The Indian startup ecosystem had its share of ups and downs this past year. And while we have recounted tales of IPOs and how startups have turned the corner, it’s time to take a look at everything that sparked debates and conversations in 2025.
Regulatory Reckoning: Months after the ban on online real money gaming, enforcement agencies moved in. WinZO founders Saumya Singh Rathore and Paavan Nanda were arrested over alleged money laundering and the use of algorithms that pitted players against bots.
In edtech, Dataisgood founder Ankit Maheshwari was detained at Delhi airport amid accusations of cheating, misusing investor funds and stealing data.
Cooking The Books? SEBI turned the screws on listed startups. DroneAcharya was hauled up for allegedly inflating sales, diverting IPO proceeds and using hyped announcements to spruce up its stock.
BluSmart also collapsed after a probe by the markets regulator found that its promoters allegedly syphoned off over INR 260 Cr (linked to tightly intertwined Gensol) for luxury apartments and personal bets.
Governance Wars: A whistleblower triggered a probe that snowballed into a boardroom war at Medikabazaar, leading to the CEO’s ouster and claims surfacing that the startup inflated GMV and circular sales.
At Bira 91, investors launched an aggressive offensive against founder-CEO Ankur Jain, seizing the company’s assets amid allegations of unpaid dues and governance breaches.
Questionable Ethics? Meanwhile, quick commerce giants were accused of using dark patterns to nudge users into paying more. On the other hand, Urban Company drew fire for its ‘Insta Maids’ micro-tasking model, while Eggoz faced viral claims linking its eggs to cancer-causing antibiotics.
That’s just scratching the surface. There was a ton of drama this year. Here’s what created storms in the Indian startup ecosystem in 2025.
In rural India, a basic doctor visit can cost a day’s wages and a 60 km journey. With few qualified doctors in villages, families delay care until minor illnesses turn critical — a gap Medyseva has set out to close.
A Phygital Health Network: Founded in 2022, Medyseva operates a phygital healthcare network that blends staffed satellite clinics with teleconsultation. Its flagship MedyAarogya centres act as rural extensions for partner hospitals, medical colleges and specialist groups, connecting village patients to urban specialists without forcing them to travel.
Verticalised Care: To go beyond basic OPD, Medyseva has built focussed offerings: MedyMate for general care, MedyMind for mental health, MedyShe for women’s health, and MedyVision for ophthalmology and nutrition. Together, these verticals aim to make specialised care as accessible as primary consultations for the rural milieu.
The Next Step: Medyseva has expanded its clinic footprint across Madhya Pradesh, while partnering with providers in Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh. With rural India still home to some of the world’s deepest primary-care gaps, can Medyseva’s phygital model scale fast enough to change health outcomes for millions?
From Zomato to Eternal, here’s how 2025 unfolded for the listed foodtech juggernaut.
