Shrugging off a funding winter, Indian start-ups witnessed an infusion of $11.3 billion in 2024, up 43 per cent from $7.9 billion in 2023. India accounted for 7.1 per cent of venture capital deal volume globally in 2024 against 5.5 per cent in 2023.
The share of total disclosed funding value increased to 4.2 per cent from 3.3 per cent. Both the average size of VC deals and deals beyond $100 million surged to 21 from 14 in the previous year. The average VC deal size rose to $10 million from $7 million.
The number of deals valued at $100 million or more increased to 21 from 14 while the total number of deals rose by 6 per cent to 1,168 (1,102), according to data and analytics company GlobalData. “The dent in investor sentiment that the market experienced for the past few years seems to have faded with the renewed appetite for big-ticket deals, further underscoring this recovery,” Aurojyoti Bose, Lead Analyst at GlobalData, said.
Growing share
“It is noteworthy that, driven by the improvement in funding activity, India’s share in the global space has improved,” he added.
Some of the notable VC funding deals announced in India during 2024 include the $665 million, $350 million and $340 million secured by Zepto in three funding rounds, Meesho raising $300 million, PharmEasy securing $216 million, and PhysicsWallah $210 million.
strong rebound
“India’s strong rebound in VC funding activity reflects growing investor confidence and the market’s resilience. The rise in big-ticket deals and the increase in India’s share of global VC investments highlight the country’s expanding influence in the start-up ecosystem,” Bose said. “As investor sentiment continues to improve, India seems to be well-positioned to attract further funding and drive innovation across key sectors,” he added.
