The concerns flagged by PhonePe owner Walmart for not going ahead with the acquisition are emblematic of all that’s wrong with the buy now pay later business in India.
ZestMoney’s distress sale to PhonePe is off, The Economic Times reported last week. The reason: PhonePe’s owner, Walmart, decided against the deal after the Bengaluru-based buy now pay later startup failed to pass its due diligence test.
This undoubtedly puts ZestMoney, one of the pioneers of India’s online buy now pay later industry, in serious trouble. According to media reports, the company is now preparing for layoffs across departments as it is on the verge of running out of funds with no other prospective buyer in sight.
The unravelling of ZestMoney’s operations over the last year and its subsequent …
Ashwin covered fintech and banking at The Morning Context. Previously, he was at The Economic Times, where he worked across the finance, tech and startup verticals, breaking stories related to India’s banking system, startups in the new economy, digital payments, insurance and cryptocurrencies.
Writer
ashwin@mailtmc.com
Delhi