Traditionally, in India,net-based startups, or rather, some unicorns have been incepted by young, upstart, educated entrepreneurs who started based on a brilliant (sometimes borrowed) solution or an idea! They are ambitious, have high energy levels and wished to grow overnight to become a monolith like Amazon. The shortest route to this was obviously the angel investors, VC funds and FIIs. They funded themselves successfully by selling a seemingly viable story. However, what they lacked seriously is running a business to scale, productive efficiency, cost optimization, break even and then, sustained profitability. They learnt in the course of their conduct of business how to expand operations, increase their gross merchandize value (GMV) but lost out on the consolidation and profitability aspects. Over time, and with changing Government 'reforms' and policies, dynamics of business change, and competition catching up, nvestors got restive and started to seek their return of investment. The obvious shortest and easiest route for these young, upstart entrepreneurs was to hike up valuations and divest business or go the M&A route. This is exactly what even Snapdeal did. And, in the melee, it is going all guns in hiking up its valuation, albeit with deep discounts to raise its GMV and impress their acquisition partners and major stakeholders. And, that explains your discounted buy. Sad, they are indeed vitiating the startup ecosystem as a compulsive, self-serve move. Others may follow suit, having learnt the ropes.
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