e-commerce
Network18, SAIF and Accel invest Rs 150 crore in BookMyshow
MUMBAI: The holding company of one of India’s leading online entertainment ticketing companies BookMyShow, Bigtree Entertainment has received a shot in the arm. The company’s existing investors Network18 and Accel Partners and its new investor SAIF Partners have together invested Rs 150 crore in the company.
With this round of financing, the company is looking at increasing its penetration outside tier I cities, build its infrastructure and expand its offering in order to take customer experience to the next level. Avendus Capital was the sole financial advisor and BMR Legal was the legal advisor for this transaction.
On signing the deal, BookMyShow founder and CEO Ashish Hemrajani said, “We are very happy to have SAIF Partners as our latest investors. The common vision of creating scalable and large businesses was aligned to our thought process. Their experience of having helped companies such as MakeMyTrip and Just Dial go public would be of immense value to us as we move forward in our growth plans. We are also very happy to have delivered value to our existing investors and the fact that both Network18 and Accel have further invested in this round, shows their confidence in the company and the ability of the team to continue delivering and innovating.”
Commenting on the transaction, SAIF Partners MD Deepak Gaur said, “We are delighted to participate in this exciting journey of bringing world class convenience to consumers across entertainment verticals that BookMyShow offers. We are confident that with the current round of capital raise, BookMyShow team will continue to strengthen the relentless focus on innovation, customer service and technology as our country takes rapid strides in internet penetration.”
Accel India partner Prashanth Prakash added, “As an industry leader, BookMyShow continues to set the agenda when it comes to movie and event experiences in India. We look forward to supporting the team in continuing to enhance value for their customers and realising the potential of becoming the default destination for consumers’ entertainment needs.”
Commenting on the transaction, Capital 18 MD Sarbvir Singh said, “BookMyShow has emerged as the country’s leading entertainment ticketing destination. The company continues to attract high pedigree investors and with SAIF Partners joining Accel Partners and Network18, the BookMyShow team will be able to further enhance customer experience and market leadership. We were happy to participate in the transaction and look forward to the next phase of the BookMyShow journey.”
A release from the company states that it gets more than 35 million visits and 500 million page views approximately and has sold more than 10 crore tickets till date. It has also re-launched a mobile app to facilitate ticketing in India and an additional 20 cities have been covered by adding new cinemas. BookMyShow now has a presence in over 200 cities and is trying to further penetrate the single screen cinema segment in each of these markets.
BookMyShow was the exclusive online ticketing partner for the ICC T-20 Championship in Bangladesh. The company is also the exclusive ticketing partner for many IPL teams which include Mumbai Indians, Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals, Hyderabad Sun Risers, Chennai Super Kings and Kings XI Punjab. It also manages ticketing for IPL central rights along with accreditations. The other sport events for which BookmyShow has been the exclusive online ticketing partner are; Chennai Open Tennis championship, Super Fight League and Yonex Badminton.
e-commerce
Amazon unveils first Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report
32,000 bad actors targeted, 15 million fake products removed in 2025.
MUMBAI: In a marketplace where trust is the real currency, Amazon is showing its receipts. Amazon has released its first-ever Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, offering a detailed look at how it polices its vast digital shelves from counterfeit crackdowns to scam detection and review authenticity. At the heart of the report is a four-pronged strategy, proactive controls, risk anticipation, enforcement against bad actors, and consumer protection. The scale is staggering. Since 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued over 32,000 bad actors globally through litigation and criminal referrals spanning 14 countries.
The clean-up drive accelerated in 2025, with the company identifying and disposing of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide. Legal action also led to the takedown of over 100 websites linked to fake reviews and scams, an ongoing battle in the age of algorithmic manipulation.
Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence and machine learning are doing the heavy lifting. Amazon says it monitors billions of daily interactions across listings, reviews, and seller activity to spot trouble before it surfaces. Its predictive systems can even flag potentially infringing listings for trending products before brands raise the alarm.
Tools like Omniscan, which verifies product safety information at scale, and SENTRIX, designed to detect and eliminate phishing websites, are part of this expanding tech arsenal. Together, they aim to reduce risk while keeping the platform usable for legitimate sellers.
That balance between protection and friction is a tightrope Amazon acknowledges. Rohan Oommen, Vice President of Worldwide Customer and Partner Trust, noted that while safeguards are critical, they must not stifle genuine businesses. Features like the Account Health Dashboard are meant to give sellers clearer visibility into compliance and performance.
Consumer-facing measures are also getting sharper. From direct safety alerts to recall notifications and refund guidance, Amazon is leaning into transparency, backed by partnerships with consumer organisations to raise awareness.
The report’s release follows the expansion of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit into India, signalling a deeper push into one of its fastest-growing markets, with closer coordination planned between brands, sellers, and law enforcement.
In short, as online shopping grows more complex, Amazon is betting that trust built through data, enforcement, and a fair bit of algorithmic vigilance will be its most valuable product yet.
