Peerzada Abrar

Peerzada Abrar

Peerzada Abrar is a technology and business reporter at Business Standard. He covers the intersection of technology, AI, business and society, and their impact on our lives. This includes tracking top tech firms and startups. He joined Business Standard in 2019 after having worked at The Economic Times and The Hindu, where he covered the entrepreneurship ecosystem, start-ups, new technologies, venture capital, and private equity. A storyteller at heart, he is captivated by the potential of innovation to address global challenges. His narrative spans from resilient communities combating epidemics and natural disasters to groundbreaking initiatives that empower the underserved and transform humanitarian landscapes.

Email
Twitter
LinkedIn

Peerzada Abrar

Ola Electric launches S1Z with homegrown LFP cells, starts at ₹79,999

The mass-market scooter comes with 3.1 kWh and 5.1 kWh battery options, offering up to 301 km of IDC range; deliveries are set to begin in December 2026

Updated On: 28 Aug 2026 | 6:54 PM IST

Pyaz kachori to Tunday kebabs: Swiggy's train food orders surge 12-fold

The service now covers 201 stations, up from 66 in 2024, with adoption in tier-2 and tier-3 cities growing twice as fast as in metros over the past two years

Updated On: 27 Aug 2026 | 8:01 PM IST

TILT Capital launches ₹250 crore fund to back next-generation startups

The/Nudge Foundation's investment platform will provide ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore in patient capital to seed-to-Series A ventures serving India's Next Billion across livelihoods and climate resilience

Updated On: 27 Aug 2026 | 6:05 AM IST

Blinkit expands beyond metros in India's quick-commerce market race

CLSA says Blinkit has the largest dark-store network in India's top cities and is the only major player expanding beyond them, positioning it to gain as adoption spreads

Updated On: 26 Aug 2026 | 9:33 PM IST

Purple Style Labs sets price band, eyes ₹4,604 crore IPO valuation

The company will raise up to ₹680 crore in a fresh issue to fund lease liabilities, marketing and expansion, with the offer opening on August 31 and closing on September 2

Updated On: 26 Aug 2026 | 9:13 PM IST

Runable raises $21 million to help small businesses grow with AI agents

The AI agent platform has reached 1.5 million users and $2 million in annual recurring revenue, and will use the funds to expand growth channels, its free academy and team

Updated On: 26 Aug 2026 | 7:24 PM IST

Aerospace startup Airbound raises $37 mn to expand autonomous aircraft biz

The Bengaluru aerospace startup will use the Series A capital to scale engineering and manufacturing, while its Andhra Pradesh network is planned to handle up to 10,000 daily flights

Updated On: 25 Aug 2026 | 2:07 PM IST

IIM-B incubator tops $7 billion in startup value as it turns to AI

NSRCEL plans specialised sector centers and AI tools to expand its entrepreneur network toward one million

Updated On: 16 Aug 2026 | 10:41 PM IST

Uber expands into 100 more Indian cities, deepens push beyond major metros

The bike-taxi-led rollout spans 18 states and one Union Territory, taking Uber to 225 cities as it challenges Rapido and Ola in India's fast-growing smaller markets.

Updated On: 12 Aug 2026 | 7:44 PM IST

Accel bets $550 million on India's next wave of founders for AI era

Venture capital firm behind Flipkart and Swiggy closes ninth India fund as part of a record $3.5 billion global raise, betting AI lets homegrown startups build for the world from day one

Updated On: 12 Aug 2026 | 1:22 PM IST

AI materials startup Discovered Materials raises $9 million seed round

The IIT Madras alumni-founded company is using AI agents to accelerate the discovery of semiconductor materials and has released hundreds of AI-discovered materials alongside a new industry benchmark

Updated On: 10 Aug 2026 | 8:54 PM IST

Shiprocket bets IPO proceeds on AI as it expands beyond core shipping biz

Shiprocket plans to invest much of its IPO proceeds in AI and emerging businesses as it seeks to offer merchants technology spanning advertising, freight and commerce

Updated On: 10 Aug 2026 | 7:01 PM IST

Ola Electric's Q1FY27 loss narrows to Rs 336 crore as revenue falls 45%

Vehicle deliveries nearly doubled sequentially to 39,192 units and market share recovered to 8.4 per cent, even as revenue declined 45 per cent from a year earlier

Updated On: 07 Aug 2026 | 7:52 PM IST

BlissClub raises ₹160 cr to expand retail footprint and product portfolio

Singularity AMC led the funding round, with founder Minu Margeret and existing investors backing the activewear brand's next phase of growth

Updated On: 07 Aug 2026 | 6:00 AM IST

Shiprocket's ₹1,617.5-crore IPO to open Aug 12; price band fixed at ₹92-97

The e-commerce enablement platform will open its public offering on August 12, with the issue valuing the company at up to ₹7,056 crore

Updated On: 06 Aug 2026 | 11:00 PM IST

India's ₹124.9 trn MSME procurement mkt offers digital growth opportunity

Four in five small businesses expect online sourcing to drive growth over the next three years, highlighting a vast opportunity for digital procurement platforms

Updated On: 06 Aug 2026 | 10:38 PM IST

HomeRun raises $12 mn to expand 60-minute building materials delivery

Nexus Venture Partners led the funding round as the construction materials quick-commerce startup accelerates expansion, months after raising $6.6 million

Updated On: 06 Aug 2026 | 8:49 PM IST

Fisdom founders to exit Groww after wealth business integration

Subramanya SV and Anand Dalmia will exit Groww after completing a planned one-year transition following Fisdom's acquisition and integration into the fintech firm's wealth business

Updated On: 06 Aug 2026 | 8:29 PM IST

Foreign etailers told to set up separate export-only units in India

The DGFT has notified a framework requiring foreign-owned e-commerce firms to create separate legal entities for inventory-based exports of Indian-made goods under the revised FDI policy

Updated On: 05 Aug 2026 | 11:53 PM IST

River Mobility raises $120 million in Series C led by Elev8, Claypond

The Bengaluru-based electric two-wheeler maker will use the fresh capital to expand manufacturing capacity, build a new factory and launch products in the utility lifestyle segment

Updated On: 05 Aug 2026 | 11:03 PM IST