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The UN's humanitarian aid coordination office is downsizing its appeal for annual funding in 2026 after support this year, mostly from Western governments, plunged to the lowest level in a decade. The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Monday it was seeking $33 billion to help some 135 million people cope with fallout from wars, climate disasters, earthquakes, epidemics and food shortages. This year, it took in $15 billion, the lowest level in a decade. The office says next year it wants more than $4.1 billion to reach 3 million people in Palestinian areas, another $2.9 billion for Sudan home to the world's largest displacement crisis and $2.8 billion for a regional plan around Syria. In 2025, hunger surged. Food budgets were slashed even as famines hit parts of Sudan and Gaza. Health systems broke apart," said OCHA chief Tom Fletcher. "Disease outbreaks spiked. Millions went without essential food, healthcare and protection. Programs to prote
Home and furnishings company Wakefit Innovations Ltd has mobilised Rs 186 crore from three investors, Steadview Capital, WhiteOak Capital, InfoEdge and Temasek-backed Capital 2B, ahead of its initial share-sale opening for public subscription. As a part of the transaction, Steadview Capital Mauritius, WhiteOak Capital and Capital 2B collectively purchased 95.57 lakh equity shares at Rs 195 apiece, according to a public announcement by Wakefit. Individually, Steadview Capital picked up shares worth Rs 101 crore, WhiteOak invested Rs 72 crore, and Capital 2B infused Rs 13 crore. These shares were purchased from Peak XV Partners, Redwood Trust and Verlinvest SA, and secondary share transfers were completed on December 3 and 4. Following this round, Wakefit on December 5 collected Rs 580 crore from anchor investors, including HDFC Life Insurance, Bajaj Life Insurance, Prudential Hong Kong, 360 One, Steadview Capital, Amundi Funds New Silk Road, HDFC Mutual Fund, and Axis Mutual ...
The government of India and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has signed agreements for three loans worth over USD 800 million for projects in Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat. Accordingly, the loan agreements for the Maharashtra Power Distribution Enhancement Programme for Agricultural Solarization (USD 500 million), Indore Metro Rail Project (27,147,200,000 yen, equivalent to USD 190.6 million), and Gujarat Skills Development Programme (USD 109.97 million) were signed, a finance ministry statement said on Saturday. In addition, a Technical Assistance (TA) grant of USD 1 million was also signed to provide implementation support for the upcoming Sustainable Wetland and Integrated Fisheries Transformation (SWIFT) Project in Assam, designed to enhance the state's wetland ecosystems and fisheries. The Maharashtra project aims to modernise rural power infrastructure, promote distributed renewable energy generation, and improve agricultural productivity by providing farmers with ..
OYO parent PRISM-backed OYO Assets has raised Rs 125 crore in a fresh funding round from a clutch of institutional and private investors led by InCred, according to sources. OYO Assets, also known as Sunday PropTech, is focused on acquiring and developing hotels in India across premium and mid-premium segments. The equity infusion will enable OYO Assets (Sunday PropTech) to expand its presence in key leisure and business destinations and enhance its asset management capabilities. The funding amount in the latest round stands at Rs 125 crore, people aware of the development said. "The early performance of the portfolio demonstrates resilience, consistent cash flows, and clear unit-level profitability in a sector that is increasingly attracting organised capital. Sunday PropTech stands out for its coherent strategy and its ability to execute with precision. This capital raise strengthens the platform's ability to acquire high-quality assets at scale while maintaining robust financial
Investment firm Niveshaay on Tuesday said it has led a Rs 325 crore funding round in Waaree Energy Storage Systems to expand the Waaree Group's battery arm. The fund will be used to enhance cell and pack manufacturing capacity, strengthen engineering and validation capabilities, and scale containerised Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) across India and select global markets. Niveshaay said it has cumulatively invested Rs 128 crore in the round through its Category II Niveshaay Sambhav Fund, Category III Niveshaay Hedgehogs Fund, and the newly launched one of India's first dedicated Collective Investment Vehicles (CIVs,) Niveshaay WESS Fund. Other co-investors in the round include Vivek Jain (Managing Director, Action Tesa and GrowthSphere) and Saket Agarwal (former Director, Apollo Pipes Ltd and Apollo Tricoat), among others, Niveshaay, the SEBI-registered investment advisory and boutique asset management firm said. "Battery storage will play a key role in India's clean energ