Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 23rd December 2025: Naxatra Labs Raises $3 Mn, Prosperr.io Bags $4 Mn, CoreEL Secures $30 Mn & More

India’s startup ecosystem wrapped up December 23, 2025, with steady funding momentum and important business developments across healthtech, fintech, defence technology, and microfinance. Early-stage and growth-stage startups attracted investor interest, reflecting confidence in technology-driven solutions addressing healthcare access, tax compliance, national security, and financial inclusion. Alongside funding action, major

Ola Electric Launches Hyperservice Centres Offering Same-Day Vehicle Service

Ola Electric, a manufacturer of electric vehicles, announced on 23 December that it is expanding its Hyperservice project by opening dedicated Hyperservice Centres that will provide qualified customers with a free same-day service guarantee. Bengaluru will be the first of the company's existing service facilities to be progressively

Mamaearth Co-founder Ghazal Alagh Calls Out ‘Analysis Paralysis’ in Indian Startups

India’s startup ecosystem is often criticised for over-planning and under-executing. Ghazal Alagh, Chief Mama and Co-founder of Mamaearth and Honasa Consumer brands, has now weighed in with a sharp message for early-stage founders: perfection is overrated. In a recent LinkedIn post, Alagh shared hard-earned lessons from building seven consumer

HCLTech Acquires Belgium Startup Wobby for $5.2 Million

The software division of IT conglomerate HCLTech, HCLSoftware, announced on 22 December that it will buy Wobby, a startup based in Antwerp that specialises in AI data analyst bots. The all-cash transaction, which costs $5.2 million (€4.5 million), is HCL's most recent attempt to integrate "

Paytm Expands Overseas with New Units in Indonesia, Luxembourg; Cuts UAE Stake

According to a stock exchange filing, One97 Communications Ltd., the parent company of the fintech business Paytm, is bringing in an investor for its United Arab Emirates (UAE) payments arm and growing its global presence with new subsidiaries in Indonesia and Luxembourg. Two step-down fully owned subsidiaries in Indonesia and

Naxatra Labs Raises $3 Million Pre-Series A Led by Rainmatter

Naxatra Labs, a deeptech company focused on designing and manufacturing high-efficiency electric motors for electric vehicles (EVs) and industrial applications, has raised $3 million in a Pre-Series A funding round. The round was led by Rainmatter, with participation from a strong lineup of prominent founders, operators, and angel investors. The

What the Ambuja Cements, ACC and Orient Cement Merger Means for Adani Shareholders

Even though the deal involves equity dilution that is still EPS-accretive for current Ambuja shareholders, Ambuja Cements' decision to combine ACC and Orient Cement into itself represents a structural reset of the Adani Group's cement empire, creating a single "one cement platform" with sharper operating

Rentomojo Achieves Third Year of Profitability; FY25 Net Profit Rises 92% to ₹43 Crore

* Profits surge to INR 43.07 crore * Rental revenue from operations reaches INR 265.96 crore * EBITDA rises to INR 118.41 crore Rentomojo, a consumer technology company offering furniture and appliances on a rental model, has reported its FY25 financial results, marking its third consecutive year of profitability as

DJT Microfinance Secures ₹130 Crore Funding from Public Sector Bank and Leading NBFCs, to Expand Portfolio in Existing and New Geographies

Signalling renewed market confidence and sector momentum, DJT Microfinance, one of India’s rapidly growing microfinance institutions committed to advancing financial inclusion, has secured funding of INR 130 crore from Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and leading Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs). This strategic funding will support the company’s expansion plans

Nikhil Kamath and Kishore Biyani Launch The Foundery for Startup Mentorship

Together with Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani, the Zerodha co-founders have founded The Foundery, an Indian startup accelerator for early-stage companies. Combining aspects of a school, accelerator, and venture studio, the 90-day residential programme offers aspiring entrepreneurs an immersive experience from concept development to investment readiness, as well as the

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