Meesho’s losses surge amid topline growth; Overseas investment made simple

For the first time, the Economic Survey 2025–26 placed excessive digital consumption alongside obesity and non-communicable diseases as a structural threat to human-capital formation.

The concern is not access, but behaviour. Unlike earlier policy debates focused on bringing smartphones to more people, the survey argues that digital platforms, engineered for instant gratification through short videos, endless scrolling, and algorithmic rewards, are eroding sustained attention, deep learning, and the capacity for delayed gratification.

Meanwhile, women continue to shoulder a disproportionate share of caregiving and unpaid domestic work, factors that shape their availability for paid work, per the Economic Survey 2025–26. 

The data revealed the stark gender differences in the allocation of time between paid and unpaid activities. While the average time spent on unpaid activities by all individuals aged six years and older was 278 minutes per day, for paid activities, it was 386 minutes per day.

ICYMI: A heartwarming story of how a women-led group in Assam has not only saved a bird from extinction but is also responsible for their comeback. 

Lastly, polar bears have long been the poster child of the effects of climate change, as the loss of ice affects their habitat. However, new research paints a complicated picture: polar bears are not only getting fatter, but their numbers are also increasing, at least in some regions of Norway. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Meesho’s losses surge amid topline growth
• Overseas investment made simple
• Reshaping artisan visibility

Here’s your trivia for today: Where in the world is the longest stretch of straight highway?

News

Meesho’s losses surge amid topline growth

Value ecommerce platform Meesho on Friday saw its consolidated losses widen to Rs 490 crore, even as it clocked 31% growth in its topline, in its first quarterly performance as a listed company.

The Bengaluru-based company reported Rs 3,517 crore in operating revenue, as compared to Rs 2,678 crore it posted in the corresponding quarter in the previous year. On a sequential basis, its topline increased by about 14% from Rs 3,073 crore.

Dual narrative:

• The company saw its losses widen to Rs 478 crore in the December quarter, as compared to a loss of just Rs 37 crore last year. However, its free cash flow stood at Rs 56 crore for the last 12 months, helped by its growth in Net Merchandise Value.
• It clocked a Net Merchandise Value (NMV) of Rs 10,995 crore in Q3 FY26, representing 26% year-on-year growth. This is after some festival shopping shifted to the second quarter from the third quarter owing to Diwali falling in mid-October this year.
• The company has doubled down on its in-house logistics network, Valmo, which does about 60% of business on the platform. In a filing earlier today, Meesho announced approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs to incorporate a unit under the name of “Valmo Transportation Private Limited” with an investment of Rs 15 crore.

Top Funding Deals of the Week

Startup: The Guild

Amount: $20.5M

Round: Series A

Startup: Agrani

Amount: $8M

Round: Seed

Startup: SpotDraft

Amount: $8M

Round: Series B

Startup

Overseas investment made simple

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Founded in 2024 by Nitish Sahni and Sparsh Sharma in Gurugram, India.

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For years, overseas investing for Indians has been less about opportunity and more about endurance. As more Indians look beyond domestic markets for global stocks, ETFs, and dollar-denominated assets, they are running into an ecosystem that hasn’t evolved with investor intent.

In 2024, Nitish Sahni and Sparsh Sharma launched Paasa to change this situation. Drawing on Sahni’s fintech experience at SoFi and Sharma’s engineering background at UiPath and SoFi, along with his training in interaction design at California College of the Arts, they built a digital wealth management platform to remove paperwork, simplify compliance, and offer Indians a single window to invest in global markets.

Seamless access: 

• Investors can choose from three primary strategies: Global Index Tracking for broad diversification, High Growth Equity for return-focused exposure, and Quality Dividend for steady income. Each strategy comes with ready-made portfolios, along with guidance on tax-efficient structuring, LRS compliance, and RBI reporting.
• Paasa is backed by Y Combinator and raised $750,000 in its initial funding round. The startup currently serves approximately 1,700 users and has grown to manage $19 million in total assets, with $6 million in advisory AUM and $13 million in trading and brokerage assets. 
• Paasa already has customers in Dubai, Oman, and Thailand, and plans to expand its product suite with multi-currency bank accounts, a bonds platform, and cash management solutions.

Art and Craft

Reshaping artisan visibility

Founded in the mid-1980s, Dastkari Haat emerged at a time when crafts were largely absent from urban public life. A few museums, state emporia, or export circuits were the only places that made them visible. 

The Dastkari Haat bazaars changed that relationship by bringing artisans directly into cities, allowing them to present their work, explain their processes, and sell without intermediaries. Over four decades, the model has been running on the same principle: genuine artisans, direct interaction, and a strong emphasis on quality and authenticity.

News & updates

• Obesity pill: AstraZeneca will license experimental drugs for obesity and weight-related conditions from CSPC Pharmaceutical Group. The deal involves an upfront payment of $1.2 billion and up to $17.3 billion more if milestones are met.
• Power move: In what looks like a consolidation of Elon Musk’s empire, SpaceX is reportedly considering a potential merger with the electric carmaker Tesla, or a tie-up with artificial intelligence firm xAI.

Where in the world is the longest stretch of straight highway?

Answer: Saudi Arabia. Highway 10 in Saudi Arabia is 240 kilometres of perfectly straight road. 

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