The Debt Trap

Among India's start-up elite, many are feeling the financial squeeze, handling loans from lean equity times. It's not just a wake-up call for the industry but also signals a looming debt inferno ahead

- BINU PAUL

MANIPAL GROUP CHAIRMAN Ranjan Pai recently emerged as the saviour for two prominent privately-held start-ups, Byju’s and PharmEasy. With an infusion of ? 1,400 crore into Byju’s subsidiary, Aakash Educational Services, and a substantial pledge of ₹1,300 crore for PharmEasy’s rights issue, Pai deftly averted impending debt threats for both entities. However, these rescue missions were not without their nuances—marked by significant valuation markdowns and the concession of attractive terms, including multiple board seats. The once-soaring trajectories of these category-leading start-ups, now grappling with debt challenges, cast a discerning spotlight on the looming debt crisis within India’s dynamic start-up landscape.

A lot of it can be attributed to the 2021 funding frenzy and the subsequent deceleration, leaving several Indian unicorns— start-ups with a valuation of $1 billion or more—with a substantial debt burden on their cap tables. According to PrivateCircle Research, a private market intelligence platform, 115 unicorns have collectively amassed over ₹50,000 crore of debt in 2022 alone, and for many, the burn of this debt burden is already being felt.