Byju's Aakash endgame; Startup deal street wakes up (opens original article in a new tab)

Byju's and Manipal near settlement on Aakash, startup M&A activity rises, and Zepto advances its IPO plans amid competitive quick commerce growth.

• Byju's US lenders and Manipal are in advanced settlement talks over Aakash Educational Services ahead of a June 23 NCLT hearing.
• Strategic acquisitions of Indian startups are increasing, with notable deals including L’Oréal's majority stake in Innovist and Pine Labs' acquisition of Shopflo.
• Zepto is preparing for an IPO amid aggressive expansion in quick commerce, reporting a reduced Ebitda loss per order in FY26.