Indian Startups

Funds to deepen AI capabilities and expand enterprise presence across key global markets

The startup group has asked the government to reassure global investors of a stable investment environment, asking it to issue a clarification that pre-2017 investments would not face taxes

Industry body Nasscom hopes that the Union Budget will extend Employee Stock Option Plan (ESOP) tax deferment to more startups and bring suitable clarifications to address concerns around the tax treatment of foreign cloud use of Indian data centres. The association - whose members include IT companies and tech players across-the-spectrum, of varying size and scale - wants the Budget to clarify that procuring hosting or co-location services from an Indian data centre operator would not create a business connection or permanent establishment for the foreign cloud service provider, as the arm's length payments to the Indian player fully cover India-based functions. ESOP tax deferral for more start-ups is another proposal highlighted by Nasscom in its Budget push, as is the extension of the carry-forward and set-off of accumulated losses and unabsorbed depreciation benefits in case of amalgamation or merger to all companies (irrespective of their business nature). Other suggestions ...

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will participate in a programme marking a decade of the Startup India initiative on Friday and interact with members of India's vibrant startup ecosystem. Startup India was launched on January 16, 2016, as a transformative national programme to nurture innovation, promote entrepreneurship and enable investment-driven growth, with the objective of making India a nation of job creators rather than job seekers. On the occasion of National Startup Day, Prime Minister Modi will interact with members of India's vibrant startup ecosystem, an official statement said. Select startup representatives will share insights from their entrepreneurial journey. The prime minister will also address the gathering on this occasion. Over the past decade, Startup India has emerged as a cornerstone of India's economic and innovation architecture. It has strengthened institutional mechanisms, expanded access to capital and mentorship, and fostered an enabling environment for .

After a prolonged funding slowdown, 2025 emerged as the year of liquidity for Indian startups, marked by a revival in public listings, improved deal quality and a decisive shift toward disciplined growth. If 2023 was defined by a "funding winter" and 2024 by cautious optimism, 2025 will be remembered for a historic rise in exits, particularly through the public markets. While overall funding volumes declined, the average median deal size nearly doubled to about USD 1.4 million in 2025, from roughly USD 700,000 in 2024, signalling greater investor selectivity and maturity. India's technology startups raised USD 10.5 billion in 2025, down 17 per cent from USD 12.7 billion in 2024 and 4 per cent from USD 11 billion in 2023, according to Tracxn. The number of USD 100 million-plus funding rounds fell to 14, compared with 19 in 2024, though large deals included Erisha E Mobility (USD 1 billion), Zepto (USD 450 million) and GreenLine (USD 275 million). Despite lower funding, liquidity eve

Digital infrastructure security firm Axiado has raised over $100 million in an oversubscribed Series C+ round to expand globally, deepen India-based R&D

PowerUp Money, a mutual fund advisory wealthtech platform, on Monday said it has raised USD 12 million (about Rs 107.4 crore) in a Series A funding round led by Peak XV, with participation from existing investors Accel, Blume Ventures, and Kae Capital. The funding comes just six months after the company raised USD 7.2 million in seed funding. With the latest funding, PowerUp Money intends to enhance its research and advisory offerings, expand its flagship offering PowerUp Elite, introduce PowerUp Infinite (a fully managed investment advisory product offering), and allocate resources toward financial literacy and investor education, according to a company statement. Over the next three years, the company targets onboarding 10 million users to further cement its position in shaping the future of retail wealth management in India. "This fundraise enables us to strengthen our advisory and research capabilities, scale PowerUp Elite, and launch PowerUp Infinite, as we work towards buildi

Right4Paws also plans to onboard specialised talent, introduce new product categories across functional and life-stage nutrition, and expand its distribution footprint across Indian markets

Chennai-based Sisir Radar has raised $7 million in a Series A led by 360 ONE Asset. It is targeting India's first private L-band SAR satellite launch by 2026 for 24/7 imaging

Since its launch, the fund has already invested in 10-12 startups, with several being led by first-generation founders in Tier-II and Tier-III cities, according to the firm

Global investors including SoftBank, Temasek. and West Asian sovereign funds have poured billions into the sector, making it the world's most closely watched experiment in rapid deliveries

ICEGATE enables e-filing and customs payments by traders; RMS automates risk-based scrutiny; and ICES handles backend assessment and clearance workflows at Customs locations

BIRAC and TDB are expected to be named second-level fund managers for the ₹1-trillion RDI fund, enabling long-term low-cost capital flow to biotech and deeptech startups

Dream Sports' Dream Horizon will release its in-house tech stack-tested at peak scale-to help developers and startups build large systems, as the company refocuses after the real-money gaming ban

Mirana Toys has secured ₹57.5 crore in Series A funding to set up a new factory, expand design and sales teams and meet rising domestic and global demand for smart and educational toys

The company will use this capital in scaling production units of aerospace and rocket components and advance its stage-recovery programme

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge on Tuesday said the state government is investing Rs 600 crore in Deep Tech and AI and along with leading venture capital firms, it aims to create a joint fund of over Rs 1,000 crore to support start-ups in these sectors in the state. According to him, Karnataka is set to make a major push in emerging technologies during the first Future Makers Conclave on November 20 at the 28th edition of the Bengaluru Tech Summit here. "We are concentrating heavily on DeepTech and AI. For the first time, we are having the Future Makers Conclave where we have tied up with private venture capitalists, and together we are disbursing close to around Rs 1,100 crore on a single platform on November 20 to DeepTech startups," he told reporters here. According to officials, the Future Makers Conclave will be the flagship event of the summit and the launchpad where Karnataka shifts from "leapfrogging" to "pole-vaulting" into its DeepTech Decade. The conclave will have .

The company offers both pre-paid and pay-after-placement models, and has partnered with leading Indian institutions like IITs and IIMs for its upskilling programmes

Maiden Fund I achieves more than 3x distribution to paid-in capital, establishing one of India's strongest early-stage track records

Firms, which have entered into these MoUs with the DPIIT, include boAT, HDFC Capital Advisors, Hero Moto, Zepto, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Yes Bank, Paytm, Walmart, and Ather Energy