India, Dec. 14 -- Editor's Note:

As we bid adieu to 2025, for the next few weeks, The Outline by Inc42 will look back at the hits and misses of India's top tech startups and trends this year. Here's the first special edition as part of our 2025 In Review series.

Deepinder Goyal was at his philosophical best when he announced the rebranding of Zomato to Eternal. "Eternal is a powerful name and, to be honest, it scares me to my core. It is a tall order to live up to. Because 'Eternal' carries both a promise and paradox," he wrote to shareholders in February.

The chief executive's philosophical self was known, but the unknown and unseen in India's public markets was the decision of a listed company rebranding itself entirely - not just it...