India, Oct. 26 -- Something seems amiss at Zepto. In a matter of days, the quick commerce giant went from raising a massive $450 Mn to laying off 200-300 employees. Besides, it plans to continue trimming its workforce till the end of the year.

At a cursory glance, the two developments seem at odds. However, underneath the equation lies an uncomfortable truth - the massive funding is less of a victory lap and more of a lifeline for the company.

Amid a slowdown, Zepto has been restructuring operations and deferring its IPO (initially planned for this year). With the fresh funding, the startup plans to claw back its market share and expand aggressively once again.

But, how difficult is it going to be for the startup that is valued at $7 B...