IPO-bound udaan acquires retail-tech startup ShopKirana in all-stock deal

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IPO-bound e-b2b platform udaan on Friday announced the acquisition of retail-tech startup ShopKirana in an all-stock deal, marking a strategic consolidation in the domestic eB2B space.

The acquisition will complement the platform's leadership across core categories, including staples, FMCG and hotel, restaurant, and catering (HoReCa), udaan said.

Founded in 2015, ShopKirana enables kirana stores through digital procurement, transparent pricing, and efficient last-mile delivery.

With a strong footprint in tier-2 and tier-3 cities such as Indore, Bhopal, Lucknow, Agra, Surat, and Meerut, ShopKirana complements udaan's national market presence, further strengthening the unified entity as the platform of choice for kiranas and brands across Bharat, it said.

The acquisition also reinforces udaan's strategy of driving profitable growth through deeper market penetration, operational efficiency, and broader geographic reach, the company stated.

By integrating ShopKirana's deep retailer network and core expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's tech infrastructure, nation-wide supply-chain capabilities and wide credit offerings, the combined entity aims to further enhance efficiency, expand coverage and deliver greater value to retailers, brands, and consumers, the company said.

This combination will further accelerate udaan's profitability journey by scaling high-turnover categories, improving operating leverage, and delivering differentiated value through data-driven logistics and infrastructure, it added.

"This acquisition is a strategic milestone in our journey to the IPO and beyond. ShopKirana has a quality team. Together, we share the belief in winning by becoming a 'preferred supplier to our shopkeepers' and 'preferred partner to brands'," said Vaibhav Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, udaan.

"We also share the core strategy of 'winning on costs'. With the combined strength of both organisations and a strong leadership team, we are well-positioned to deliver on our agenda of growth with profitability at scale," he said.

With this transaction, which is subject to regulatory approvals, Info Edge, which owns, operates and invests in internet-led businesses, joins as a shareholder in udaan, with a shared vision to digitally transform India's retail-tech ecosystem, the platform said.

The latest buyout follows the closure of udaan's USD 114-million Series G fundraise, led by M&G Investments and Lightspeed, it said.

The capital, according to udaan, would be strategically deployed to reinforce category leadership, particularly in high-frequency segments like FMCG and HoReCa, further drive expansion into untapped markets, and unlock operating leverage through enhanced sourcing-at-scale, improved supply chain utilisation, and rigorous cost optimisation.

"Joining hands with udaan marks a defining moment in our journey to empower kirana stores across India. This partnership brings together our expertise in the FMCG space with udaan's overall scale and infrastructure advantage -- enabling us to take more brands to more retailers more efficiently, capturing market share," Sumit Ghorawat, Co-Founder, ShopKirana, said.