Get All Access for $5/mo

Indian Soon-to-be-Unicorns like Nykaa Marching Ahead to Join the Big League Startups in India are marching at a sky-rocketing rate and will soon join the league of Unicorns

By Madhurima Roy

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.

Linkedin

Delivery as a Unicorn was the first Indian startup to make headlines in 2019. Now it is the turn of Nykaa, a beauty and wellness mogul in India that has reached a valuation of $93.02 million through its latest round of funding. As Nykaa, a soon-to-be-Unicorn at the moment is standing on the edge to make the big leap of attaining the billion-dollar mark with its wings of the unicorn are also set to flap. The brand's attaining this mark will add another pillar to the existing 26 Unicorns in the country.

As Nykaa becomes a Unicorn it will join the big leagues in arms with Paytm, Ola Cabs, OYO, Swiggy, Zomato, Hike, Big Basket, InMobi, Shop Clues, Quikr and others from the space.

The Indian Unicorns

It is a major turn of event for the home-grown brand but will it help the country or its position in the global space? It is been some time since the world has been talking about India being a significant startup hub. If the Indian startup ecosystem wasn't encouraged and investors didn't take note of this optimistic turn, the sector would have still been struggling. But the country has rolled its dice way ahead of where it is discussing its billion dollars' worth of startups or unicorns. Unicorn is The country reportedly stands in the third position when it comes to unicorn's count on the global scale. India is following China and the US is this scenario. Reports state that while China, the leader in this space has 127 Unicorns, the US has counted 90 Unicorns so far. Nykaa's reaching the mark of 27, will increase the number but the difference in the number of unicorns between the second position holder – the US and India is so huge that a rise in count, won't alter the space much, apart from the fact that the country will continue to hold its third position across the globe.

However, many of the startups flocking the country for the last couple of years have swelled enough and there are possibilities that some of them will shoot their ways to be Unicorns by the end of the year. Nykaa's success will be nothing but an inspiration to the potential ones.

The Aspirants

Like Nykaa, several startups successfully operating in varied sectors have pulled up their socks to add the Unicorn status to their names. Being a Unicorn is not only a mere status. It acts as an adjective and amplifies the value creation of the company. Speculation is that these startups will soon ring the bell of reaching the billion dollars benchmark.

Here are few of the many that are operating in various segments of businesses:

  • Grofers

Grofers, a consumer service brand tailored by Albinder Dhindsa and Saurabh Kumar, has raised a whopping $301.8 million till date and currently values $425 million.

  • FirstCry

The brainchild of Amitava Saha and Supam Maheshwari, FirstCry has earned $268.4 million dollars of funding. The soon-to-be-Unicorn, which is dealing in the e-commerce domain has been raising hopes.

  • CarTrade

It has been almost a decade since CarTrade has been helping its consumers buy and sell cars. Founded by Vinay Snghai, the e-commerce company has already bagged a total of around $240.2 million.

  • CarDekho

Founded in 2008, CarDekho has been operating in the Indian market since 2008. Steered by Amit Jain and Anurag Jain, the consumer service provider helps its customers find new and used cars at affordable costs. It has hit the $202 million mark and is considered as a soon to be a unicorn.

  • Practo

Healthcare startup Practo has reportedly raised $234 million from big investors like Tencent Holdings, Sequoia, CapitalG and Matrix Partners is edging towards its Unicorn status.

  • Bank Bazaar

Lining up to join the Unicorn group, Bank Banzaar has already bagged $109 million in funding. The 2008 founded company serves in the fintech space and is one of the names that have been listed in Soon-to-be-Unicorn.

Madhurima Roy

Senior Correspondent, Entrepreneur India

A journalist for more than 4 years, I have been covering businesses & start-ups, technology and business leaders. While writing is my only language, I also indulge in dancing, painting,.. and anything creative!
Side Hustle

'Hustling Every Day': These Friends Started a Side Hustle With $2,500 Each — It 'Snowballed' to Over $500,000 and Became a Multimillion-Dollar Brand

Paris Emily Nicholson and Saskia Teje Jenkins had a 2020 brainstorm session that led to a lucrative business.

Growth Strategies

Tata Motors: 45% Of EV Sales Come From Smaller Towns; Targets Installing Community Chargers

Category acceptance from smaller towns is the key to growth and we have achieved it, Vivek Srivatsa, chief commercial officer, Tata Passenger Electric Mobility

News and Trends

Talent, Digital Infra, Policy, and Startups Driving India's GCC Ecosystem

By leveraging its demographic dividend and evolving policies, India is uniquely positioned to become the preferred choice for global enterprises seeking scalability, resilience, and a future-ready operational base.

News and Trends

Indian Venture Ecosystem Poised for Global Ascent: Recovery, IPO Resurgence, and 'Building for Bharat' to Define 2025

India's GDP is poised to scale from USD 4 trillion to USD 8 trillion over the next decade and will offer a playground that is remarkable for both founders and venture capital (VC) firms, said Pranav Pai, Founding Partner and CIO at 3one4 Capital.

News and Trends

India's Data Center Capacity to Reach 2,070 MW by End of 2025: CBRE

Cumulative investment commitments in the data center sector in India to cross USD 100 billion by 2027. Mumbai, Chennai, and Delhi-NCR to lead data center supply addition

Business News

'I'm Not Trying to Land on Mars': Mark Cuban Takes Dig at Elon Musk to Explain Why His Online Pharmacy Isn't Trying to Make More Money

Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drug Co. is an online pharmacy co-founded by Cuban and radiologist Alex Oshmyansky.