D2C brands get on the high street; WeWork India raises capital from anchor investors

Hello,

Zepto Co-founders Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra have emerged as the youngest billionaires to be featured on the M3M Hurun India Rich List 2025.

Vohra and Palicha boast net worths of Rs 4,480 crore and Rs 5,380 crore, respectively. Since its launch in 2021, Zepto has rapidly grown to become one of India's leading quick commerce players, with its latest valuation pegged at $5.9 billion.

Meanwhile, Tesla chief Elon Musk has become the first person ever to achieve a net worth of more than $500 billion, as the value of the electric car company and his other businesses have risen this year, BBC reports.

ICYMI: The rich are getting so rich that they have a wealth gap among themselves!

Meanwhile, venture capital (VC) funding into Indian startups continues to face challenges, with fund inflows in the first nine months of 2025 falling by 18% compared to the sime period in 2024. The total funding in the nine months of 2025 stood at $8.6 billion across 926 deals.

Elsewhere, offshore crypto platforms with billions of dollars in assets such as British Virgin Islands-based LBank and BingX are under government scrutiny. Financial Intelligence Unit-India, under the Ministry of Finance, has issued notices to 25 offshore virtual digital asset providers for non-compliance with norms under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

Lastly, have you heard of Tilly Norwood–the Hollywood “actress”?

While it initially appeared like Tilly was like any other young woman who, since February, posted on Instagram much like any other Gen Z influencer, she later turned out to be AI-generated.

Hollywood’s human actors aren’t pleased. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• D2C brands get on the high street
• WeWork India raises capital from anchor investors

Here’s your trivia for today: Which car manufacturer's name translates as "to roll" in Latin?

Ecommerce

D2C brands get on the high street

D2C brands are investing heavily in experiential stores as part of their omnichannel strategy, with high-street locations gaining popularity despite rising rental costs.

According to a report, around 46% of leasing activity by new-age D2C brands took place in high-street areas, while mall units accounted for 40%, and the rest were standalone stores during the first half of the calendar year 2025.

High fashion:

• While malls provide scale and footfall at a more economical cost, high street stores allow greater flexibility in design, branding, and positioning.
• According to a report by Cushman & Wakefield, main street areas saw double-digit rent increases for retail outlets across sectors.
• Average high-street rents across Mumbai grew by 6–8% YOY, while select high streets witnessed as much as double-digit growth of ~15% on average during Q3.

IPO

WeWork India raises capital from anchor investors

Bengaluru-based premium flexible workspace operator WeWork India Management Limited has raised Rs 1,348.26 crore from anchor investors ahead of its initial public offering (IPO). The company has allotted 2.08 crore shares at Rs 648 per share to 67 investors.

The anchor book saw strong participation from domestic institutions, including ICICI Prudential, HDFC MF, and Motilal Oswal.

Key takeaways:

• The Rs 3,000-crore IPO will open today and close on October 7, with a price band of Rs 615–Rs 648 per share.
• At the upper end of the price band, the company is valued at around Rs 8,685 crore. Currently, Embassy Group holds 76.21% of WeWork India, while WeWork Global owns 23.45%.
• The IPO has reserved 75% of shares for qualified institutional buyers, 15% for non-institutional investors, and 10% for retail investors. Investors can bid for a minimum of 23 shares. The company’s stock is expected to list on October 10.

News & updates

• Retail: Online fast-fashion retailer Shein plans to open its first bricks-and-mortar shops in France in November under an agreement with department store owner Société des Grands Magasins, a move that sparked criticism from French retailers.
• Record deal: OpenAI has finalised a secondary share sale totaling $6.6 billion, allowing current and former employees to sell stock at a record $500 billion valuation, CNBC reported citing a source.

Which car manufacturer's name translates as "to roll" in Latin?

Answer: Volvo

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