Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 16th October 2025: Zepto Raises $450 Mn, Kuku FM Secures $85 Mn, Galeries Lafayette Enters Mumbai & More

India’s startup and corporate ecosystem witnessed significant developments on 16th October 2025. Quick-commerce, audio platforms, health tech, AI, and life sciences startups secured funding rounds to expand operations, enhance technology, and scale services. On the corporate front, French luxury retailer Galeries Lafayette announced its debut in Mumbai, while Goldman

Zepto Raises $450 Million at $7 Billion Valuation, Expands ESOP Pool Worth $169 Million Ahead of IPO

India’s fast-growing quick-commerce platform, Zepto, has raised $450 million in a new funding round led by CalPERS (California Public Employees’ Retirement System), valuing the company at $7 billion. The funding round is one of the largest investments in the Indian startup ecosystem this year and sets the stage for

Paytm Restructures Operations, Brings Key Business Units Under Direct Ownership

One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has authorised an internal reorganisation plan to directly own a number of its technological and financial businesses. The business stated in a filing with the exchanges that the action is a component of its endeavours to enhance operational efficiency, fortify governance, and streamline

BeastLife Partners with Annamrita Foundation to Nourish India’s Future — One Order at a Time

BeastLife, one of India’s fastest-growing fitness and nutrition brands, has joined hands with Annamrita Foundation, a Mumbai-based NGO known for serving nutritious mid-day meals to children in government-aided schools. Through this partnership, BeastLife pledges that from October 16 onwards, for every order placed on its website, one child will

Zerodha CEO Nithin Kamath Falls for Phishing Scam, Warns About Online Safety

Zerodha Founder and CEO Nithin Kamath has admitted that his personal Twitter (X) account was compromised after he clicked on a phishing e-mail link. The post, shared by Kamath on LinkedIn, has gone viral, not just because of who he is, but because it highlights how even the most tech-savvy

Apple Urges India to Amend Tax Law Hindering its Expansion Plans

According to reports, Apple is urging the Centre to loosen income tax regulations pertaining to the ownership of "high-end" iPhone equipment that the massive tech company supplies to its contract manufacturers. According to sources who spoke to Reuters, Apple executives have been in discussions with Indian officials in

Goldman Sachs Plans Further Job Cuts as AI Drives Cost Savings

As the bank seeks to further reduce costs and capitalise on efficiencies brought about by artificial intelligence (AI), Goldman Sachs has reportedly told its employees to anticipate another round of layoffs before the year finishes. According to an internal memo distributed to staff, the New York-based company intends to "

Inside Openai’s $1 Trillion Expansion Plan: Is 5 Years Enough?

OpenAI's annual revenue is $13 billion and would need just about $1000 billion to solidify its computer systems and infrastructure. Deals, debt, data centres and...

Koo Cofounder Mayank Bidawatka Launches AI Photo Sharing App ‘PicSee’

Koo cofounder Mayank Bidawatka has launched PicSee, an AI-powered mutual photo-sharing app, available now on Google Play and Apple App Store. The app is built by his new company, Billion Hearts Software Technologies, and aims to make photo sharing easy, private, and automatic. A New Way to Share Photos PicSee

Apple Exec Jumps Ship to Meta Amid Intensifying AI Talent War

According to Bloomberg News on 15 October, which cited sources with knowledge of the situation, Apple's Ke Yang, the recently hired CEO spearheading an initiative to create an AI-driven online search similar to ChatGPT, is leaving to join Meta. According to the story, Yang was only a few

Razorpay Reports 65% Surge in FY25 Revenue, Expands Global Fintech Footprint

Razorpay posted a 65% revenue rise to INR 3,783 crore in FY25, led by growth across payments, banking, and international operations, while reporting a one-time loss due to restructuring.

Graph AI Secures $3 Million Seed Funding from Bessemer Venture Partners

Graph AI, a California-based AI life sciences company focused on patient safety and pharmacovigilance, has raised $3 million in seed funding, led by Bessemer Venture Partners (BVP). The investment will enable Graph AI to accelerate product innovation, expand its engineering team, and drive global market adoption. Graph AI is part

FireAI Raises ₹4 Crore Seed Funding Led by Inflection Point Ventures

AI-powered business intelligence startup FireAI has raised INR 4 crore in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV). The capital will be channelled towards product development and key innovations such as Causal Chain, Text-to-SQL capabilities, and its proprietary ETL tool to enhance scalability, speed, and user experience.

Google’s Andhra Investment a ‘Historic Loss’ for Karnataka, Says JD(S)

The ruling Congress government in Karnataka has come under fire from opposition parties after Andhra Pradesh and Google inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on October 14 to build a top-notch AI data centre in Visakhapatnam. More than one lakh jobs are anticipated to be created by the $15 billion

Ahmedabad Recommended to Host 2030 Commonwealth Games, Marking India’s Big Sporting Leap

Ahmedabad has been recommended as the host city for the 2030 Centenary Commonwealth Games, marking India’s return to hosting the event after 20 years and boosting its 2036 Olympic bid.

Galeries Lafayette to Open First Luxury Store in Mumbai with Aditya Birla Group

French luxury department store Galeries Lafayette is making its India debut with a flagship store in Mumbai, in partnership with Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd (ABFRL). Set to open in early November, the store marks a major step in India’s luxury retail expansion, with Delhi next in line.

Is the Internet Dead? Alexis Ohanian on What’s Wrong With the Internet

The internet will soon verify if the users are, in fact, humans. Here's why?

Did Mackenzie Scott Sell $58 Million Amazon Shares?

Reports suggest that MacKenzie Scott now owns 42% fewer shares. What’s her stake in Amazon now?

Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 15th October 2025: RARA Barefoot Raises $500K, Everbright Health Secures $7 Mn, Amazon Layoffs & More

India’s startup and corporate ecosystem saw notable developments on 15th October 2025. Startups like RARA Barefoot, Everbright Health, Consuma, Fragaria Fruits, Flowatt Battery Science, and Matters.AI secured pre-seed and seed funding to expand operations and scale technology. On the corporate front, Amazon announced up to 15% HR layoffs,

TIPS Music Reports 15% Revenue Growth in H1 FY26, Declares ₹4 Interim Dividend

TIPS Music Ltd (formerly Tips Industries Ltd.), one of India’s leading music labels, reported a strong performance for the quarter ended 30 September 2025, with continued double-digit growth. The company recorded a 15% year-on-year increase in revenue and an 8% rise in profit after tax (PAT) for the first

OpenAI to Allow Erotic Content on ChatGPT for Verified Adults...

After a teen tragedy and FTC probe, OpenAI is now redefining ChatGPT’s Rules. But how will it keep you safe from...

Fragaria Fruits Secures $2 Million in Seed Funding Led by WEH Ventures to Transform India’s Premium Fruit Market

Fragaria Fruits, a high-tech farming company, has raised $2 million in seed funding and project finance to expand its vision of revolutionising the fruit-eating experience in India. The round was led by WEH Ventures, with participation from Rainmatter, Spiral Ventures, and angel investors such as Sashi Kumar, CEO of Akshayakalpa

Matters.AI Raises ₹55 Crore Seed Funding Co-Led by Kalaari Capital and Endiya Partners to Launch Bharat’s First AI Security Engineer

Matters.AI, an AI-native data security company built in Bharat, today announced an INR 55 Crore fundraise to pioneer a new class of system: the AI Security Engineer. Unlike traditional security platforms that merely monitor or alert, the AI Security Engineer is a self-learning system that understands how sensitive data

Rapido Expands App Services to Include Flight, Hotel, Bus and Train Bookings via Partner Integrations

For booking flights, buses, trains, and hotels, Rapido has partnered with Goibibo, owned by MakeMyTrip; ConfirmTkt, owned by ixigo; and redBus. Rapido aims to become a one-stop travel app, offering its 5 Cr active users from more than 400 cities nationwide a smooth mobility experience. Prior to a possible initial