Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 18th December 2025: Oben Electric Raises $10.2 Mn, CuePilot AI Secures $1.8 Mn, WorkIndia Bags INR 97 Cr & More

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

L Catterton Acquires Minority Stake in Haldiram’s Through Strategic Partnership

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 Secures $1.8M to Bring Voice-First AI into Preschools

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 Considers Thousands of Job Cuts as AI Reshapes Consulting Work

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

Mukesh Kumar of M-Sanvi Real Estate on Customer-Centric Projects, Digital Innovation, and Building Trust-Driven Real Estate Experiences

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

Amazon Eliminates 370 Roles at European HQ in Major Layoff Linked to AI Push

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 Appoints Dr Ramesh Kinha as Chief Operating Officer

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

Bharat Taxi, a Cooperative-Run Ride-Hailing Service, Set to Launch in Delhi in January

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 Raises INR 85 Crores in Pre-Series B Round, Enters Next Phase of Growth

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

TCS AI Revenue Hits $1.5 Billion, Grows 16% QoQ, Says CEO

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 Raises ₹97 Crore in Latest Funding Round Led by Aavishkaar Capital

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

Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 17th December 2025: Cellarim Labs, Tagbin, Decode Age Raise Fresh Capital; Meesho Billionaire Moment & Zepto IPO Buzz

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,

Amith Agarwal of StarAgri on Building a Data-Led Agri Value Chain, Tech-Enabled Trade Finance, and Sustainable Growth at Scale

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 Amith Agarwal, Co-founder & CEO of StarAgri, who reflects

India’s Logistics Vision 2030: The Role of Startups in Building a $5 Trillion Economy

This article has been contributed by Umang Shukla, Co-Founder & CEO, Edgistify India is stepping into a decade defined by scale. The ambition to become a $5 trillion economy by 2030 is not merely a macroeconomic target; it represents a structural transformation in how the country manufactures, distributes, and consumes.

Amit Banka of WeNaturalists on Youth-Led Climate Action, Green Skills, and Building a Scalable Sustainability Ecosystem

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 Amit Banka, Founder and CEO of WeNaturalists, who reflects

Aamir Khan and Ranbir Kapoor are set to invest in QWEEN, India’s First Self-Discovery Experiential Luxury Jewellery Brand

Backed by Rosy Blue and Kashikey, the brand enters the market with ₹1000 crore in strategic investment and a new experiential retail model for 100% natural gemstones & diamond jewellery.

Amazon Plans $10 Billion Investment in Sam Altman’s AI Startup OpenAI

According to CNBC and Reuters, who cited people with knowledge of the situation, Amazon and OpenAI are negotiating a possible billion-dollar investment in the AI startup. Amazon may invest more than $10 billion in OpenAI in addition to a deal to use its AI processors, according to the two publications&

CCI Approves Coinbase’s Investment in Indian Crypto Exchange CoinDCX

Coinbase Global Inc.'s proposal to purchase a minority share in DCX Global Ltd., the company that controls the brand, technology, and intellectual property of cryptocurrency unicorn CoinDCX, has been accepted by the Competition Commission of India (CCI). Coinbase, a US-based company, has lately extended its operations to India

Quick Commerce Startup Zepto May Submit Draft IPO Papers in 7–8 Days

According to various media reports, Zepto, a quick commerce (qcom) unicorn, is expected to submit the draft documents for its impending initial public offering (IPO) within the next seven to eight days, as reported by Business Standard. The business plans to go public the following year and is anticipated to

Mizuho Financial Set to Acquire KKR-Backed Avendus Capital for India Expansion

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

How to Secure the Lowest Gold Loan Interest Rates?

A Gold Loan is one of the most trustworthy forms of borrowing in India, requiring minimal paperwork, quick disbursement, and the ability to unlock the value of your idle jewellery. Many households and businesses get timely financial relief through these funding options. However, the cost of borrowing largely depends on

Cellarim Labs Raises ₹6 Crore Seed Round Led by 3i Partners to Scale Cell-Free Biomanufacturing for High-Purity Beauty Ingredients

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

New SEBI Study: 70% of Intraday Traders Face Losses - Are You One of Them?

Let's discuss the issue that many traders do not acknowledge - the process of losing money. According to a recent SEBI research report, approximately 70% of intraday traders will end up losing money while trading in the market. Shocking? Perhaps not. If you have even explored intraday trading,

Meesho Founder Vidit Aatrey Becomes a Billionaire After a Strong Share Rally

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

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Most Expensive Player in IPL History: Highest Bids Across All Seasons

The thrill of an IPL auction is no less than the tournament itself— seeing your favorite team bidding for your favorite player is enough to spark excitement. The Indian Premier League is not just a regular sports event— it’s a mega cricket festival. In a franchise sports tournament like

🛠️Tools

Top AI-Powered Project Management Tools to Boost Team Productivity

AI project management streamlines teamwork, making it faster and more straightforward. It enables users to define their goals, allocate responsibilities, and identify possible risks before major problems occur. Intelligent automation reduces the time lost to meetings and minimizes guesswork for teams. Simple chats, clean dashboards, and easy reports keep everyone

📄Company Profiles

How Bitrix24 Enhances Team Productivity and Improves Cross-Functional Collaboration

The collaborative online workspace has helped businesses streamline their team’s work by bringing project management, CRM, and communication tools in one place. Bitrix24 is a free all-in-one workspace that offers features for task management, customer relationship management,    Bitrix24 caters to various functions and departments, including sales, marketing, HR, and

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Top Christmas Celebration Ideas in the Office or Virtual

We are in December, and Christmas is just a few days away. These days, most of you are thinking about how you can celebrate Christmas in the office with your colleagues. If you belong to the usual category of people, then you will follow the regular tradition of celebrating Christmas

Indian Startup Funding

Indian Startups Funding and Investors Data for 2025 (Updated Weekly)

Company Sector Headquarters Amount Funding Round Type Lead Investors Infra.Market Real Estate Tech Thane $83 Mn Series G - EvoluteIQ Enterprise Tech Bengaluru $53 Mn – Baird Capital FinBox Fintech Bengaluru $40 Mn Series B WestBridge Capital Blue Energy Motors Clean Tech Pune $30 Mn - Nikhil Kamath, Omnitex Industries

✍️ Opinions

Ethical Consumption Moves Mainstream: What It Means for India’s Next Wave of Entrepreneurs

This article has been contributed by Mr Haresh Mirpuri -  Founder of Essensai067 & Aranyani India’s consumption landscape is changing in ways that are more structural than cyclical. While incomes rise and aspirations expand, a parallel shift is taking shape in how people evaluate the products and services they

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Top Richest Self-Made Women Entrepreneurs in India

Have you ever wondered who the real game-changers of India are? Not the ones born into legacy businesses, but the women who built their empires from scratch; idea by idea, risk by risk. India’s startup landscape is booming, but behind the noise lie stories that are even more powerful.

Year End Stories

Surabhi Trivedi of Media Maniacs Group on Intent -Driven Marketing, AI-Led Storytelling, and Building Trust-First Brands

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 Surabhi Trivedi, Founder & CEO of Media Maniacs Group,