Category: General Corporate, M&A and VC/PE

With the rapid advancement of the internet and movement of businesses online, it was only time before the pharmaceutical retail industry also joined the bandwagon. The pharmaceutical retail industry which has long been popular among investors also started to venture into providing online services (Online Pharma). This was due to the increased demand and tech-savvy clientele who preferred to order from the comfort of their homes. So, it was only natural that the Online Pharma sector bloomed during the Covid-19 pandemic and the ensuing lockdown. Online Pharma is high in demand due to better discounts, convenience, greater anonymity, accessibility in remote locations, easy home delivery, etc. These features have made it the preferable option over community brick and mortar pharmacies during the pandemic. This article explores the current regulatory regime surrounding Online Pharma and the opportunities in India that it presents for investors.

Rapid economic development coupled with a never-ending surge to save travel time have resulted in widespread adoption of automobiles throughout the globe. While automobiles have helped human beings develop at an exponential rate, they have also adversely contributed to global warming. India, along with various other countries, has signed and ratified the Paris Agreement to limit global warming in the interest of climate change. This has led to the Indian Government effecting various methods to decrease India’s CO2 emissions. Some initiatives were by adopting stricter emission norms for combustion engines, promoting electric vehicles (EVs) by giving a host of incentives to manufacturers and end-customers etc. Initially, EVs were plagued with various issues such as less range, mediocre performance, lack of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) etc. With passage of time, while most of these issues were resolved to an extent so as to allow practical usage, EVCI was yet to catch up. In this article, we will discuss the emergence of startups developing EVCI and the applicable regulatory regime, which could enable them to grow at a rapid pace.

Agriculture can be referred to as one of the oldest and primary occupations in human history and is the primary source of livelihood for about 58% of India’s population. Even though most people in India depend upon agriculture sector, its contribution to the GDP of the country is not significant. In fact, its year-by-year contribution in the GDP of India since independence has gradually decreased. This could be attributed to various challenges faced by the sector such as dependency on monsoon for irrigation, lack of knowledge in relation to time of sowing and quality of seeds, soil erosion, outdated farming practices etc. Unlike other sectors, agriculture has been left behind when it comes to making use of the latest technologies. In this article, we will discuss the emergence of data-driven startups who are using artificial intelligence (AI) to script a change in this sector. Since these startups rely mostly on data, they need to be mindful of the relevant data regulations applicable to them.

Earlier, only a handful of cricket and football fans understood and participated in fantasy sports in India. In the past decade, the subscriber base, number of fantasy gaming companies and the investor base have all increased multifold. Now, credit to Dream11 bagging the title sponsorship of renowned Indian Premier League and their funny television commercials, fantasy sports are well known and are played in almost each Indian household. More so, fantasy gaming is not limited to cricket and football anymore; there are fantasy leagues for almost all sports, be it a franchisee league or an international league/tournament. The statistics clearly indicate that fantasy leagues are here to stay.

Introduction Unmanned aerial vehicles also famously referred to as ‘drones’ took flight way back in the mid-19th Century, when they were exclusively used for military purposes. Their scope was predominantly limited to military operations till as recently as 2010. The technological advancements over the last 10 years or so have drastically transformed the drone industry

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on all economies and businesses across the globe. While some of the businesses will sail through to see better times in the future, some will not. Specifically, smaller companies and startups at nascent stages may be handicapped with no funds or hope to recover. The rise in number of troubled companies may result in a lot of distress sale transactions soon. Acquihires could be an effective method for structuring such distress sale transaction where the sellers, buyers and employees concerned, all come out as winners. An acquihire is where a company is being acquired for the excellent team it has assembled and not particularly for its product/service. A well-structured and negotiated acquihire transaction could provide the desired results for all concerned. But this is easier said than done due to the multiple balancing acts required to address potential concerns of the parties involved.

Introduction During the early stages of a company’s life, Founders needing funds generally give away equity to multiple small investors – be it their wealthy neighbour, friends, or some angel investors. But, once the company and the business flourish, procuring funds becomes relatively easier. Often Founders may also wish to exit the business by sale

Brief History The advent of cryptocurrency as an asset class was swift and it attained global popularity within a relatively short period of time. While the idea of a digital currency was not new, it really found wings with the publication of the white paper on ‘Bitcoin’ by Satoshi Nakamoto

It is quite common to notice the phrase ‘ordinary course of business’, used across various investment and acquisition agreements. The phrase is used in VC/PE shareholder agreements to allow promoters/founders of investee companies the flexibility to operate without obtaining investors’ consent.

The acquisition of Flipkart by the Bentonville behemoth Walmart is giving rise to all sorts of doomsday predictions by experts across various industries. Economists, newspaper editors, investors etc., are all predicting the eventual ‘colonization’ of the Indian internet economy by foreign companies. The reasons offered range from …