Pranav Balakrishnan

Special Correspondent at The CapTable

Business + tech journalist covering EVs, shared mobility, D2C and e-commerce @thecaptableco | Ex- @EconomicTimes, @TheKenweb | ACJIndia-Bloomberg 2019, (he/him)

Featured in: Favicon

indiatimes.com (+5) Favicon

gadgetsnow.com Favicon

the-ken.com Favicon

iqstockmarket.com Favicon

the-captable.com Favicon

yourstory.com

Articles

How Razorpay turned startup founders into IPL stars on JioHotstar

2 weeks ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Most brands spend months plotting their Indian Premier League campaigns. Razorpay had two weeks. It all started with a hallway conversation at the payment company’s Bengaluru office. CEO and Cofounder Harshil Mathur bumped into marketing chief Apuarv Sethi with a casual question that would set everything in motion.
For many D2C brands, Zepto is proving to be more mirage than promised land

2 weeks ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan |Nikhil Patwardhan

Key TakeawaysA year ago, getting listed on quick commerce platforms was the holy grail for D2C brandsZepto capitalised on the FOMO, flinging its doors open to nearly every brand that wanted in– brand count jumped from around 3,000 to over 8,000 in just 12 monthsBut the dream is fading fast. Many sellers now say quick commerce is a mirage, not a miracleFounders allege Zepto demands unsustainable ad spends.
Bricks, clicks, and quick commerce: Prashant Tandon breaks down Tata 1mg’s integrated healthcare playbook

1 month ago | the-captable.com | Shivani Verma |Pranav Balakrishnan

On a humid May afternoon, seated in his Gurugram residence, Prashant Tandon speaks with the calm assurance of someone who has spent over a decade navigating both regulatory mazes and the challenges of one of the most complex sectors—healthcare. As the co-founder and CEO of Tata 1mg, Tandon has been the steady hand guiding the company’s transformation from a medicine information app to one of India’s most prominent digital health platforms.
Meesho built a logistics arm to break free of 3PLs-now it may be more cornered than ever

1 month ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Key Takeaways Meesho built Valmo to reduce reliance on third-party logistics (3PL) firms and cut shipping costs The move disrupted India’s logistics market—but also triggered consolidation that shrank Meesho’s external options With Valmo hitting operational limits and 3PL power reconsolidating under giants like Delhivery, Meesho now has less leverage than before Meesho’s low-cost, asset-light logistics model faces challenges in scaling to new regions or high-value products—forcing continued...
Did BluSmart and Gensol’s downfall begin in the boardroom?

1 month ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan |Nikhil Patwardhan

Key TakeawaysBluSmart’s board included an independent director with potential conflicts of interest, raising questions over the integrity of its governance structuresIndependent director Inderpreet Wadhwa had commercial interests through Clime Finance, which leased EVs to BluSmart’s sister concern Gensol Engineering, which in turn leased them to BluSmartThe board also failed to flag BluSmart’s worsening financial condition, including unpaid taxes and cash flow issues.
Why Ather’s IPO didn’t ignite

1 month ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Ather Energy’s public listing has had a subdued start. Known for its deliberate, meticulous approach to product launches, Ather has built a reputation for high-quality electric vehicles (EV). However, when the company went public earlier this week, it had a disappointing start to life on the bourses. While the company’s shares debuted at Rs 321 per share, they closed at Rs 310.40 on day one.
Eternal earnings: Zomato’s summer blues and Blinkit’s imminent evolution

1 month ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Eternal, better known by its food delivery platform Zomato, kicked off earnings season for India’s new-age tech companies with yet another tepid show in its core food delivery business. Overall, Eternal reported a 78% year-on-year drop in net profit to Rs 39 crore in the last quarter of the year ended March 2025, even as its operating revenue jumped 64% to Rs 5,833 crore. The company has introduced a new metric in addition to gross order value, or GOV.
As food delivery slows, can Dineout be Swiggy’s saviour?

2 months ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Key TakeawaysAfter a lengthy integration and significant leadership churn, Swiggy is doubling down on Dineout as India’s going-out market boomsHowever, Zomato has surged ahead in the dining-in and events space—District and Insider now clock Rs 2,495 crore in GOV, nearly 3X the GOV of DineoutSwiggy’s dine-in play now includes in-app payments, table reservations, and restaurant ads.
The new cab wars: Uber, Rapido, Ola bet on segmentation for success

2 months ago | the-captable.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Key Takeaways India’s cab-hailing market is shifting from uniformity to segmentation, offering differentiated services based on rider needs The battle has moved beyond pricing—speed, reliability, and personalisation now shape user decisions Post-pandemic challenges around cancellations and driver availability have triggered structural changes in the ecosystem Ride-hailing is entering a maturity phase, marked by experimentation across formats, pricing models, and user experience levers The...
After food delivery, Rapido plans new subsidiary for fintech

2 months ago | yourstory.com | Pranav Balakrishnan

Ride-hailing startup Rapido is setting up a separate subsidiary to enter the fintech space, diversifying further beyond its core mobility business, two people aware of the matter told YourStory. The company has begun internal groundwork for the new unit, which is expected to operate independently of its existing business lines. While the finer details remain under wraps, Rapido is exploring offerings in lending and adjacent financial services, the two sources said.