them flourish both individually and collectively. This will greatly boost the Agri–ecosystem.
Company acquired
Date of acquisition
Amount
Tecxprt
March 10, 2022
–
Ninjacart – Investment
Ninjacart has invested in two companies to date.
Below is the details:
Company Name
Date
Funding Stage
Amount
Produze
Aug 9, 2022
Seed Round
$2.6M
Fyllo
May 13, 2022
Seed Round
$2M
Ninjacart – Competitors
The top Ninjacart competitors are
DeHaat
WayCool
Farmioc
Chilibeli
AgroStar
FarmLead
Ninjacart – Future Plans
Ninjacart plans to enhance its technology by using blockchain for better supply chain transparency. It aims to boost customer engagement through social media and mobile apps, focusing on brand loyalty. The company is strengthening partnerships with farmers, logistics providers, and tech firms to expand its market reach. It also plans to grow internationally and support FoodTech and AgTech startups through dedicated programs.
Ninjacart looks forward to a future that will be driven by data and technology. The company has a database of around 40 different markets in terms of arrivals, supply, price, etc. According to Thirukumaran (the ninjacart owner and CEO), they can predict the prices of vegetables and fruits, and production output in the future. The ninjacart Bangalore is the head office of the company, while it is also present in Chennai.
According to Vasu, Ninjacart wants to focus on small vendors, mom-and-pop stores, and unorganized provision stores — a segment it currently caters to and where the efficiency of its model lies. Ninja cart has 20,000 customers, including restaurants.
“In the past three years, we have built a template for the business which is creating value for all stakeholders,” said Kartheeswaran K K, chief operating officer and one of the six founder of ninjacart. “Our focus is how we can take this to 1 million farmers in 10-15 cities across India and make it into an alternative supply chain for fruits and vegetables,” he said.
Ninjacart founder and CEO, Thirukumaran Nagarajan has revealed that the company is looking to build a fintech platform for the farmers that would help them with the necessary capital that they would need to set up greenhouses, buy tractors, and more such investments. He further added about ninjacart that this will be a key component of the farmer ecosystem that they are working on!
FAQs
What is Ninjacart and what does Ninjacart do?
Ninjacartcompany is India’s largest fresh produce supply chain company that is solving one of the toughest problems in the world through technology.
Who’s the CEO of Ninjacart?
The ninjacart founder, Thirukumaran Nagarajan is the current CEO of Ninjacart.
Who are Ninjacart founders?
The Ninjacart founders are Ashutosh Vikram, KartheeSwaran KK, Sharath Loganathan, Sachin Jose, Thirukumaran Nagarajan and Vasudevan Chinnathambi.
How does Ninjacart make money?
Ninjacart’s business model is based on removing inefficiencies and intermediate middlemen in the fruits and vegetables supply chain. It makes a considerable amount of money from the sale of fruits and vegetables and the sale of staples and other products.
When was Ninjacart started?
Ninjacart was founded in 2015.
What kind of company is Ninjacart?
Ninjacart startup is a popular fresh produce supply chain company.
Is Ninjacart a startup?
Yes, Ninjacart is a startup that is growing strong in the agritech space. In terms of scale, Ninjacart is probably the biggest Indian agritech startup. It is helping solve one of the toughest supply chain problems in the world by leveraging innovative technology.
What is Ninjacart business model?
Ninjacart is a B2B agritech platform that connects farmers directly with retailers and businesses, cutting out middlemen. It uses technology, data analytics, and blockchain to optimize supply chains, ensure fast deliveries, and reduce wastage. The company earns through commissions and logistics services while expanding partnerships with stores and e-commerce platforms.
What is Ninjacart networth?
According to Tracxn, as of May 17, 2022, Ninjacart was valued at $756 million.
This article has been contributed by Jishamol. G, Digital Marketing Executive, Nakshathra Wedding Company.
A strong online presence is essential for an E-commerce business in this advanced digital age. SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, played a critical role in the E-commerce business by ranking its website at the top of search engine results pages. And it helps to provide organic traffic, increase its visibility, and boost sales.
This article provides a better understanding of the importance of E-commerce SEO, its step-by-step process, fundamentals, the importance of keyword research, product page optimization, the importance of backlink building, technical SEO, and how to track and analyze its performance.
Understanding E-Commerce SEO
E-commerce refers to the buying and selling of goods and services online. It allows customers to make the process easy and efficient from anywhere. E-commerce helps businesses to reach a wider audience and offers a wide range of goods and services to people with low operational costs. Some key factors that increase the importance of E-commerce are global reach, personalized shopping experience, budget friendly, convenience, comparison of price, and easily accessibility.
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, is the process of ranking your website on the top of Google search engine result pages. It played a pivotal role in E-commerce and its success. It helps to provide organic traffic, enhance the brand value, optimize the products with relevant keywords (Keyword- which means a term or phrase people used for search something on google.), improve sales by organic traffics to the websites, and make your website easily accessible to customers, etc.
To understand the fundamentals of e-commerce, a business can implement a proper SEO strategy and thereby enhance its brand value and the visibility of websites, which helps build trust and credibility among the people. The following are the fundamentals of e-commerce SEO.
Let’s look at each of the fundamentals in detail:
Importance of Keyword research in SEO
Keywords are words or phrases people use to search for something on search engines. Keywords are the foundation of a successful SEO strategy. It includes identifying relevant keywords that people use for searching your products. There are many tools for keyword research that help to find relevant keywords.
Search volume, competition level, and relevancy are the three important factors that should be considered during keyword research.
Product Page Optimization
Product pages are the backbone of an E-commerce website as they provide valuable and necessary information to the customers like product features, pricing, and benefits. It involves some factors that should be considered for optimizing a product page. These are the following:
Product titles and description. Use keyword-oriented titles and descriptions that attract and provide enough information to people. It helps search engines understand your products.
Meta tags, Header tags, and Image: Provide meta tags and meta descriptions with your keywords and use H1, H2, and H3 tags to highlight necessary information. Use high-quality images that show your products and optimize them.
High Quality Backlinks Building
Backlinks are the core of SEO strategy. It helps to rank a website on the top of search engines by providing relevant content about your products or services and helps to build authority and trustworthiness. The following are some crucial aspects that should be considered when building quality backlinks.
Guest blogging: Write relevant guest posts for authoritative websites in your industry with a link back to your website.
Product Review: Build a relationship with influencers and bloggers and ask them to post product reviews.
Linkable assets and Resource page: Make linkable assets like videos and infographics that give value to people about your products. Also, make a resource page link to other reputable websites.
Optimization of Technical SEO
Technical SEO optimization plays a pivotal role in e-commerce SEO. It ensures that the website provides a better user experience. It helps search engines for proper crawlability and indexing. Technical SEO involves some crucial factors like site speed, It ensures your website is easily accessible to users and search engines to get better results. XML sitemap is another important factor that should be considered in technical SEO for understanding the structure of your website. Mobile friendliness is the next crucial factor that provides a good user experience.
Tracking and Analyzing the Performance of your SEO strategy
After implementing the SEO strategy, it’s crucial to analyse and track its performance. It provides insights about your SEO strategy, and it provides suggestions to improve your current strategy. It gives a better understanding of the demographics, interests, and behaviors of people from your products or services. There are many tools available for tracking and analyzing the SEO strategy. Some of them are:
Google Search Console
SEO optimizer
SEMrush, Ahrefs, and Google Analytics are some other tools that provide insights about SEO.
These tools help to analyze website traffic, search engine rankings, and impressions and help to track the status of backlinks and give better suggestions to improve it.
Conclusion
In short, E-commerce SEO helps to develop and increase sales of products and services by enhancing its brand value, organic traffic, and visibility. But it is crucial to remember that it needs planning and arrangements to implement properly. A good SEO strategy provides more organic growth to the business, builds trust & credibility, and increases the value of your business among the people. From the above mentioned, a business can effectively implement SEO and can generate income through organic way.
Atlys, the visa startup that promises to make international travel seamless, has raised $37 million over multiple rounds since its inception from the biggest names in the Indian VC ecosystem: Peak XV Partners and Elevation Capital among them. But if you ask its users, the real question is a bit different. It’s about why their passports seem to vanish into a black hole, why their applications are riddled with mistakes, and why customer support is non-existent. Lastly, this is a textbook example of how Tier 1 VCs in India prioritise spreadsheets over reality.
The Startup That Was Supposed to Solve a Real Problem
In theory, Atlys makes complete sense. Visa applications are a bureaucratic nightmare: long queues at VFS centers, endless paperwork, and unpredictable rejections. India’s post-pandemic travel boom has only amplified the friction, making a tech-driven solution seem like a no-brainer.
So, VCs saw “rising travel demand” + “high friction” and threw money at a startup that looked promising. What they didn’t do was check if it actually worked.
Users: “This Is More Stressful Than the Visa Process Itself”
Real customer feedback paints a disturbing picture:
“My Schengen visa application was full of mistakes. Customer support? Missing. I’ve never been this anxious about an application before.”
“Atlys confidently told me they had my passport safely secured. The problem? I had already received it back weeks ago. It’s like they had no idea what was going on.”
For a startup that deals with passports- arguably the most critical travel document – this isn’t limited to bad service. It’s a full-blown trust crisis.
The “Shiny UI, Broken Backend” Syndrome
Atlys seems to have fallen into a classic startup trap:
Great UI: The app is smooth, polished, and gives off a premium feel.
Chaotic Backend: The operational workflows seem disorganised, leading to misplaced passports and application errors.
Ghosted Support: Users are left in the dark when things go wrong.
And let’s be honest, visa applications are not the kind of thing people want to “just figure out later.” If Atlys makes an error, it could mean cancelled trips, financial loss, or even legal trouble.
Tier 1 VCs and Their Spreadsheet Obsession,
The bigger issue here isn’t Atlys, though. It’s actually how the Indian Tier 1 VCs fund “exciting” businesses based on macro trends rather than operational fundamentals.
The logic is simple:
More Indians traveling = Big market.
Visa processing is a painful experience = High friction.
Atlys offers a digital solution = Must be scalable.
Except, a great market doesn’t mean a great product.,
Atlys’ problems scream, “built for VC decks, not for actual customers.” And when you’re handling something as sensitive as international travel documents, that’s not a mere business flaw. it’s infact – reckless.
What’s Next for Atlys?
If Atlys wants to justify its funding and not just be a glorified visa middleman, it needs to fix its core operations, customer support, and reliability. No amount of sleek UI can make up for a missing passport. As for VCs, maybe it’s time they start investing in execution and accountability, not just market potential. Because right now, Indian travellers aren’t getting a smooth experience, tbh. All they’re getting is a new kind of headache.
I hope you get our point. No? Read other pieces on ST, and you will.
Online travel aggregator ixigo has approved a new Employee Stock Option Scheme (ESOS) for 2025, allocating 1.2 crore (12 million) stock options to its employees. This move aims to attract and retain talent while aligning employee interests with company growth.
ixigo’s board has approved granting stock options of at least 1% of the company’s issued capital to co-founders Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar under the ESOS 2025 plan.
Details of the ESOS 2025:
Total Number of Options: The ESOS 2025 consists a pool size of 1.2 crore (12 million) stock options. Upon vesting and exercise, these options will convert into an equivalent number of equity shares, aligning with the existing equity shares of the company.
Pricing Formula: Each option under ESOS 2025 is priced at INR 93, matching the issue price during ixigo’s Initial Public Offering (IPO).
This move is proof of ixigo’s commitment to recognising and rewarding its employees’ contributions. By offering stock options, the company aims to match employees’ interests with its growth and success, creating a sense of ownership and motivation.
Recent ESOP Allocations
This is not ixigo’s first initiative to reward its workforce through stock options:
January 2025: The company allotted 10.58 lakh equity shares to eligible employees under various ESOP schemes.
December 2024: Over 4.6 lakh equity shares were allotted to employees under multiple ESOS plans.
November 2024: An expansion of the ESOP pool saw the grant of 17.57 lakh stock options under ESOP 2024.
These consistent efforts highlight ixigo’s dedication to employee welfare and its strategy to retain top talent in a competitive industry.
About ixigo
Founded in 2007 by Aloke Bajpai and Rajnish Kumar, ixigo is an Indian online travel portal headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, India. The platform aggregates real-time travel information, prices, and availability for flights, trains, buses, and hotels, enabling users to plan, book, and manage their trips efficiently.
Over the years, ixigo has expanded its services and made strategic acquisitions to improve its offerings.
In June 2024, ixigo went public, listing on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE).
The company’s vision is to become the most customer-centric travel platform, delivering the best user experience by leveraging artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data science-led innovations.
In Q3 FY25, ixigo posted a revenue of INR 242 crore, marking a 41.5% year-on-year increase from INR 171 crore in the same period last year. The company’s net profit dropped by 49.3% to INR 15.5 crore in Q3 FY25 from INR 30.6 crore in Q3 FY24.
By continually investing in its employees and expanding its services, ixigo aims to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving travel industry.
Ria Puneyani
