India, Aug. 13 -- India Welcomes Its 133rd Unicorn

Astrotalk has become India's 133rd unicorn. The startup entered the coveted club after an ESOP buyback valued the platform at $1 Bn. The milestone comes as Astrotalk looks to complement its booming consultation and ecommerce businesses with offline retail and overseas expansion.

The Unicorn Unlock: Unlike many startups that achieve billion-dollar valuations via big-ticket infusions, Astrotalk unlocked its unicorn tag via an internal ESOP liquidity event funded entirely through its operating profits. Over 100 employees participated in the share repurchase at an undisclosed price point.

Inside Astrotalk's Scale: The ESOP buyback sheds a spotlight on the growing scale of the startup, whic...