Daily Indian Funding Roundup – 17 June 2025

Here’s your daily roundup of funding activity and key business developments from India on 17 June 2025. From fresh capital raises to leadership changes, here’s everything you need to know today.

🚀 Indian Funding Digest – 17 June 2025

*Razorpay's acquisition of Pop involved an investment of $30 million for a majority stake, not a typical funding round.

Darwix AI Raises $1.5 Million

Generative AI startup Darwix AI has secured $1.5 million in a seed funding round led by Rebalance, Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), and JITO Incubation and Innovation Foundation (JIIF). Participating investors include Growth Sense, Growth91, and angels—Ankit Nagori, Sanjay Suri, Amit Lakhotia, and Mekin Maheshwari.

Xportel Bags Seed Funding from Flipkart Ventures, Others

New Delhi-based rural digital network platform Xportel has raised an undisclosed seed round from Rukam Capital, Sitara VC, and Flipkart Ventures. With a strong network of 12,000+ last-mile centres across India, the startup focuses on delivering services like online exam registration, train and flight bookings, and essential digital access to Tier-3 and Tier-4 towns.

The funding will be used to scale its footprint and technology platform to deepen rural digital enablement.

Rukam Sitara, Flipkart Ventures Back Xportel to Boost India’s Export Tech

Xportel has raised capital in its ongoing seed funding round. The round saw co-investment from Rukam Sitara and Flipkart Ventures, with additional backing from venture catalysts and a group of notable angel investors.

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Dugar Finance Raises $3 Million via Symbiotics' Green Bond

Dugar Finance, a non-banking financial company (NBFC) specialising in clean energy and inclusive credit solutions, has raised $3 million in debt through Symbiotics Investments’ Green Basket Bond, a $75 million issuance focused on renewable energy adoption across Asia and Africa.

Razorpay Acquires Majority Stake in POP for $30 Million

Indian fintech giant Razorpay has acquired a majority stake in POP, a fast-growing point-of-sale (POS) technology startup, for $30 million. The acquisition is expected to strengthen Razorpay’s omnichannel merchant services by combining online and offline payment solutions under one roof.

POP currently serves over 1.2 million small merchants, offering contactless checkout and intelligent inventory tools. The move is part of Razorpay’s larger strategy to diversify its merchant services beyond digital payments.

Saswat Finance Raises $2.6 Million Pre-Series A Led by Ankur Capital

Saswat Finance, a fintech platform focused on delivering credit to underserved communities and gig economy workers, has raised $26 million in a Pre-Series A round led by Ankur Capital. The round also saw participation from Flowstate VC, Venture Catalysts, and angels from the financial services industry.

Key News Highlights – 17 June 2025

Zoomcar Data Breach Exposes Personal Data of 8.4 Million Users

Zoomcar disclosed that an unauthorised breach had exposed personal data of approximately 8.4 million users. Compromised information includes names, phone numbers, email IDs, vehicle registration numbers, and residential addresses. Crucially, no financial or payment information was accessed. The platform serves over 10 million users across 99 cities. The company has engaged cybersecurity experts and launched a forensic investigation.

Pocket Entertainment Elevates Umesh Bude to CTO

Pocket Entertainment, the media arm behind Pocket FM, Pocket Toons, and Pocket Novel, has promoted Umesh Bude from Senior VP of Engineering to Chief Technology Officer (CTO). In his new role, Bude will steer the company’s tech strategy, with a focus on AI-powered storytelling and scaling content infrastructure to meet growing demand.

Honasa (Mamaearth) Appoints Yatish Bhargava as CBO

Consumer brands house Honasa Consumer Ltd., parent to Mamaearth, The Derma Co, Aqualogica, Bblunt, Dr Sheth’s, and Staze Beauty, has appointed Yatish Bhargava, formerly of Flipkart, as its Chief Business Officer (CBO), designating him Senior Management Personnel. Bhargava will lead the company’s omnichannel growth, driving new partnerships and distribution channel expansions.

MakeMyTrip to Raise $2.5B to Reduce Trip.com Stake

MakeMyTrip plans to raise $2.5 billion to reduce the Chinese travel firm Trip.com’s stake from 49% to 25%. The move is part of its strategy to diversify ownership, ease geopolitical concerns, and increase Indian institutional investment.

CCI Approves Delhivery's Acquisition of Ecom Express

India’s Competition Commission has officially approved Delhivery’s acquisition of rival logistics firm Ecom Express. Announced in April for INR 1,407 crore, this deal is expected to consolidate last-mile delivery operations, enhance scale, and optimise efficiency.

Daily Indian Funding Roundup – 16 June 2025

Here’s your daily roundup of funding activity and key business developments from India on 16 June 2025. From fresh capital raises to leadership changes and acquisitions, here’s everything you need to know today.

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