Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul class="summary-list"><li>BlackRock has written off its investment in once-hot Indian tech company Byju.</li><li>The Indian education tech giant is facing legal and financial troubles.</li></ul>In another blow to education tech giant Byju's, investor BlackRock says its stake in the once-hot company is worth nothing.In 2022, the education tech company said it raised $800 million at a $22 billion valuation.BlackRock was the first investor to publicly signal the company's troubles. In a first-quarter summary for some of its funds, the asset manager valued its stake in Byju's at $0, a number that has not been previously reported. In October, BlackRock slashed its valuation of the startup to less than $1 billion, <a target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2024/01/11/blackrock-cuts-byjus-valuation-by-95-to-1-billion/">TechCrunch reported.</a>BlackRock invested in Byju's parent Think &amp; Learn through <a target="_blank" href="https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/literature/first-quarter-report/fqr-retail-blackrock-science-and-technology-trust.pdf">various</a> <a target="_blank" href="https://www.blackrock.com/us/individual/literature/investor-education/bcat-commentary.pdf">funds</a>, all of which appear to have written off the investment in recent filings.HSBC, which is not an investor in Byju's, said in a recent research note that Dutch tech investor Prosus' stake in Byju was worth nothing. Prosus owns nearly 10% of the company and invested about $500 million in Byju's."We assign zero value to Byju's stake amid multiple legal cases and funding crunch. Previously, we valued ~10% stake in Byju's by applying 80% discount to the latest publicly disclosed valuation," the HSBC analyst wrote.The Bengaluru-based company is facing significant turmoil.Earlier this week, a group of lenders asked a US court to initiate bankruptcy proceedings against Byju's subsidiaries <a target="_blank" href="https://www.business-standard.com/technology/tech-news/byju-s-now-worth-zero-hsbc-warns-prosus-amid-legal-financial-troubles-124060700146_1.html">over a $1.2 billion loan.</a> The company also <a target="_blank" href="https://inc42.com/buzz/byjus-slashes-salaries-for-new-sales-hires-by-more-than-90/">cut the salaries</a> of new sales hires by 90% in an attempt to cut costs, local outlet Inc42 <a target="_blank" href="https://inc42.com/buzz/byjus-slashes-salaries-for-new-sales-hires-by-more-than-90/">reported</a> on Thursday.Byju's investors, including Prosus, are <a target="_blank" href="https://www.business-standard.com/companies/news/byju-s-egm-shareholders-vote-to-remove-ceo-raveendran-and-his-family-124022300919_1.html">seeking the removal of its CEO</a>, Byju Raveendran, and his family members from the board. The company's India CEO left in April, and it missed filing its 2023 financial reports.The digital and physical tutoring company was seen as a star in the Indian startup scene and even sponsored the Indian cricket team until 2023. It is backed by the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia Capital, and Tencent, among others.Byju's first gained popularity during the pandemic for its unique approach to learning. The company faced challenges in 2022 after students began returning to schools and expensive acquisitions affected its bottom line.The company planned to<a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-07-26/star-founder-broke-down-in-tears-as-crises-engulfed-byju-s"> go public through a SPAC deal</a> in 2022, which did not ultimately pan out.Byju's and BlackRock did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Correction: This story has been updated to reflect that HSBC wrote about an investor's interest in Byju's. HSBC did not invest in Byju's.

India's once-hot startup Byju's was valued at $22 billion. Now, BlackRock says its investment is worth nothing.

Byju's Founder <keyword id="1702989" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Byju-Raveendran" source="Orion">Byju Raveendran</keyword>'s plea against the insolvency of <keyword id="19901241" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Think-Learn" source="keywords">Think &amp; Learn</keyword> before the NCLAT was adjourned on Monday, as one of the members of the bench recused from the hearing. The matter will be placed before a bench headed by <keyword id="19916403" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Company-Law-Appellate-Tribunal" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="National Company Law Appellate Tribunal" meta.hostid="345" meta.entityid="National Company Law Appellate Tribunal">National Company Law Appellate Tribunal</keyword> (NCLAT) Chairman Justice Ashok Bhushan, who will assign a different bench to hear the matter. Raveendran had filed a petition challenging the initiation of <keyword id="19965539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="insolvency-proceedings" source="keywords">insolvency proceedings</keyword> against Think &amp; Learn, which runs edtech company Byju's. The matter was listed on Monday before a two-member Chennai-based bench of the NCLAT comprising Justice Sharad Kumar Sharma, Member (Judicial), and Jatindranath Swain, Member (Technical). However, Justice Sharma recused himself from the hearing, saying he had appeared as the counsel for the Board of Control for Cricket in India (<keyword id="19901245" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BCCI" meta.hostid="345" meta.entityid="BCCI">BCCI</keyword>) before his elevation. "I have appeared as a senior counsel for (the) BCCI. Since they are the main beneficiaries of this order, I cannot take this up," said Sharma. The Bengaluru bench of the National Company Law Tribunal (<keyword id="19901085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NCLT" source="keywords">NCLT</keyword>) on July 16 directed Corporate Insolvency Resolution Proceedings (CIRP), admitting the plea filed by the BCCI. The BCCI had approached the NCLT under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) over a default of Rs 158.9 crore by Think &amp; Learn -- once India's most valuable startup worth an estimated $22 billion. NCLT has suspended the board of Think &amp; Learn Pvt Ltd as per the provisions of the IBC and had appointed an interim resolution professional (IRP) to take care of the debt-ridden firm. Raveendran challenged the NCLT order before the appellate tribunal NCLAT. He has also approached the Karnataka High Court. The high court had, on July 26 deferred Raveendran's plea to July 30. At the high court, Raveendran challenged the validity of the order and suspension of the NCLT order till the NCLAT hears the appeal.

NCLAT judge recuses from hearing Raveendran's plea against insolvency proceedings of Byju

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some expat Indians are moving back home to launch companies of their own.</li><li>India's booming market size, internet growth, and post-pandemic spending is driving their decision.</li></ul>Nithin Hassan, 41, has always been fascinated with building something of his own.As a child in India, he would get in trouble for dismantling electronics around the house just so he could peek inside.In college, in true <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startups-to-bet-your-career-on-in-2024-2024-2">startup</a> fashion, he started working on a small business out of his parent's garage in Bengaluru, assembling computers for friends and family.It was the early 2000s and the internet was not the trove of knowledge it is today — Hassan was relying on books to learn. Finding mentorship and the right guidance was a challenge, too.Everyone around Hassan told him that going to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-tips-google-software-engineer-skills-experience-careers-software-tech-2024-3">US for a master's degree</a> was the next big opportunity. So he did.Over the next 16 years, he put his startup plans on hold and worked at some of the world's biggest companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.<div type="image" title="Nithin Hassan" height="2450" width="3266" msid="113831978" hostid="261" sizebytes="215682"></div>But the pandemic felt like a turning point. And its aftermath made India look like a lab-designed business environment: It had just become the world's most populous country, the pandemic had created <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/private-consumption-continues-to-be-supported-by-pent-up-demand-finance-ministry/articleshow/99069973.cms?from=mdr">pent-up demand</a> for consumer products, and growing internet adoption made commerce more scalable, he said.So Hassan left behind about $500,000 in annual pay at Meta to move back to Bengaluru in December 2023 with his wife and two children. He has since launched two startups.Hassan is part of a group of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-moved-back-to-india-after-living-abroad-for-decade-2024-9">expat Indians moving back</a> home to venture out on their own. As such, he's also part of a decades-long trend of reverse migration back to India.The trend began in the 1990s and picked up at the turn of the century, driven by the economic collapse in 2008, said Binod Khadria, the president of Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism. Many of those who returned to India for work were largely working for multinational companies.Today, the impetus for the move often looks a bit different: It's driven by factors like unstable visa policies and economic recessions, which lead to uncertainty when it comes to jobs and duration of stay in these destinations.Many returnees find work in tech, but the finance, retail, and climate sectors also absorb a large number of expat Indians, Khadia said. And some of the returnees are heading back to India to start companies of their own.India is undergoing a startup explosion. The country reported over<a target="_blank" href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2043805"> 140,800 recognized startups</a> at the end of June — nearly 50,000 more than last year — and credited them with creating 1.6 million direct jobs.To be sure, not all of these companies will make it big — and some do still stumble, like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://inc42.com/features/what-are-the-current-problems-being-faced-by-oyo/">Oyo </a>and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackrock-hsbc-funds-byjus-startup-valuation-zero-edtech-india-raveendran-2024-6">Byju's</a>. But the chaos, where even established startups are trying and failing, makes India a fair playing field for new entrants, Hassan said.Business Insider spoke to six <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-vc-wants-see-5-traits-new-founders-fundraising-antler-2024-8">first-time founders </a>about why they have recently returned to India after spending several years, or even an adult life, abroad.<h2 id="0e4a3c47-ba19-4690-8b52-c6bfece1c81d">Fastest-growing economy</h2>The health of the economy and interest from investors are fueling the entrepreneurship boom.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-billionaire-karan-adani-plans-challenge-china-dominance-seaports-2024-8">India's economic growth</a> in 2023 — 8.2% — was the fastest of all large economies worldwide. That's led to greater purchasing power, which lets companies, including startups, sell more.India's inflation rate of about 3.5% is well below its annual wage growth of 9.6%. This makes inflation less of a challenge than it is for slower-growing peers, where consumer-focused businesses have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-jobs-report-sentiment-consumers-elections-recession-inflation-mortgage-rates-2024-9">hurt by high prices</a>.Investors are getting in on the action.From 2015 to 2021, the number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sequoia-capital-vc-firm-split-china-india-2023-6">unique investors in India</a> nearly quadrupled, though the number is tracking much lower this year, per PitchBook."Other than a slight downturn in 2022 and 2023 due to global macroeconomic factors, VC funding has been consistently growing in India," said Ben Mathias, a managing partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia &amp; India.Besides funding, domestic developments have encouraged founders and VCs too, Mathias said.The Indian government's Universal Payment Interface system has spurred consumers and businesses to pay online, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bcg.com/press/2june2022-digital-payments-in-india-projected-to-reach-10-trillion-by-2026">40% of all digital payments</a> globally happen in India today, the partner said.Programs like Startup India, which provides founders benefits like tax exemption, easier compliance, and funding support, have made creating a company smoother.Devyani Parameshwar worked in the microfinance and fintech space in India in the 2010s before heading to the UK and Africa. She returned to India in 2022 to launch a financial management venture."It's changed dramatically. I remember standing in line at various ministries in Delhi trying to get meetings and then trying to get answers and it wasn't easy in the past," she said of her memories of India.Now, she can use an online platform to ask the country's central bank and banking regulator questions.It's easier than ever for foreign companies to invest in India, which means startups have a clearer exit path through acquisition — something VCs think hard about before entering new markets or writing checks.<h2 id="e5dd7b6f-a09f-4ff2-84c1-5907de96dc5e">Market ripe for the taking</h2>For Rohan Bhide, who spent most of his college and professional life <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worked-in-big-tech-before-launching-my-own-startup-engineer-2024-9">preparing to launch something of his own</a>, a trip home in 2017 while he was studying in the US was a turning point.Indian telecom giant Reliance had recently launched a cheap unlimited data plan, which spiked Indian internet adoption. India was charting among the countries with the highest online transactions."That really, really drew my attention," said Bhide, who worked at Meta after graduation. "It was my dream come true — a huge market, a huge user base, and at the same time, the ability to adopt technology was incredible."Bhide returned to India in January, leaving behind about $580,000 in total compensation at ticketing platform StubHub. He and a cofounder are working on launching a consumer tech product later this year.<div type="image" title="Rohan Bhide" height="2304" width="3072" msid="113831979" hostid="261" sizebytes="218468"></div>Most Indians grew up wanting to work at a multinational company — but that's changing, Bhide said.Freelancing, running your own business, or working for a startup is much more socially acceptable now, because people see the success of other Indian startups. The country has the third-largest number of "unicorns" — companies worth $1 billion or more — with 64, per PitchBook.<h2 id="7f423804-745b-4e04-a250-839e01663f09">Boom in entrepreneurship culture</h2>A lot has changed since Hassan first wanted to launch his hardware startup in the early 2000s.Tech hot spots like Bengaluru and Gurugram have seen a boom in entrepreneurship culture in the last few years, with meet-ups, networking mixers, and even morning walks with like-minded builders.<div type="image" title="man standing in front of mountains in USA" height="2268" width="3024" msid="113831980" hostid="261" sizebytes="141132"></div>Dhruv Anand, who left Google in the US to move back to India in 2021 to launch an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-startups-most-promising-2024-9">AI startup</a>, said that there were lots of other founders and mentors to help guide him."If you want to figure out who's the right chartered accountant to talk to, who's the right lawyer to help you draft agreements, all of that stuff is very easy," Anand said."It's been a really, really supportive community," Bhide said. There are people "telling you about their entire lives just because they want to help you and they're hoping that you pass the favor onto the next person who moves to India and wants to start their own company."<h2 id="3c8bff36-e855-4530-9b44-bcc7f36b0825">Not everything is perfect</h2>Although these founders made the decision to return to India, that doesn't mean they no longer see the benefits of operating in the US.Ruchit Garg founded an agriculture startup in Silicon Valley in 2016, with a focus on supporting farmers around the globe. In 2019, he returned to India, where his late grandfather worked as a farmer.Garg has been building in India ever since, but he says its startup ecosystem cannot yet compete with the Valley's decades of experience."The overall ecosystem was more mature back in Silicon Valley. It's still one of the best places for entrepreneurs. India isn't there yet, although it's growing pretty drastically," he said.Despite efforts to digitalize key processes, many bureaucratic challenges persist.For most founders, after living in US cities where populations are a fraction of those in Mumbai and Bangalore, congested roads and poorer air quality are also everyday annoyances.But India provides some big perks, including affordable domestic help and the appeal of building solutions for problems they witness firsthand."It's a different joy to be able to build for problems that you feel for very personally," Parameshwar, the fintech founder, said. When she worked in Africa, she needed translators. Now, she can speak with her users herself.Bhide said the general sentiment among local founders is shifting from "Build from India" to "Build for India."For some founders, being surrounded by family and the culture they grew up in was another selling point.Niranjan Vemulkar moved back to India in 2015 and later founded a digital legacy planning platform.He said that he never fully felt at home in the US, where he lived for over a decade."For us, it was the fact that we wanted to raise a family in an environment where the children would have access to the grandparents and Indian culture," Vemulkar said. "The fact that you could come back to India, start something of your own and figure things out in an ecosystem which was potentially booming for startups, was just a cherry on the cake."Are you in India and have a story to share about the tech and entrepreneurship landscape? Please reach out at shubhangigoel@insider.com

Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India

New Delhi, In a determined pursuit of a fair resolution, education technology giant <keyword id="6384897" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BYJUS" source="Orion">BYJU'S</keyword> finds itself pushing back against "unrealistic and unacceptable terms" made by its US lenders of Term Loan B (TLB) during the ongoing renegotiation of their contract. The lenders, employing the threat of litigation, have exerted pressure on BYJU'S to drastically alter the core of the contract, which had been agreed upon in 2021. Despite BYJU'S willingness to step up to a higher interest rate and offer partial payment of the principal, the lenders proceeded with litigation, intensifying the ongoing back-and-forth between the two parties. BYJU'S has maintained a flawless track record of meeting its interest payments without any defaults. The situation between BYJU'S and a group of its hawkish TLB lenders, who trade in distressed debt, highlights the challenges faced by startups navigating the complex and opportunistic world of finance, where negotiations can quickly turn adversarial. As a non-operative entity in the United States, BYJU'S Alpha, a subsidiary of BYJU'S, has become the target of the lenders' legal actions. BYJU'S Alpha was solely created as a borrowing entity, to facilitate the borrowing process of the TLB. "The genesis of this conflict lies in the renegotiation of the TLB contract, which was signed in good faith by both parties in 2021. However, the lenders' subsequent demands have been nothing short of egregious. As a global leader in <keyword id="1464841" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="edtech" source="Orion">edtech</keyword>, BYJU'S has decided to take a stand against these unreasonable tasks, demonstrating its unwavering commitment to safeguarding the interests of its stakeholders," explained a source close to the legal proceedings on the condition of anonymity. "This litigation is specific to BYJU'S Alpha, which is a non-operative US entity of BYJU'S with no employees. No Indian entity is a party to these proceedings," the source clarified. BYJU'S maintains that it has consistently met all its financial and fiduciary obligations. As evidence of its financial strength, BYJU'S recently concluded a successful funding round, securing a remarkable $250 million. The company is reportedly on the verge of closing an even larger funding round in the coming weeks, further solidifying its financial position. Recognising the importance of maintaining financial prudence and protecting the long-term interests of the company, BYJU'S recently offered to pay a much higher interest rate along with a partial payment of the principal. These concessions demonstrated the company's willingness to find a middle ground and maintain a constructive relationship with its lenders. However, the lenders remained unmoved, proceeding with litigation against BYJU'S Alpha. The litigants have also made a bewildering claim suggesting that BYJU'S "moved" $500 million from BYJU'S Alpha, alleging a breach of the existing arrangement. BYJU'S has vehemently denied this "baseless" allegation, emphatically stating that it has meticulously adhered to the terms of its contractual obligations, in complete compliance with the agreed-upon rights and responsibilities outlined in the contract. It is crucial to underscore that BYJU'S entered into the TLB agreement in 2021 with a clear and mutually-agreed upon objective of utilising the capital raised for driving growth and expansion in its global operations. The very essence of BYJU'S commitment to the lenders was to deploy the funds to fuel the advancement of its business objectives. The decision to file a case against a non-operative entity suggests a calculated move by the lenders, aiming to exert pressure on BYJU'S and potentially force them to capitulate to their demands. Industry observers view it as an attempt to intimidate BYJU'S and bring them back to the negotiating table on unfavourable terms. Flush with funds, BYJU'S is unlikely to accede to such tactics and remains steadfast in its commitment to pursuing fair negotiations that align with its long-term strategic goals. The event serves as a stark reminder of the potential pitfalls faced by Indian companies raising capital in the US and underscores the need for transparent and fair lending practices. The ability of the EdTech giant to emerge stronger in this renegotiation with its lenders will undoubtedly have a profound impact on the global growth trajectory of India's EdTech industry. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/battlegrounds-mobile-india-to-return-soon-company-receives-permission-from-government/articleshow/100346259.cms">Battlegrounds Mobile India is relaunching soon, but government says final call only after a 3-month trial</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/redmi-a2-and-a2-plus-with-android-13-go-edition-launched-starting-at-6299/slidelist/100352302.cms">Budget friendly Redmi A2 and A2 Plus with Android 13 (Go) launched at ₹6,299</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/virat-kohli-and-these-players-have-more-than-three-ipl-centuries/slidelist/100348738.cms">Virat Kohli and these players have more than three IPL centuries</a>

You Searched For "byju startup" and got 4 results

India's once-hot startup Byju's was valued at $22 billion. Now, BlackRock says its investment is worth nothing.

Shubhangi Goel

NCLAT judge recuses from hearing Raveendran's plea against insolvency proceedings of Byju

PTI

Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India

Shubhangi Goel,Charissa Cheong

BYJU'S challenges lenders' unrealistic terms amid contract renegotiations

IANS

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides