Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 25 June 2025: GIVA, Sahi, Battery Smart, Raise Millions; Lenskart IPO & NPCI Profit Jump in Focus

India’s startup ecosystem remained active on 25 June 2025, with key funding rounds led by Sahi, GIVA, and Battery Smart. Meanwhile, Lenskart gears up for its IPO, NPCI reports a sharp profit surge, and MakeMyTrip announces a major buyback. Here’s a quick roundup of the key startup fundings in India on 25th June 2025.

Daily Indian Startup Funding Digest - 25 June 2025

Daily Indian Funding Highlights - 25 June 2025

AuraML - Deep‑tech breakthrough

Mumbai‑based AuraML secured $1 million in a pre‑seed round to advance its generative simulation platform for warehouse and industrial robots. The round was led by Turbostart, with participation from DeVC, GSF Accelerator, and Indian Angel Network. Funds will support product development, enterprise pilots, and expansion in the US.

Indian Snack House - D2C food expansion

Chennai‑based clean‑label brand Indian Snack House raised INR 2.2 crore in a pre‑seed round from Titan Capital. Founded by Rajakumaran and Anbarasan, the startup aims to expand the distribution of traditional snacks across South India via online and offline channels.

Innovodigm - Vaccine delivery innovation

Med‑tech startup Innovodigm, co‑founded by Dr Jhimli Manna and Dr Ayan Chatterjee, raised INR 5.5 crore in a seed round led by Indian Angel Network (INR 4.5 crore) and PadUp Ventures. The company is working on microneedle patch technology for thermostable vaccine delivery.

Pazy - Fin‑tech for business payments

B2B payments platform Pazy raised INR 6 crore in a pre‑seed round led by Inuka Capital, with Gemba Capital joining in. Founded in 2023, it aims to simplify vendor payments and financial operations for mid‑sized businesses.

Sthyr Energy - Zinc‑air storage

Clean‑tech startup Sthyr Energy raised  $1 million in a seed round led by Speciale Invest and Antares Ventures. The startup is developing modular zinc‑air energy storage systems and plans to scale its pilot units for renewable energy use cases.

IndiaBonds - Democratising bond investments

Mumbai‑based IndiaBonds raised INR 32.5 crore in its maiden external round from marquee individual investors. The SEBI‑regulated platform allows retail investors to access listed debt instruments with ease.

Armory - Defence‑tech with AI

Defence startup Armory secured INR 13 crore from investors including growX Ventures, Antler, and Industrial 47. Its flagship product "SURGE" uses AI for indigenous counter‑drone defence, already undergoing field trials with Indian armed forces.

GIVA - Premium D2C jewellery

Bengaluru‑based jewellery brand GIVA raised INR 530 crore in Series C funding led by Creaegis, with participation from Premji Invest, Epiq Capital, and Edelweiss Discovery Fund. The brand plans to grow its offline presence and invest in lab‑grown diamonds.

Sahi - AI‑powered retail trading

Founded by former Swiggy CTO Dale Vaz and Manish Jain, stock trading platform Sahi secured $10.5 million in a Series A round led by Accel and Elevation Capital. Known for its AI‑powered trading tools and INR 10 per‑order pricing, Sahi has crossed 200,000 app downloads and is building a web platform amid favourable SEBI rule changes.

Battery Smart - Scaling EV swapping

EV infrastructure firm Battery Smart raised $21 million in its ongoing Series B round led by Rising Tide Energy, with ResponsAbility and Acacia Inclusion Ltd among other backers. The Gurugram‑based company operates over 1,500+ battery swapping stations, enabling rapid e‑rickshaw battery replacement across India.

Key News Highlights - 25 June 2025

NPCI records 42% surge in FY25 surplus

The National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) reported a 42% year‑on‑year rise in its surplus (akin to profit), reaching INR 1,552 crore for the fiscal year ending March 2025, up from INR 1,095 crore a year earlier. Growth was driven by a 19% increase in income, bolstered by rising UPI transactions and associated fee revenue.

CCI approves Manipal Group’s acquisition of Aakash stake

The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has cleared the Manipal Group’s proposal to purchase a stake in Aakash Educational Services Ltd from its founder, Dr J.C. Chaudhry. The acquisition will be carried out by Manipal Health Systems Pvt Ltd and Manipal Education & Medical Group (MEMG). Ranjan Pai’s Manipal Group already holds around 40% equity in Aakash.

MakeMyTrip to repurchase ~US$3 billion from Trip.com

Online travel aggregator MakeMyTrip has agreed to pay approximately $3 billion to buy back shares from its Chinese partner Trip.com Group, reducing the latter’s stake to roughly 17%. The transaction, formalised on 23 June, is expected to close in early July and follows MakeMyTrip’s recent $3.1 billion capital raise.

Rapido integrates Delhi Metro ticketing with ONDC

Rapido has launched metro ticket booking within its app for the Delhi Metro, through a tie‑up with DMRC and the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). Trialled since April, it is now fully live, serving around 10,000 bookings daily. Users also enjoy a flat INR 25 fare (one free first ride) for last‑mile trips to/from metro stations.

Lenskart to file DRHP publicly in July

Eyewear unicorn Lenskart plans to skip SEBI’s confidential IPO route and submit its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) publicly in the first fortnight of July. This departure from the norm, unlike peers such as Swiggy and Groww, signals an emphasis on transparency.

Daily Indian Startup Funding Roundup & Key News – 24 June 2025: Fantail, Skippi, GoKwik Raise Capital; Google & Meta Make India Moves

India’s startup funding on 24 June 2025 saw key activity across textiles, FMCG, logistics, deep-tech, ecommerce, and EV mobility. Notable deals include Fantail, Skippi, Prozo (backed by Rohit Sharma), Fabheads, GoKwik, and Evera Cabs—highlighting continued investor confidence across diverse sectors.

StartupTalkyStartupTalky News