Ather’s ₹99,999 Konarc is less interesting as a new scooter than as a test of whether the company can move down the price ladder without hurting the economics it has spent years improving.

Rizta already changed Ather’s business. It accounted for 76% of FY26 volumes and took Ather beyond its premium customer base. Ather sold 2.63 lakh scooters in FY26, up 69%, while total income rose 66% to ₹3,823 crore. Adjusted gross margin improved from 19% to 24%, and EBITDA margin moved from about minus 23% to minus 6.7%.

The improvement continued in Q1 FY27. Total income rose 87% to ₹1,260 crore and Ather reported its first positive quarterly EBITDA of ₹9 crore. It still lost ₹51 crore after depreciation, interest and other costs, but higher volumes are beginning to improve the economics.

Konarc makes the next phase harder. Rizta starts at about ₹1.22 lakh. Below ₹1 lakh, buyers are more price-sensitive and Ather runs into companies with much larger dealer, financing and service networks. More volume can help, but lower prices can also reduce profit per scooter.

That is why the EL platform matters. Ather says it uses more common parts, has a simpler architecture and can cut assembly time by 15%. The aim is to lower build and service costs before pushing deeper into the mass market.

The competition has changed too. India’s electric two-wheeler market grew about 22% in FY26, while Ather registrations grew 82% and its share rose from around 11% to 17%. Ola Electric fell 52%, but TVS still sold 3.41 lakh electric two-wheelers against Ather’s 2.39 lakh registrations and grew 44%.

TVS and Bajaj are now the tougher benchmark. Bajaj says Chetak has turned EBITDA-positive, while its wider electric portfolio is producing double-digit EBITDA margins. Ather has only just crossed into positive EBITDA.

Ather is expanding quickly. Experience Centres doubled from 351 to 700 in FY26, while the AURIC plant is expected to lift annual capacity from 4.2 lakh units to 9.2 lakh. Hero MotoCorp has also increased its Ather stake to about 32.8% even as it builds Vida.

Rizta proved Ather could sell beyond enthusiasts. Konarc now has to prove it can sell cheaper scooters, support them across hundreds of cities and protect the margins it has only recently begun to build.

Let’s go through what else is happening in Indian startup world - Grab your simmering cup of StartupChai.in and unwind with our hand-brewed memes.

Yotta Data Services is eyeing a $1.5 Bn IPO in the January-March quarter of 2027, with draft papers likely to be filed in October.

The fresh issue will help the AI infra provider repay debt, buy GPUs and expand its sovereign cloud infrastructure.

Read more here

Flipkart is testing a microdrama feed on its app and exploring exclusive short-form shows with creators like TTT and Pratilipi.

The company has added a Play tab to the bottom navigation bar. It includes Explore for creator content and Drama for micro dramas.

Read more here

Simple Energy has entered the family e-scooter race with the Simple Wave, priced from ₹1.10 Lakh across six models.

The top-end Wave+ offers a 243 km IDC range and 90 kmph top speed. Simple now wants to ramp monthly sales to 10,000 units by March 2027, from around 1,500 today.

Read more here

Pine Labs has appointed Jayaram Karthik as its COO to oversee operations and merchant experience across its global markets.

Karthik brings over 25 years of experience, including leadership stints at Amazon, Razorpay, American Express and Citibank.

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MediBuddy has appointed Shalabh Shrivastava as its Head of Operations as the digital healthcare platform looks to sharpen its execution. Shrivastava, who has worked with Swiggy and Flipkart, will focus on operations, processes and tech-led execution.

Read more here

Zerodha has received SEBI approval for a Category-I merchant banking licence, allowing it to enter investment banking and advise companies on IPOs and equity fundraising.

The move takes Zerodha beyond broking, asset management, lending and wealth services.

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Byju Raveendran has offered his beneficial interest in 17.89 Mn Aakash shares to settle Qatar Holding’s $235 Mn-plus claim.

The shares, worth about 5.7% of Aakash, were acquired using a $150 Mn financing from the fund in 2022. But the proposed transfer may not put an end to Qatar Holding’s recovery efforts.

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Eutelsat OneWeb has urged the DoT to fast-track its pending security clearance, which is holding up its India satcom launch.

The company has been waiting since January 2025, with delays raising concerns over its ageing satellites. OneWeb already has IN-SPACe approval and ground infrastructure in Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

Read more here

JioHotstar has expanded into the UK, Canada and Singapore with 1.6 Lakh hours of content across 12+ languages.

The streaming platform is betting on Indian content, originals and early TV access to win subscribers.

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Oracle is reportedly preparing to cut another 3,000 jobs in India, potentially affecting 10% of its local workforce.

The move comes as the tech giant looks to rein in costs amid heavy AI spending. Oracle had already laid off nearly 12,000 employees in India in March.

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Adobe has picked up India-based AI marketing intelligence startup Rilo in a deal involving technology licensing and acquisition of its team. The transaction terms were not disclosed.

Rilo was founded in 2025 by Georgi Boby and Dhruv Jaglan and had raised $1 Mn from Peak XV Partners, DeVC and Day Zero Ventures.

Read more here