Daily Indian Business & Startup News – 31st December 2025: Zomato and Swiggy Boost Gig Worker Payouts, India Becomes Fourth-Largest Economy, Vodafone Idea Gets AGR Relief

India’s business landscape saw significant developments on 31st December 2025, spanning technology, economy, and telecom sectors. Food delivery giants Zomato and Swiggy boosted payouts for gig workers ahead of New Year’s Eve to ensure smooth operations amid a nationwide strike call. In a historic economic milestone, India overtook

Facing New Year’s Eve Strike Call, Zomato and Swiggy Boost Gig Worker Payouts

In an effort to minimise service interruptions on New Year's Eve amid a strike call by gig workers' unions, food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy are providing additional incentives to their delivery partners, a practice they typically follow during festive periods. According to the Indian Federation of

Cabinet Freezes INR 87,695-Crore Dues, Offers Major Relief to Vodafone Idea

The Union Cabinet on 31 December approved a support package that freezes a significant portion of Vodafone Idea's Adjusted Gross Revenue (AGR) dues, providing significant respite for the indebted telecom company. According to reports, the ruling has frozen Vodafone Idea's AGR dues, which total INR 87,

Jubilant FoodWorks Sells Entire 31.66% Stake in Hashtag Loyalty to Focus on Core Business

Jubilant FoodWorks Ltd, the company behind Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts in India, has agreed to sell its entire 31.66% stake in Hashtag Loyalty Private Ltd. The move marks its complete exit from the customer engagement and loyalty business it held through the associate company. The share purchase

Shark Tank India Season 5 Returns with New Judges and Campus Special: Release Date and Viewing Details

Shark Tank India, the hugely popular business reality show, is all set to return with its fifth season early next year. Known for giving Indian entrepreneurs a platform to pitch ideas to heavyweight investors, the show promises more drama, fresh business ideas and a bigger stage for founders this time.

India Overtakes Japan to Become the World’s Fourth-Largest Economy

India has officially overtaken Japan to become the world’s fourth-largest economy, marking a significant milestone in the country’s economic journey. The development reflects India’s strong growth momentum at a time when several major economies are facing slower expansion and higher inflation pressures. Recent global economic assessments and

India Imposes Three-Year Tariff on Select Steel Imports to Curb Cheap Chinese Shipments

India has announced a new three-year import tariff on certain steel products to protect local manufacturers from a flood of cheap imports, particularly from China. This move was formally published in the government’s official gazette on 30 December 2025 and takes effect immediately. The tariff is set as a

Mamaearth Co-founder Ghazal Alagh Shares 12 Hard-Won Leadership Lessons from 2025 Ahead of 2026

Entrepreneur and Mamaearth Co-founder Ghazal Alagh has shared a reflective and practical post on LinkedIn, outlining 12 leadership lessons she is carrying from 2025 into 2026. The post offers insights drawn from a year she describes as one of “massive shifts” in business, markets, and personal thinking around growth. Alagh,

Daily Indian Startup News & Key Business Moves – 30th December 2025: TCS Reinvents for an AI-Led Future, Meta Eyes Chinese AI Startup Manus & More

India’s technology and global AI landscape continues to evolve at a rapid pace, with major enterprises and Big Tech firms making decisive strategic moves. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) is recalibrating its long-term strategy to fully embrace an AI-led future, shifting focus from experimental pilots to scalable, ROI-driven AI deployments

Captain Fresh Withdraws Confidential IPO Filing, Puts Public Listing Plans on Hold

The draft red herring prospectus (DRHP) that Captain Fresh submitted to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has been formally withdrawn. Utham Gowda, a cofounder of Captain Fresh, acknowledged in an interview with a media outlet that the company had temporarily paused its listing attempt due to unexpected

Ola Electric’s Roadster X+ With Indigenous 4680 Bharat Cell Receives Govt Certification

Ola Electric announced on 30 December that the International Centre for Automotive Technology (iCAT), Manesar, has certified its flagship electric motorcycle, the Roadster X+ (9.1 kWh), which is powered by an indigenously developed 4680 Bharat Cell battery pack, in accordance with the Central Motor Vehicle Rules (CMVR), 1989. With

Ducati Looks to India-EU FTA Amid High GST Burden on Luxury Motorcycles

Ducati India is counting on the India–EU Free Trade Agreement (FTA) to be a game-changer for the luxury motorcycle sector, as the country's premium motorcycle market struggles with a high 40% GST on bikes larger than 350 cc. The Italian superbike manufacturer claimed that an already specialised

TCS Reboots Strategy for an AI-Led Future, Says COO Aarthi Subramanian

As the IT services industry undergoes its largest technological revolution to date, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has started a comprehensive internal and market-facing reset to get ready for a future driven by artificial intelligence. The increased effort is indicative of a fundamental change in the adoption of AI, which has

Meta to Acquire Chinese AI Startup Manus to Strengthen Advanced AI Capabilities

As the digital powerhouse speeds up attempts to incorporate cutting-edge AI throughout its platforms, Meta announced on December 29 that it will buy Chinese-founded artificial intelligence firm Manus. The Singapore-based company is valued at between $2 billion and $3 billion, according to a report by Reuters, although the financial details

Daily Indian Startup News & Key Business Moves – 29th December 2025: Titan Enters Lab-Grown Diamonds, Arvind Fashions Buys Out Flipkart Stake, Varun Alagh Ups Honasa Holding & More

India’s startup and corporate landscape witnessed several strategic developments today, spanning jewellery, fashion, and consumer brands. Tata-backed Titan made a notable entry into the lab-grown diamond segment with the launch of its new brand beYon, signaling a shift towards sustainable luxury for younger consumers. In the fashion space, Arvind

Varun Alagh Boosts Stake in Honasa Consumer with ₹50 Crore Block Deal

Varun Alagh, co-founder and promoter of Honasa Consumer Ltd, the parent company of Mamaearth and other personal care brands, has significantly increased his shareholding in the firm. This move, executed through a block deal on 29 December 2025, is seen as a strong vote of confidence in the company’s

OpenAI Job Listings Offer Up to $500 Million Pay, Highlight High-Pressure Work Culture

Sam Altman, the founder of OpenAI, has revealed a new senior position that will pay over $500,000 annually. Reducing the dangers associated with quickly developing artificial intelligence (AI) systems is the main goal of the position. The company is hiring a "Head of Preparedness", Altman said, describing

Arvind Fashions Moves to Buy Flipkart’s 31.25% Stake in Arvind Youth Brands

On December 29, Arvind Fashions Ltd announced that it would pay INR 135 crore to purchase the Flipkart group's 31.25% share in Arvind Youth Brands Pvt Ltd. Under the brand name "Flying Machine", Arvind Youth Brands Pvt Ltd (AYBPL) presently operates a wholesale and retail

Silver Surges to New High Amid US Rate-Cut Hopes and Global Uncertainty

Due to persistent demand for safe haven assets and growing prospects of US interest rate cuts, silver prices continued their upward trend, closing higher by 1.88% at 2,23,790. As the case for policy easing is strengthened by conflicting US economic data, markets are gradually factoring in two

Tata-Backed Titan Enters Lab-Grown Diamond Market With New Brand ‘beYon’

Tata Group-backed Titan Company has officially entered the lab-grown diamond jewellery market with the launch of a new brand, beYon, marking a major strategic expansion for India’s largest jewellery retailer. The move reflects changing consumer preferences towards more affordable, sustainable and design-led jewellery. Titan’s first exclusive beYon store

Ambuja Neotia Gets NCLT Nod to Revive Usshar Real Estate Project in Kolkata

According to a corporate statement on 28 December, the NCLT has approved a resolution plan that Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Corporate Ltd. (AHUICL) presented to take over and finish the stalled Usshar residential project at Batanagar near Kolkata. The National Company Law Tribunal's (NCLT) Kolkata bench'

JBM Group Eyes Fortum’s India EV Charging Arm, Signs Exclusivity Pact

According to news reports, JBM Group, which has its headquarters in Gurugram, has signed an exclusive agreement to purchase the bulk of GLIDA, the Finnish state-run energy company Fortum Oyj's Indian electric vehicle (EV) charging network. With the transaction, the third-largest Nordic power firm will completely leave India,

India Sees Six-Fold Rise in Electronics Output Over 11 Years, Says Ashwini Vaishnaw

Over the past 11 years, India's electronics manufacturing sector has seen a dramatic change, with production expanding six times and exports increasing eight times, according to Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. As per the minister, exports increased from INR 0.38 lakh crore to INR 3.3 lakh crore