e-commerce
FirstCry parent company Brainbees files IPO application
Mumbai: According to SEBI (Security Exchange Board of India) filings, Brainbees solutions parent company of Omni channel FirstCry submitted an application for an IPO (Initial Public Offer) on 28 December 2023.
Launched in 2010 headquartered in Pune, It is an e-commerce company focused on a niche sector of baby products. In 2020 FirstCry raised Rs 1000 crores for series E funding. As per media reports in fiscal year 2023- 2024 the company reported revenue of Rs 1406.9 crores. The IPO fund can utilise procurement, employees benefit expenses, advertising expenses. The startup currently owns more than 300 stores and around 615 franchise based stores across Pan India.
According to Moneycontrol reported, FirstCry is looking to raise funds of Rs 4200 Crores through IPO, rest 60 per cent fund will garner through OFS (Offer For sale). The company is looking further for expansion and growth.
Company spent Rs 159.2 crores on Employees Benefit Expenses (EBE) before the IPO. In the fiscal year 22-23 the company suffered losses. According to DRHP filed before the regulator renowned names of institutions like M & M, SoftBank, Apricot, Investments, Valiant, Mauritius, TIMF, Think India will sell its stakes from FirstCry.
The OFS consists of 5.4 crore of equity shares. In 2021, the company raised funds from equity funding.
MUMBAI: From flights to tracks, Cleartrip is now trying to keep every journey on the same ticket. Cleartrip, part of Flipkart, has launched train ticket bookings through a partnership with Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation, marking its entry into India’s vast rail travel ecosystem.
The integration allows users to search, book and manage train journeys directly within the app, as the company pushes towards becoming a unified, multi-modal travel platform. The move plugs Cleartrip into one of the world’s largest transportation networks, where over 800 million reserved passengers travel annually, alongside a daily footfall of around 23 million across Indian Railways.
The offering includes bookings across routes nationwide, covering General and Tatkal quotas as per Ministry of Railways guidelines. Users can also access real-time seat availability, fare insights, PNR status tracking, berth preferences and digital payment options within a single interface.
The expansion reflects a broader shift in travel platforms from specialising in a single mode to stitching together end-to-end journeys. For Cleartrip, the bet is not just on scale, but on simplifying a system often seen as complex and fragmented.
Company executives said the focus is on embedding predictive intelligence and personalisation into the booking journey, aiming to make everything from discovery to post-booking support faster and more intuitive.
The train booking feature is currently live on the app, with plans to extend it to the web platform soon, signalling a push towards a seamless cross-platform experience.
In a country where railways move billions each year, the next battleground for travel apps may well be decided not in the skies, but on the tracks.
