WeWork India IPO, Zerodha’s 40% Hit & The Next Identity Layer | Episode 14

Episode 14 of The Offline Network — hosted by Utsav and Dhruv — dives into India’s hottest startup and tech stories: WeWork India’s IPO, Zerodha’s pivot moment, founders upping stakes ahead of listings, Chamath’s comeback SPAC, OpenAI’s Sora 2 + app, and ChatGPT’s instant checkout. 📰 This Week’s News RundownWeWork India IPO-bound – Q1 FY26: net loss narrows 51% to ₹14.14 Cr; revenue up 19% to ₹535.3 Cr. IPO via 100% OFS (~₹3,000 Cr), price band ₹615–₹648, listing Oct 10. Implied valuation: ₹8,685 Cr. 68 centres, ~7M sq ft, ARPM at ₹19,085. Runs independently of US bankruptcy.Zerodha Revenue Hit – Brokerage revenue −40% YoY in Q1 FY26. Kamath says: “time to pivot” after F&O curbs; charging for delivery trades may be next.Founders Upping Stakes – Groww, Lenskart, Zomato, Swiggy founders increase holdings pre-IPO/listings; Policybazaar founders cut OFS. Signals confidence in long-term value.Chamath Palihapitiya Returns – $345M SPAC “AEXA” (5× oversubscribed) focused on AI, defense, energy, DeFi. Sponsor shares tied to post-merger stock appreciation.OpenAI’s Sora 2 + App – Invite-only iOS app launches (US/Canada). Realistic physics, synced audio, cameo insertion with strict consent + watermarking. Competes with Google Veo, Runway.ChatGPT Instant Checkout – Shopify + Etsy integration live. First commerce monetization beyond subs, via Stripe Shared Payment Tokens. 700M weekly users = massive “superapp” prize.🎙️ Deep-Dive ConversationsReinventing India’s Textile Supply Chain – Pratik Gadia (Founder & CEO, The Yarn Bazaar) on how SMEs are embracing tech, sustainability wedges (recycled yarns, traceability), price transparency in volatile commodities, and whether India-first or export-facing models win in textiles.Building the Next-Gen Identity Layer – Bhavik Koladiya (CEO, OTPless; ex-BharatPe founding team) on WhatsApp-first login, scaling identity infra from India, balancing privacy with seamless UX, investor skepticism, and how OTPless extends his thesis on rewiring financial/identity railsThis episode was made possible by Smartworks, India’s largest managed office platform.Follow us for more unfiltered takes: X →https://x.com/OfflineOnAir Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/theofflinenetwork LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/company/offlineonair Website → theoffline.network