Byju's Aakash endgame & other top startup stories

Published 22 June 2026 · finance

Next Byju's Aakash endgame; Startup deal street wakes up Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox? Also in the letter Byju’s-Aakash settlement talks enter final

Next Byju's Aakash endgame; Startup deal street wakes up Want this newsletter delivered to your inbox? Also in the letter Byju’s-Aakash settlement talks enter final stretch ahead of NCLT hearing What’s being settled? The settlement seeks to define how Aakash’s value will be carved up between Manipal, Think & Learn’s creditors, and entities linked to founder Byju Raveendran and his family. Manipal currently owns about 58% of Aakash. Think & Learn held 25.75% before a rights issue that could have diluted its stake to around 5%. Another key piece: 17,891,289 Aakash shares held via Beeaar Investco, which are under scrutiny because of Qatar Investment Authority’s claims against Raveendran.

Why this matters GLAS and the resolution professional opposed the rights issue, arguing that it would erode creditor recoveries., arguing that it would erode creditor recoveries. The Supreme Court allowed the rights issue to proceed but later recorded Aakash’s undertaking to ring-fence Think & Learn’s 25.75% stake until NCLAT delivers its verdict. until NCLAT delivers its verdict. If the talks succeed, the parties could submit the final terms to the NCLT on June 23. Dealmaking stays hot as startup M&A momentum powers into 2026 Driving the news Tell me more Expert take Inside Zepto's profit push ahead of its IPO Tell me more Zepto processed 640 million orders in FY26, trailing Blinkit's 917 million but surpassing Swiggy Instamart's 412 million.

It reported an adjusted Ebitda loss of about Rs 5,000 crore in FY26, compared with Rs 3,500 crore at Instamart and Rs 277 crore at Blinkit. On a per-order basis, though, Zepto cut its losses to Rs 79 in FY26, down from Rs 136 a year earlier, thanks to a leaner supply chain and lower marketing spend. Also Read Zepto files updated papers for Rs 9,500 crore IPO; aims July listing Why it matters Competition widens Amazon is rapidly scaling its quick commerce play and plans to expand its network to 1,000 dark stores. Flipkart aims to open about 1,600 dark stores by the end of 2026.

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