Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 22nd December 2025: PowerUp Money Raises $12 Mn, PlasmaGen Secures INR 150 Cr, Axiado Bags $100 Mn+ & More

India’s startup ecosystem closed the day on a strong note with notable funding activity across wealthtech, biopharma, fintech, and deep tech sectors. PowerUp Money raised fresh capital to deepen its advisory offerings, while PlasmaGen Biosciences secured significant funding to expand its plasma-derived therapy portfolio. MSME lender Dugar Finance strengthened

Italy Fines Apple $115 Million for App Tracking Policy Violations

Apple was penalised over 98 million euros ($114.8 million) by Italy's competition authorities for allegedly abusing its dominance in the digital economy through its app-tracking transparency policy.According to the nation's antitrust watchdog, Apple unfairly requires app developers to comply with privacy regulations. On 22

Axiado Corporation Raises $100M in Series C+ Funding to Advance Platform Security and System Management Solutions for AI Data Centers

Axiado Corporation, a leading provider of security and management solutions for modern digital infrastructure, today announced it has raised more than $100 million in an oversubscribed Series C+ funding round led by Maverick Silicon, with participation from Prosperity7 Ventures, Orbit Venture Partners, Crosslink Capital, Nosterra Ventures, and others. The investment

Kriti Sanon steps into wellness with Supply6 as investor and brand ambassador

A consumer-first association that evolved into a strategic partnership in daily nutrition.

Unacademy Reduces ESOP Exercise Period for Ex-Employees to 30 Days

The employee stock option plan (ESOP) of test prep business Unacademy has been modified to drastically reduce the exercise window for departed employees. In the past, departing employees had up to ten years to buy the stock options they had accrued while working for the company. They now have 30

Urban Company Served INR 56 Cr GST Demand-Cum-Penalty Notice

Maharashtra goods and services tax (GST) authorities have sent Urban Company a tax demand and penalty notice amounting to INR 56.4 Cr. The company stated in a filing with the exchanges that the total sum consists of INR 51.3 Cr in primary tax and INR 5.13 Cr

Starbucks Appoints Anand Varadarajan, Amazon Veteran, as Chief Technology Officer

In order to head its global IT operations, Starbucks has named Anand Varadarajan, a technology expert of Indian descent, as its new executive vice president and chief technology officer (CTO). Varadarajan has worked for Amazon for almost two decades. According to Starbucks, Varadarajan will assume leadership on January 19, become

Foxconn Hires 30,000 Staff at Women-Led iPhone Plant as India Manufacturing Scales Up

According to The Economic Times, Taiwanese contract manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry (Foxconn) employed about 30,000 people at its new iPhone assembly facility in Bengaluru in just eight to nine months, making it one of the fastest factory ramp-ups ever witnessed in India. The Devanahalli facility, which employs predominantly

Cummins India Bets on Data Centre Boom to Drive Future Growth

Cummins India, a power solutions provider, has stated that it sees a "good opportunity" in the data centre industry, which is experiencing a notable rise due to the adoption of AI and data localisation. With five production sites, assembly facilities, and distribution centres, Cummins India Ltd, a division

MeitY Warns of ‘GhostPairing’ Cyber Campaign Targeting WhatsApp Accounts

Ghost pairing, a recent danger to WhatsApp, is subtly jeopardising user privacy. Scammers use phoney QR codes or verification codes to fool people into connecting their accounts. This enables real-time chat viewing by attackers without the victim's awareness. To avoid data exploitation and privacy violations, users must be

Inox Clean Energy Expands Renewables Portfolio with INR 5,000 Crore Vibrant Energy Acquisition

In order to purchase Vibrant Energy, which has a 1337 MW portfolio, Inox Clean Energy Ltd has finalised agreements with Macquarie Corporate Holdings Pty Ltd, based in Australia, and other shareholders. The INOXGFL Group company, situated in Noida, did not reveal the deal value, although industry insiders said it was

DPDP Rules Set New Standards for Data Privacy in India’s Digital Lending Sector

The introduction of the Digital Personal Data Protection (DPDP) Rules marks a significant change in India's digital regulations, especially for the financial sector. For years, digital lending, onboarding, and automated financial processes have outpaced the existing guidelines on handling personal data. The new rules provide essential clarity, setting

Mizuho Financial’s Avendus Capital Deal Could Net Founders $35 Million Each

Since 1999, Avendus Capital has provided advice on hundreds of transactions, and it has recently emerged as one of India's fastest-growing dealmakers by assisting up-and-coming IT tycoons in raising capital. The founders, Gaurav Deepak, Kaushal Aggarwal, and Ranu Vohra are now millionaires. Mizuho Financial Group Inc. announced on

Fortis Healthcare Expands Footprint, Buys People Tree Hospital in Bengaluru for INR 430 Crore

On 20 December, Fortis Healthcare announced that it had signed an agreement to pay INR 430 crore to acquire People Tree Hospital in Bengaluru. Through a 100% acquisition of TMI Healthcare Pvt Ltd, the organisation that runs the People Tree Hospital business, the company has finalised agreements to purchase the

Adani Group Announces INR 1 Trn Capex Plan for Airports, Infrastructure Over Five Years

According to Jeet Adani, director of Adani Airports, the Adani Group intends to invest INR 1 lakh crore in its airport business over the next five years, counting on robust and sustained growth in India's aviation sector. Ahead of the start of commercial operations at Navi Mumbai International

Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 19th December 2025: WorkIndia Raises INR 97 Cr, StockGro Secures USD 13 Mn, Virohan Bags USD 7.5 Mn & HCLTech Expands Telecom Portfolio

India’s startup and enterprise ecosystem continued to witness strong momentum with a mix of funding activity and strategic acquisitions. Blue and grey-collar hiring platform WorkIndia raised INR 97 crore in a Series B round, while social investing startup StockGro secured USD 13 million in Series B1 funding to scale

IndusInd Bank Faces Government Probe Over INR 2,000 Crore Accounting Irregularities

Following an initial investigation by the Mumbai Police's Economic Offences Wing (EOW), the Ministry of Corporate Affairs' Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) has begun a comprehensive investigation into suspected accounting errors totalling more than INR 2,000 crore at IndusInd Bank. Sources claim that the probe was

The Founder Bringing Fashion to Nightwear: Krutika Bhupta’s Bold Vision for Indian Women

With over 10 lakh happy customers and delivery across 15,000+ pincodes in India as well as 20+ countries, 9shines Label has grown into one of the nation’s most trusted comfortwear brands. Known for turning everyday nighties into stylish, feel-good essentials, the brand blends breathable fabrics, trend-led designs, and

The New Diamond Code: Why Today’s Brides Are Choosing ANOR Pioneers in Premium Grown Diamond Jewellery

A major shift is underway in the bridal jewellery market. As consumer awareness grows and priorities evolve, a new pattern is emerging: modern brides are increasingly gravitating toward premium grown diamonds and at the centre of this shift is ANOR, with a registered trademark on its Premium Grown Diamond. What

MUFG Makes Mega India Bet, Buys 20% Stake in Shriram Finance for INR 39,600 Crore

In a deal for $4.4 billion (INR 39,600 crore), Japan's Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group announced on December 19 that it had acquired a 20% share in Shriram Finance through preferential share allocation. This represents the biggest foreign direct investment in India's financial industry. Two

Kingfisher Airlines Employees to Receive INR 312 Crore After ED Approval

The long-overdue employee compensation of INR 311.67 crore owed to M/s Kingfisher Airlines Ltd (KAL) has been facilitated by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED). The restitution comes after the recovery officer of the Debts Recovery Tribunal (DRT)-I, Chennai, issued an order on December 12, 2025, ordering the

GABIT Acquires Näck to Build the World’s First Fully Integrated Longevity Ecosystem

GABIT, the award-winning full-stack longevity company, today announced its acquisition of Näck, a clean, science-led nutrition brand. This move brings together GABIT’s cutting-edge health tracking smart ring technology and AI-based health coaching with Näck’s thoughtfully formulated supplements, creating a seamless ecosystem where wellness is tracked, guided, and objectively

HCLTech to Expand its Telecom Portfolio With $160 Million Acquisition of HPE Unit

A final agreement has been reached by HCL Technologies (HCLTech) to purchase the Telco Solutions division from Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) for a maximum consideration of $160 million. The company stated in a stock exchange statement on 18 December that the deal is set up as an all-cash asset carve-out.

What is the Shanti Bill? India’s Plan to Open Nuclear Sector to Private Players

The Lok Sabha passed legislation that permits private Indian corporations to construct and run nuclear plants for the first time, marking the largest step India has taken in decades to transform its nuclear power sector. Dismantling the legislative structure that has maintained nuclear power firmly under state control since the