The Discovery War, Meta Gets Flak, and MeitY Cautions Ministries

Paytm's ticketing exit made sense on paper. It had acquired Insider and TicketNew for roughly ₹268 crore between 2017 and 2018, then sold the entertainment ticketing business to Zomato for ₹2,048 crore in cash in 2024. The vertical had reached around ₹297 crore in FY24 revenue. For a company under pressure to focus on payments and financial services, getting cash for a non-core asset was a clean move.

For Zomato, it was equally logical. It got Paytm Insider, TicketNew, around 280 employees, venue relationships, movie ticketing and a business with over ₹2,000 crore GOV. More importantly, it got the foundation for District, its attempt to connect food, movies, events, dining and nightlife into one consumer habit, cross-selling tickets to people who already open Zomato for dinner or Blinkit for daily shopping.

What makes the story interesting is what happened next. Shortly after Paytm sold the asset, Vijay Shekhar Sharma's family office, Paytm CFO Madhur Deora, and artists like Arijit Singh, Badshah and Sunidhi Chauhan backed thumpN, a live entertainment discovery platform built by former Paytm Insider leadership. Listed Paytm couldn't carry a non-core entertainment fight while regulators watched its financial services business. But founders and family offices can still take high-risk bets on the same market privately.

The interesting difference is in approach. Zomato owns the transaction rail and can push tickets at low acquisition cost through its existing consumer base. But live entertainment doesn't behave like food delivery. Events are shaped by identity, mood, group context, timing and cultural relevance. Users aren't always searching for a ticket. Often they're trying to decide whether anything is worth going out for.

thumpN is attacking that gap. Its AI agent, Shadow, tries to become the layer before search, letting users ask for a gig this Friday, a comedy show near Bandra, or an indie night under ₹1,000. India's organised live events market reached around ₹142 billion in 2024 with over 30,000 events across 300 cities. The supply is getting too fragmented for old-style listing grids.

thumpN's artist investors also bring direct-to-fan distribution, moving users into the platform through tour announcements and social posts at nearly zero paid cost. But artist-backed platforms often look stronger at launch than they prove to be over time. Tidal had global stars and still struggled against Spotify.

The likely outcome isn't winner-takes-all. District may become the mainstream transaction rail. BookMyShow stays strong in organised ticketing. thumpN can win if it becomes the discovery layer for high-intent fans and culturally specific communities. Zomato has bought distribution infrastructure. thumpN is trying to own the decision that happens before someone reaches checkout. In live entertainment, that layer may turn out to be the more valuable position.

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.

“Maamla Legal Hai”: Delhi HC Orders Meta To Remove Zee’s Pirated Content From Facebook

The Delhi High Court has directed Meta to remove Facebook links allegedly hosting Zee’s copyrighted content without permission.

Zee says several pages were streaming clips from its TV shows illegally, letting users watch them for free. The move is part of the broadcaster’s broader crackdown on digital piracy.

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“Ruko Zara Sabr Karo”: MeitY Asks Ministries To Hold Off On OpenAI, Anthropic Models For Cybersecurity

A department under MeitY has asked central ministries to pause the use of OpenAI and Anthropic models for cybersecurity-related work.

The move reflects concerns over the risks of relying on foreign AI for sensitive government functions. The finance ministry has also sought clarity on the use of agentic AI and OpenAI’s models.

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“Purana Saal Naya Maal”: The Holidays.ai Launches AI-powered Travel Planning Platform

The Holidays.ai has launched an AI-powered platform that creates personalized travel plans through conversational AI.

It offers destination suggestions and customized itineraries based on a user's budget, travel style and preferences. The platform caters to everything from weekend getaways to international holidays.

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“Hum Saath Saath Hai”: BikeWo Partners with KlikAir to Explore Air Cargo Logistics

BikeWo has partnered with KlikAir to explore an integrated air cargo and aviation logistics platform. The companies will evaluate pilot operations for time-sensitive and high-value freight.

Healthcare, ecommerce, electronics and industrial supply chains are among the key focus areas.

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“Aaiye Aapka Intezaar Tha”: Dailoqa Appoints Microsoft's BFSI Country Head Sonali Kulkarni as Partner

Compliance solutions startup Dailoqa has appointed Microsoft's former BFSI country head Sonali Kulkarni as Partner.

She will lead business development and help expand the company's enterprise-grade Broccoli platform. Kulkarni brings over two decades of experience in digital transformation and technology strategy.

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1. Naturis Cosmetics is set to raise ₹33.74 Cr in its maiden funding round led by Sharrp Ventures. The contract manufacturer counts brands like Nykaa, Plum, Pilgrim and Bare Anatomy among its clients.

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2. OneCard is raising ₹72 Cr in a fresh Series D funding round led by Peak XV Partners. Existing investors Z47, Hummingbird Ventures and several angel investors are also participating.

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3. Dhruva Space has raised Rs 60 Cr from IN-SPACe’s Antariksh Venture Capital Fund, the fund’s maiden investment. The capital is part of Dhruva’s ongoing pre-Series B round and will support satellite manufacturing, space infrastructure and customer programmes.
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4. BUILT has raised $2 Mn in pre-seed funding from Tanglin Venture Partners. The D2C footwear startup will invest in R&D, tooling, product design, manufacturing capabilities and inventory expansion for its natural movement footwear category.
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5. sortmyprep has raised about $350,000 in pre-seed funding from Indian and global angel investors. The AI education platform will strengthen AI infrastructure, expand curriculum coverage and support growth in India and overseas.
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