The loss-making business startup has
become a trend but will not last long in the next few years. The bleeding of
capital does not make sense unless the same is being taken over in
consideration that the business will grow revenue from another stream of
business. Well, strategic cost management seems to be the wrong subject for these
loss-making Startup Business models. I request my readers to explain or rather
comment their views on this type of business models which will be a threat for
the Indian economy in the coming days. Does the subject of profit has changed?
Disruption against disruption will
play in the coming decade. The fiasco which will be created when one disrupted company
is being brought at a premium and later on another company comes to throw that
Premium valued disrupted company out of the game. The collapse of the valuation of disruption
will meet its end when the premium takeover will become a pain for the acquiring company.
The loss-making company as startup and
the Private Equity investor game seems that they have learnt the subject from
different planet. If we make a quick
look towards a few data we will find that the current pattern of Private Equity investments
and their understanding of valuation metric forces management theories to change.
Ola doing business of Rs.2500 cr. and loss of Rs.2500 cr. Dunzo doing business of less than Rs.1 CR and loss of
Rs.170 CR; Udaan doing business of Rs.12 CR and loss of Rs.338 CR. Same is
story applicable to most of the other startups. Sustainable business model
theory has been shattered and these type of companies how does one think to
have long term career and long term business association. These Private Equity game are beyond any management
books. A more detail looks into the below data will give a broader idea about how
the Unicorns are playing the game of attracting money, generating loss and attracting
inflows.
This theory will not last much
longer the day a new pattern of startup challenges this disruption and then
makes loss-making into a really difficult business model. The theory of strategic
cost management has been just torn down by these players who seem to learn the
subject of valuation from a different earth. Being an ex-merchant banker it
becomes quite difficult for me to understand these valuation models.
Loss-making, creating an unsustainable
business model and creating short term employment with long term stable unemployment
seems to be the theme of these Private Equity companies. Valuation companies will
soon face more stringent rules and regulations when these models will create a massive problem for the Indian economy as well as for genuine startups.
The good quality startup will fail to attract
quality resources and hence the problem in the long term will increase and will
not decrease. Startups with a genuine business model for the benefit of the
social benefit will face more difficulty in attracting genuine capital.
PMS-Portfolio Management services –
These several start-ups have been created as a bucket where investors will invest
and will get a return over the long term. The risk of failure and loss has been converted
into a profit-generating model. These investments
will face hard times when the disruption against disruption will come into play
and will create a massive blow to these investors. Further, this loss-making
bucket clubbed in the form of AIF-Alternate Investments Fund is a significant
risk for the investor. Short term, few clicks of growth does not guarantee long
term sustainable returns.
The coming decade followed with 5G
will create more disruption and more unique business model challenging the
existing disruption. This phase will create a more stringent assessment of
valuation models, rules and regulation. Indian economy is on the path of
becoming a developing economy. These models of practices should be looked with efficient
eagles eyes so that they don’t place brakes on Indian economic growth or attracting
FDI investments or Private Equity.
The compliance and legal aspect of
the merchant bankers and registered valuers need to be very careful about their
business practices. These valuations might be challenged by the Indian legal
system when a crisis strikes. Hence better safe than sorry.