MAM
Zomato partners with InCred to extend credit facilities to restaurant partners
NEW DELHI: Adding a fillip to India’s burgeoning food tech industry, Zomato has recently entered a strategic partnership with InCred, one of the leading fintech lenders in India. As part of the tie-up, InCred will extend hassle-free credit facilities to Zomato’s restaurant partners.
The food delivery industry was one of the worst-affected segments during the pandemic with its gross merchandise value (GMV) falling short of the pre-Covid levels. However, we can now see a revival trend in the industry. The food delivery business has crossed the pre-Covid run rate and is expected to grow further in the months to come. The InCred-Zomato partnership will extend financial assistance to cash-strapped businesses for meeting their business growth and working capital needs.
InCred empowered Indian businesses with unsecured business loans even during the peak of the lockdown. The tech-driven lender offers loans with minimal documentation and gives loan approval within 48 hours with zero physical interactions.
InCred CEO (SME business) Saurabh Jhalaria said, “At InCred, we understand the value of financial assistance for businesses, especially the SMEs. The Covid2019 outbreak has led to a sharp decrease in footfall, order volume, and bucket size within the food services segment. In this context, platforms such as Zomato have emerged as a true gamechanger by enabling physical businesses to recover seamlessly. We are happy to join hands with Zomato and are confident that it will further aid the economic recovery of the vertical.”
“While the food delivery business has made a strong comeback, the overall food service industry is still far from reaching pre-Covid levels. We have been working on many initiatives to boost its recovery and one such is our partnership with InCred. It will help our restaurant partners with easy, risk-free credit options designed to achieve their operational and bottom-line goals,” added Zomato chief sales officer Rakesh Ranjan.
InCred offers tech-driven credit services to its customers that are time-efficient and cost-effective. Apart from its SME loans (which comprises working capital loans, term loans, and channel finance), the product portfolio of the company also includes personal loans (wedding loans, medical loans, and travel loans) and education loans.
Risk and return maintain inverse proportionality within mutual funds – higher potential rewards accompany elevated volatility, while stability demands lower expectations. SEBI’s Riskometer (1-5 scale) standardizes visualization, but quantitative metrics reveal nuanced relationships across categories and market cycles.
Fundamental Risk-Return Relationship
Equity funds (Riskometer 4-5) deliver historical 12-16% CAGR alongside 18-25% standard deviation—large-cap 15% volatility, small-cap 30%+. Debt funds (1-2) yield 6-8% with 2-6% volatility. Hybrids (3) average 9-12% returns, 10-14% volatility.
Sharpe ratio measures return per risk unit – equity 0.7-0.9, debt 0.5-0.7 over complete cycles. Higher risk categories compensate through return premium capturing economic growth.
Volatility Metrics Explained
Standard Deviation: Annual NAV return dispersion—equity 18-22%, debt 4-6%.
Maximum Drawdown: Peak-to-trough losses – equity 50%+ (2008), debt 8-12%.
Beta: Market sensitivity – equity 0.9-1.1, debt 0.1-0.3.
Sortino Ratio focuses downside volatility—equity 1.0-1.3 favoring recoveries.
Value at Risk (VaR) estimates 95% confidence, worst 1-month loss: equity 10-15%, debt 1-2%.
Category Risk-Return Profiles
Large-cap equity: 12-14% CAGR, 15% volatility, Sharpe 0.8.
Mid/small-cap: 15-18%, 22-30% volatility, Sharpe 0.7.
Corporate bond debt: 7-8%, 4% volatility, Sharpe 0.6.
Liquid funds: 6.5%, <1% volatility—capital preservation.
Credit risk debt: 8.5%, 6% volatility—yield pickup.
Hybrids: 10-12%, 12% volatility—balanced exposure.
Review types of mutual funds specifications confirming mandated asset allocations driving profiles.
Historical Risk-Return Tradeoffs (2000-2025)
Complete cycles: Equity 14% CAGR/18% volatility; 60/40 equity/debt 11%/11% volatility; debt 7.5%/5% volatility. Bull phases (2013-2021): equity 18%, debt 8%. Bear markets (2008, 2020): equity -50%/+80% swings, debt -10%/+10%.
Inflation-adjusted: Equity 8% real CAGR; debt 1.5% real—growth funding requires equity allocation.
Risk Capacity Assessment Framework
Short-term goals (1-3 years): Riskometer 1-2 (liquid/debt), 2-4% real returns. Medium-term (5-7 years): Level 3 (hybrid), 4-6% real. Long-term (10+ years): Level 4-5 (equity), 6-9% real.
Personal factors: Age (younger = higher risk), income stability, emergency fund coverage, other assets. Drawdown tolerance—20% comfortable vs 40% discomfort signals capacity limits.
Portfolio Construction Principles
Diversification: 60/40 equity/debt reduces volatility 40% versus equity-only while capturing 80% returns.
Correlation: Equity/debt 0.3 average enables smoothing.
Rebalancing: Annual drift correction sells outperformers (equity +25%), buys underperformers (debt -5%).
Style balance: Large-cap stability offsets mid-cap growth volatility.
Quantitative Risk Management Tools
Sharpe Ratio: >1.0 indicates efficient risk-taking.
Information Ratio: Alpha per tracking error.
Downside Deviation: Focuses losses only.
Stress Testing: 2008 scenario simulations reveal portfolio behavior extremes.
Conclusion
Higher mutual fund risk levels correlate with elevated return potential – equity 12-16% amid 18-25% volatility versus debt 6-8%/4-6%. Risk capacity matching, category diversification, rebalancing discipline, and quantitative metric interpretation align portfolios with personal tolerance across economic cycles.
Disclaimer: Investments in the securities market are subject to market risk, read all related documents carefully before investing.
