StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future. In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Sriram Kakarala, Chief Product Officer at Scalefusion, who reflects
StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future. In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Venkatesh Challa, Director of Keto Motors, who reflects on
StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future. In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Abhijeet Kaji, Co-Founder of Knya, who reflects on a
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
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
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
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
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
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, 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
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.
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
India’s startup ecosystem closed the day on a strong note on 18th December 2025, with multiple funding announcements spanning electric mobility, AI-driven education, industrial manufacturing, and workforce hiring platforms. Electric motorcycle maker Oben Electric led the funding highlights with a sizeable pre-Series B round, while early-stage AI startup CuePilot
Global consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton said on 18 December that it had invested an undisclosed amount in Haldiram's, an Indian packaged ethnic foods brand, and formed a strategic collaboration with the company. According to a press release from the investment firm, Haldiram's will benefit from
CuePilot AI, a voice-first, AI-native platform for preschools and daycares, has raised $1.8 million in a pre-seed funding round. The round saw participation from Eximius Ventures, Titan Capital, and was led by Ronnie Screwvala of Unilazer Ventures & upGrad. With the newly raised capital, the company will deepen its
McKinsey & Company is thinking about laying off thousands of employees in response to the quick development of artificial intelligence. According to reports, senior executives at the company have discussed plans to cut staff in several non-client-facing divisions by roughly 10%. This might result in several thousand layoffs over the
StartupTalky presents Recap'25, a series of exclusive interviews where we connect with founders and industry leaders to reflect on their journey in 2025 and discuss their vision for the future. In this edition of Recap’25, StartupTalky speaks with Mukesh Kumar, Founder & Director of M-Sanvi Real Estate
In the upcoming weeks, Amazon plans to lay off 370 employees at its European headquarters in Luxembourg. At this workplace, this will be the largest round of job reductions ever. Approximately 8.5% of the 4,370 employees are impacted by the cuts. The layoffs follow Amazon's announcement
Thyrocare Technologies Limited (hereinafter referred to as “Thyrocare” NSE: THYROCARE, BSE: 539871), a leading healthcare diagnostics company, has appointed Dr Ramesh Kinha as its Chief Operating Officer, further strengthening its leadership team as the company continues to scale its operations across India. Dr Kinha is a seasoned healthcare and diagnostics
In an effort to establish itself as a domestic substitute for app-based taxi aggregators like Uber and Rapido, India's first cooperative-based taxi service, Bharat Taxi, is scheduled to launch in the nation's capital early next year. According to government sources, over one lakh drivers have already
Oben Electric, India’s homegrown and R&D-driven electric motorcycle manufacturer, today announced the successful raise of INR 85 Crores in its Pre-Series B round. The round saw participation from multiple renowned Indian American Family Offices including Raj K Soin, Musa Dakri, Ramesh Bhutada and other existing investors. The
As the largest IT services company in the nation intensifies its efforts to become an AI-led organisation, Tata Consultancy Services has revealed for the first time that its artificial intelligence division has crossed $1.5 billion in annualised revenue, gaining 16% quarter over quarter. Chief executive K Krithivasan stated during
WorkIndia, India's largest recruitment platform for blue and grey-collar workers, has raised ₹97 crore in its latest funding round. Aavishkaar Capital led the round with ₹75 crore, while existing investor BEENEXT Capital invested ₹22 crore. This Series B fundraise will be used to upgrade WorkIndia's technology
India’s startup ecosystem remained vibrant on 17th December 2025, marked by fresh funding rounds across biotechnology, creative AI, and longevity science, alongside major IPO-driven milestones. Early-stage biotech startup Cellarim Labs, experiential tech player Tagbin, and longevity-focused Decode Age collectively raised capital to scale innovation, research, and market expansion. Meanwhile,
Mizuho Financial Group Inc. is making its most recent wager on India's quickly growing financial services industry by purchasing a majority share in the investment bank Avendus Capital Pvt., which is backed by KKR & Co. The third-biggest bank in Japan announced on 17 December that a significant
Cellarim Labs, a biotechnology startup pioneering cell-free biomanufacturing for beauty and personal care ingredients, today announced that it has raised ₹6 crore in Seed funding. The round was led by 3i Partners and Venture Catalysts, with participation from Momentum Capital, Jashan Bhumkar, Gayathri Kuppendra Reddy, and other strategic investors. Founded
Meesho co‑founder and CEO Vidit Aatrey has officially joined the billionaire club after the company’s shares surged sharply since its recent stock market debut. The rise in share price has transformed his ownership in the business into a nine‑figure fortune. Meesho’s shares jumped from their initial
- The new rules are putting pressure on the Indian IT companies in the U.S., cutting H-1B applications by 30–50%. - More roles are expected to shift from the U.S. to India.
Decode Age, a longevity science organisation focused on ageing biology, biomarker research and gut microbiome science, has raised ₹14.48 crore in its Pre Series A funding round led by Dr Krishna Prasad Chigurupati, Chairman and Managing Director, Granules India Limited. With over forty years of experience in the pharmaceutical
Indian shapewear brand underneat.in has crossed INR 150 crore in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in less than eight months, marking one of the fastest scale-ups in the D2C fashion space. The milestone comes alongside a $6 million Pre-Series A funding round led by Fireside Ventures, with Mamaearth Co-founder Ghazal
- Warner Bros’ board is set to reject Paramount’s $108.4 billion offer. - Paramount’s deal has weakened after Affinity Partners exited the financing, reports say. - The board will likely recommit to Netflix's $72 billion.
Climate tech startup, Aurassure that delivers real-time, hyperlocal visibility into environmental risks for enterprises operating in increasingly volatile climates, has raised Rs 25 Crore in Pre-Series A led by Rainmatter by Zerodha and Unicorn India Ventures. The round also saw participation from Maithan Alloys Limited. The funds raised will be
Bengaluru-based clean-label beverage startup Swizzle has raised ₹2 crore in a Seed round, with the investment finalised on the popular entrepreneurship show Ideabaaz. The round was led by noted angel investors Sooraj Singh, CEO & Founder of Unibots, and Shaili Chopra, Founder of SheThePeople and Gytree. Swizzle secured funding following
Capital-A, India’s specialist venture capital fund for manufacturing and deep tech, has led a $750K pre-seed round in Quintrans, a deep tech engineering startup developing India-built direct-drive linear motion systems for industrial automation, robotics and equipment manufacturing. The round also saw participation from Sumeet Kabra of RR Global, SanchiConnect,
Moxie Beauty, one of India’s fastest-growing haircare brands, has raised $15 million in Series A funding in a round led by Bessemer Venture Partners. The funding round also saw participation from existing investor Fireside Ventures, along with angel investors including Navin Parwal, Sangeet Agarwal, and Arjun Purkayastha. Earlier angel
India’s startup ecosystem continued to witness strong momentum on 16th December 2025, with funding activity spanning spacetech, D2C beauty, climate tech, deep tech, and consumer appliances. Spacetech startup Digantara led the day with a $50 million Series B round, while haircare brand Moxie Beauty and shapewear startup Underneat secured
On December 16, tech giant Google announced $8 million in financing for four AI centres of excellence in India. The investment will also be used for a number of research partnerships and healthcare-focused AI projects that will boost the nation's AI ecosystem. The grant was revealed during Google&
According to multiple media sources, Temasek-backed upGrad has started early preparations for an IPO that might garner $350–400 million. The company is investigating inorganic expansion through possible mergers and acquisitions at the same time as the IPO push. As reported by media houses, upGrad is investigating a possible $300–
The consumer products division of Reliance Industries is once again looking to enter a new market by purchasing a smaller brand. The business is well-known for acquiring lesser historical brands like Velvette shampoos and Campa Soft Drinks. It was recently separated off from Reliance Retail to become a direct division
Following predictions that his SpaceX firm was expected to go public at a valuation of $800 billion, Forbes reported on December 15 that Elon Musk became the first individual ever worth $600 billion. According to a Reuters article last week, Musk, who became the first person to reach $500 billion
The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has given HDFC Bank's subsidiaries permission to purchase up to a 9.5% share in IndusInd Bank. India's biggest private sector lender by market value stated in an exchange statement on 15 December that the permission is effective for a
India’s startup and business ecosystem remained active on 15th December 2025, marked by early-stage funding momentum and strategic moves by industry leaders. Kids-focused resale platform IPF, legal-tech startup Lawyered, and D2C watch brand Rotoris collectively raised fresh capital to scale technology, expand operations, and strengthen market presence. Alongside startup
WhatsApp must obtain user agreement before sharing data with Meta parties for both advertising and non-advertising reasons, according to a clarification made on 15 December by the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT). A panel headed by Justice Ashok Bhushan, the chairperson of the NCLAT, granted the Competition Commission of
Wheels India announced on 15 December that it and Japan's Topy Industries have inked a technical assistance agreement for the design, development, and production of aluminium alloy wheels. According to a statement from the company, Topy will contribute engineering support and technical expertise to improve Wheels India'
According to various media reports, Walmart-owned online retailer Flipkart has been given permission by the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) to move its headquarters from Singapore to India. This move brings the company one step closer to its eagerly awaited public listing on Indian exchanges. The Bengaluru-based online retailer has
- China, which controls up to 70% of global silver supply, is tightening exports from 2026. - After January 1, the silver shortage could increase to more than 2,500 tonnes annually. - India is aggressively buying physical silver, importing over 1,700 tonnes in October alone.
Bangalore based IPF, India’s most trusted peer-to-peer marketplace for preloved kids’ products, has announced raising INR 3.2 crore (~$375,000) in seed funding led by Titan Capital, with participation from Better Capital and angel investors including Ranjit Pratap Singh (co-founder & CEO, Pratilipi), Aashish Jindal and Vivek Gulati
In order to improve the nation's whole EV ecosystem, Maruti Suzuki India intends to localise battery manufacture and other essential components over the coming years. In an effort to boost the EV ecosystem as a whole, the firm intends to inspire confidence in consumers by introducing its first