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.
MAM
One Hand Clap acquires Agenseed to enter distribution space
Creative agency expands into full-stack services with strategic buyout.
MUMBAI: One Hand Clap has decided to stop just clapping for great ideas now it wants to make sure they actually travel. The leading new-age creative agency and production house has acquired Agenseed, a seeding and distribution firm, marking its formal entry into the distribution segment. The move is aimed at expanding its role across the entire marketing value chain and unlocking new growth opportunities.
One Hand Clap expects the new distribution vertical to contribute up to 15 per cent of its overall revenues over the next 12–18 months, signalling a clear strategic shift beyond pure creative services.
Agenseed, founded by Monish Hardasani and Akram Malik, will function as the agency’s dedicated distribution arm. This acquisition strengthens One Hand Clap’s position as it aims to become a full-stack creative and distribution company in India’s rapidly growing digital advertising market.
With over 90 million posts shared daily on Instagram and brands allocating 25–35 per cent of their digital budgets to distribution and creator-led reach, amplification has become critical to campaign success. By integrating distribution early into the creative process, the agency hopes to help campaigns gain stronger cultural traction and momentum.
One Hand Clap founder Aakash Shah said, “The future of advertising is not just about executing great ideas, but about placing them intelligently. By owning both storytelling and distribution, we can drive greater impact for brands while opening up new revenue streams.”
Agenseed co-founder Monish Hardasani added, “The future belongs to ideas designed to travel. This partnership allows us to integrate distribution thinking at the source.”
Founded in 2019 by former AIB leaders Aakash Shah and Naveed Manakkodan, One Hand Clap has worked with major brands including Swiggy, Google, Netflix India, Crocs, Duolingo, CRED, Bumble, BGMI and Chetak. The agency also secured investment from Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath last year.
In an increasingly fragmented attention economy, this acquisition reflects a broader industry shift where agencies are building end-to-end capabilities to stay competitive. One Hand Clap is clearly clapping louder and ensuring its ideas now reach much further.
