Ratan Tata’s start-up bets

Ratan Tata invested in as many as 29 startups in the past two years through March 2016. He took minority stakes in 22 companies in fiscal 2016, three times more than the previous year when he chose seven to bet on, according to Tracxn Technologies, a data analytics company. Eight of the prominent companies in […]

Ratan Tata invested in as many as 29 startups in the past two years through March 2016. He took minority stakes in 22 companies in fiscal 2016, three times more than the previous year when he chose seven to bet on, according to Tracxn Technologies, a data analytics company.

Eight of the prominent companies in the portfolio, including Paytm, Zivame, FirstCry and CarDekho, have reported combined revenue of Rs 1,401 crore in the year to March 2016, more than double from the previous year, but their losses jumped three-and-half times to Rs 2,191 crore.

The previous year, they had incurred a combined loss of Rs 612 crore on sales of Rs 625 crore. This increased burn comes from extensive marketing investments, hiring and spending to enhance technology.

Here’s a look at the financial performance of the companies he invested in his personal capacity.