Page 5 - Startups In India

Agnikul, GalaxEye, ePlane Co among 10 Indian startups on WEF list

Indian startups in AI, space tech, energy and data analytics make it to WEF's 2025 top 100 list, affirming India's rising presence in deep-tech innovation

Operator-led startups outpace peers in funding speed and deal size

A Tracxn report commissioned by RTP Global finds operator-led startups outperform others in funding speed, size and Seed-stage success across 2022-24 in India

Quadria closes $1.07 bn healthcare fund, seeks growth in India and S Asia

Singapore-based company says it has largest dedicated healthcare PE fund for South and Southeast Asia

360 ONE Asset launches Rs 500 cr VC fund to tap early-stage startups

360 ONE Asset's Rs 500 crore VC fund will invest in seed and Series A startups across sectors including AI, fintech, spacetech, defence, and precision manufacturing

CloudSEK raises $19 million for AI-led innovation, global expansion

CloudSEK secures funding from Indian and US investors to boost AI capabilities and expand internationally, with the US emerging as its fastest-growing revenue region

IndusInd Bank signs pact with AIC STPINEXT to support startups, MSMEs

IndusInd Bank on Monday said it has signed a pact with AIC STPINEXT to provide early-stage startups and MSMEs essential financial solutions and structural support. AIC STPINEXT is a special purpose vehicle of Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). "Under this collaboration, IndusInd Bank will deliver a range of tailored banking solutions to support early-stage startups associated with STPI/STPINEXT. "The Bank will offer a specialized Current Account product with no quarterly average balance requirement, making it easier for startups to manage their finances," IndusInd Bank said in a regulatory filing. Additionally, the Bank will offer support such as expert guidance, and conduct workshops around financial management including banking basics, equity infusion, Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOPs), segment-based funding etc. To further support operational efficiency, the bank will offer payroll and attendance .

Delhi govt to set up food incubators, hi-tech labs to boost startups

The Delhi government will set up two new incubation centres for micro food processing firms and three advanced technology labs for startups, Industries Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa said on Saturday. Under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship PMFME scheme, Rs 4.5 crore will be invested in food processing incubators at Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University's World Class Skill Centres in Jhandewalan and Wazirpur. Delhi Skill and Entrepreneurship University has already received an initial Rs 50 lakh tranche and begun procuring bakery line equipment, Sirsa said. He also said that separately, a Rs 3.06 crore corporate social responsibility grant from the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation will finance two Internet of Things labs and a fabrication lab on Netaji Subhas University of Technology's East and Main campuses. The facilities will offer prototyping, testing and upskilling support to students, faculty and local entrepreneurs, he added. Unde

Zopper eyes expansion after raising $25 mn, IPO likely in 3-5 years: COO

Insurtech firm Zopper is currently focussed on scaling up its operations and may consider going public in the next 3 to 5 years, a top company official said. The company has recently raised USD 25 million in growth capital from investors to accelerate its expansion and invest in new-age technology. "As such, our business has a positive gross margin. But in a growth company, you keep investing the profits into future growth, which we have also been doing for many years," Zopper co-founder and Chief Operating Officer Mayank Gupta told PTI. He also said the company is not looking to break even at this stage but is instead investing every earned money towards expansion. "If we want, we can break even today, but that will mean that we stop investing in the future, and growth will become stunted," he said. The B2B insurance infrastructure company is even open to inorganic routes for expansion. "We are not actively looking at any acquisition, but keep doing a sense check of the market.

Govt clears revised credit guarantee scheme for startups, max cover ₹20 cr

The government on Thursday approved a revised Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS), under which the maximum guarantee cover per borrower has been doubled to Rs 20 crore. The broad objective of CGSS is to provide guarantee up to a specified limit against credit instruments extended by member institutions to finance eligible startups. This scheme would help provide the much needed collateral-free debt funding to startups, the department for promotion of industry and internal trade (DPIIT) said in a notification. This notification supersedes the earlier notification dated October 6, 2022 on the scheme and comes into effect from May 8. "Maximum guarantee cover per borrower shall not exceed Rs 20 crore," it said. It was earlier Rs 10 crore. Member institutions include a financial intermediary (banks, FIs, NBFCs, AIFs) engaged in lending/investing and conforming to the eligibility criteria duly approved under the scheme. To further catalyse entrepreneurship by providing enhanced

HexaHealth closes Series A round of $12 mn to redefine India surgical care

Other participants included Enzia Ventures and ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, along with existing investors Chiratae Ventures and Omidyar Network India

Uniqus Consultech raises $20 mn in Series C funding, round led by Nexus

The round was led by Nexus Venture Partners, with participation from Sorin Investments. Both are existing investors in the company

India's agrifoodtech startups raised $2.5 bn in 2024, 3X rise from 2023

Investments in India's agrifoodtech startups jumped over 3-fold to USD 2.5 billion last year, driven by funds raised by quick commerce company Zepto, according to a report. Omnivore, in collaboration with AgFunder, a global investment platform, on Wednesday released a report titled 'Developing Markets AgriFoodTech Investment Report 2025'. As per the report, investment in India's agrifoodtech startups stood at USD 2.5 billion in 2024 as against USD 806 million in the preceding year. Zepto raised USD 1.4 billion last year in multiple rounds. "Top rounds for India in 2024 highlight continued investment into eGrocery and restaurant-related startups, which are well-suited to the country given its dense urban settings and high population. Midstream Technologies has also been a high-performing category for India agrifoodtech investment," the report said. According to a statement, agrifoodtech investment in developing markets reached USD 3.7 billion in 2024, up 63 per cent from 2023 and .

India's startup failure isn't about ambition, it's about the economy

Criticism of Indian startups may be valid, but the real culprit behind their consumer focus and lack of innovation is the govt's economic model

Govt to give bulk of ₹10,000 cr startup fund to AI, tech sectors: Official

The commerce and industry ministry will allocate a major part of the second Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds Scheme (FFS) for startups to budding entrepreneurs in sectors such as new-age technology, artificial intelligence, and machine building, an official said. In the Budget, the government announced a new FFS with a corpus of Rs 10,000 crore. In 2016 also, the government had launched a similar scheme. "We are going to dedicate a lot of this Rs 10,000 crore fund of funds largely for the new age tech, AI, and machine building," the official said. The 2016 scheme was set up to catalyse venture capital investments and is operationalised by the Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)-registered AIFs, which in turn invest in startups. SIDBI is expected to manage the second scheme also, the official added. With an intent to build a strong ecosystem of the country for nurturing innovation and promoting ...

India can be global hub for IP-led innovation: Accel's Prashanth Prakash

Asserting that there is "limitless headroom for entrepreneurs", Prashanth Prakash, partner at Accel says the venture capital firm will use its recently announced USD 650 million fund over the next two-three years to back start-ups focused on AI and tech-led industrialisation. The company is eyeing 20-25 start-up investments this year as it mounts an aggressive push to tap into India's growing innovation landscape. "If you're a start-up entrepreneur, there's no better time to begin. The number of sectors that start-ups are impacting is also 10-fold...it is more multi-dimensional and multi-sectoral," Prakash told PTI in an interview. "There are a lot of opportunities for founders who have the capability to imagine and envision what products India and the world need. There is limitless headroom for entrepreneurs," he said. While US tariff impact remains uncertain, India does have a strong potential to position itself as a global hub for IP-led innovation and high-value manufacturing,

Xindus raises $10 mn in Series A funding round to scale up operations

Full stack cross-border trade startup Xindus on Thursday said it has secured USD 10-million capital in Series A funding round for scaling up its operations. The latest round was led by 3one4 Capital, co-led by Orios Venture Partners, with participation from Shastra VC and Caret Capital, Xindus said. Founded in 2022 by Saurabh Goyal (CEO and co-founder), with Madan Mohan, Jaikaar Singh and Saptarshi Datta asco-founders, the platform enables SMEs looking to access global markets in streamlining order fulfillment, worldwide shipping, trade compliance, and seamless management of financial flows. The freshly raised funds will be utilised to scale operations significantly, as it aims to onboard 10,000 customers over the next 18 months while driving GMV ( gross merchant value) to USD 200 million, it said. The company said it also plans to strengthen its foothold in India -US corridor while expanding market reach across key regions like the UK, Canada, Australia, Europe, and the Middle ...

Aman Gupta backs Piyush Goyal's push for deep-tech focus in startups

boAt co-founder Aman Gupta has come out in support of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal's recent remarks urging Indian startups to focus more on deep-tech innovation. Gupta's comments come amid an ongoing debate within the startup ecosystem where several founders have countered Goyal's critique of consumer-focused ventures like food delivery and luxury goods startups. Gupta took to social media platform X to echo Goyal's call for startups to move beyond consumer-centric models like food delivery and fantasy sports apps and instead prioritise technologies like artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. "It's not every day that the government asks founders to dream bigger. But at Startup Mahakumbh, that's exactly what happened. I was there. I heard the full speech. Hon. Minister @PiyushGoyal Ji isn't against founders. He believes in us. His point was simple: India has come far, but to lead the worldwe need to aim higher. "It reminded me of something I say oft

'Misplaced, illogical': BJP MP slams Zepto CEO's defence of Indian startups

BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal, who also serves as the secretary general of the Confederation of All India Traders, backed Goyal's remarks made at the recently concluded Startup Mahakumbh

EaseMyTrip's Rikant Pittie enters startup debate, pens Linkedin post

Pittie took to his LinkedIn timeline to share insights into the company's evolution from a bootstrapped startup to a global travel tech leader

Why Indian startups are stuck in delivery while China races ahead in deep tech

India's startups excel in food delivery and e-commerce, but lag behind China's in deep tech, AI, and EVs. As global rivals scale up, India faces key innovation hurdles