Start- Ups

Delhi-NCR startups raise $2.9 bn in 2025; auto tech jumps: Report

Total funding in the Delhi-NCR tech ecosystem rose 9 per cent to USD 2.9 billion in 2025, driven by a massive surge in late-stage investments and a blockbuster year for the auto tech sector, according to a report by data intelligence platform Tracxn. While the total capital raised saw an uptick from USD 2.7 billion in 2024, the ecosystem witnessed a significant 34 per cent decline in deal volume, with the number of funding rounds dropping to 415 from 630 in the previous year. This indicates a "shift toward higher conviction in fewer assets", the report noted. Total funding growth was driven by a sharp rise in late-stage investments, while seed and early-stage funding fell compared to previous years. Late-stage funding witnessed a 47 per cent surge, reaching USD 1.8 billion in 2025. In sharp contrast, seed-stage funding plummeted by 38 per cent to USD 260 million, while early-stage funding dropped 18 per cent to USD 839 million. The auto tech sector emerged as the frontrunner of ...

Updated On: 11 Feb 2026 | 4:18 PM IST

UIDAI plans fund to back tech companies innovating around Aadhaar

UIDAI is exploring setting up a fund to back seed-stage start-ups building innovative Aadhaar-based solutions, aimed at improving the quality, security and trustworthiness of the system

Updated On: 10 Feb 2026 | 11:18 PM IST

Homegrown Indian startup founders outperform returnee diaspora, finds study

A study by AnnaLee Saxenian and Vivek Wadhwa reveals that domestic founders lead in commercial outcomes, while returnees play specialized roles

Updated On: 09 Feb 2026 | 10:14 AM IST

Scrapping of courier export cap brings cheer to logistics, ecom players

The scrapping of the Rs 10 lakh per-consignment cap on courier exports in the Union Budget 2026 is expected to ease bottlenecks for MSMEs and D2C startups and improve cross-border e-commerce economics

Updated On: 04 Feb 2026 | 4:48 PM IST

Cropin unveils AI agriculture platform to rewire global food supply chains

New ecosystem with Google, BCG, Wipro and others aims to reduce climate, data and procurement risks in agriculture

Updated On: 27 Jan 2026 | 4:03 PM IST

PM Modi urges industry, start-ups to prioritise quality in Indian products

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged industry and start-ups to focus on quality and resolve to make excellence a benchmark in manufacturing. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio address, Modi said Indian products should be synonymous with top quality and urged the industry to manufacture zero-defect products. "Let us resolve to improve the quality of whatever we manufacture. Be it our textiles, technology, electronics or even packaging; an Indian product should become synonymous with top quality," the prime minister said in his 130th Mann ki Baat address. He also lauded the efforts of youngsters who participated enthusiastically in India's start-up journey that began 10 years ago in 2016. "Today India has turned into the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world. These start ups are out of the box; they are working in sectors that were unimaginable even 10 years ago," Modi said. The prime minister said Indian start-ups are working in sectors as diverse as AI, space, ..

Updated On: 25 Jan 2026 | 4:32 PM IST

Mann Ki Baat: PM Modi urges focus on quality, excellence in manufacturing

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday urged industry and start ups to focus on quality and resolve to make excellence a benchmark in manufacturing. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' address, Modi said Indian products should be synonymous with top quality and urged the industry to manufacture zero defect products. "Let us resolve to improve the quality of whatever we manufacture. Be it our textiles, technology, electronics or even packaging; an Indian product should become synonymous with 'top quality'," the prime minister said in his 130th Mann ki Baat address. He also lauded the efforts of the youngsters, who participated enthusiastically in India's start up journey that began 10 years ago in 2016. "Today India has turned into the third largest start ups ecosystem in the world. These start ups are out of the box; they are working in sectors that were unimaginable even 10 years ago," Modi said. The prime minister said Indian start ups are working in sectors as diverse as AI, space,

Updated On: 25 Jan 2026 | 12:10 PM IST

Whizzo raises $15 mn in Series A round to scale technical textiles platform

Fundamentum-led Series A backs materials-science research, in-house IP and expansion of an Asia-wide manufacturing network

Updated On: 20 Jan 2026 | 5:51 PM IST

HDFC Bank to disburse ₹20 crore under FY26 Parivartan Startup Grants

HDFC Bank on Tuesday said it plans to disburse Rs 20 crore under the FY26 edition of the Parivartan Startup Grants programme for supporting social impact-driven innovations. The programme will support 10 strategic initiatives across priority sectors including climate innovation, agriculture and sustainable livelihoods, manufacturing and MSME innovation, financial inclusion, and gender diversity and inclusion, along with emerging areas including AI and deep technology. It follows an incubator-led, portfolio-based model, under which partner incubators lead programme design, startup outreach, evaluation, mentoring, monitoring, and impact reporting, it said. "Parivartan Startup Grants has evolved as a benchmark in the industry that works closely with institutions to support innovation addressing clearly identified social and environmental challenges," HDFC Bank Deputy Managing Director Kaizad Bharucha said. The focus is on further deepening sector engagement, strengthening ecosystems,

Updated On: 20 Jan 2026 | 4:50 PM IST

Budget 2026: Startups, investors push regulatory changes to unlock capital

Venture investors seek policy changes to unlock capital for deep-tech firms, ease regulatory burdens

Updated On: 19 Jan 2026 | 10:51 PM IST

India's top 20 startups dominated valuations, fundraising in 2025

While the average valuation of the top 20 startups was $1.78 billion, the remaining 80 had an average valuation of just $0.42 billion, nearly one-fourth of the top cohort

Updated On: 17 Jan 2026 | 12:04 AM IST

Fintechs cornered $2.4 billion investments in 2025 as funding moderated

Fintech funding stayed muted in 2025 at $2.4 billion, with fewer deals, IPOs and acquisitions, reflecting sustained investor caution after the 2021 peak

Updated On: 16 Jan 2026 | 10:33 PM IST

Snabbit steps up senior hiring as it scales home-services business

Quick home-services platform brings on Pync's founding team as it expands into new categories and cities

Updated On: 15 Jan 2026 | 5:58 PM IST

Aule Space raises $2 mn to develop satellite life extension jetpacks

Aule Space has raised $2 mn in pre-seed funding led by pi ventures to build autonomous satellite jetpacks that dock with geostationary

Updated On: 15 Jan 2026 | 6:00 AM IST

India's startups turn to AI applications in 2026 after missing infra boom

Venture investors and startup executives are betting on services, enterprise tools in 2026 after missing the infrastructure boom

Updated On: 13 Jan 2026 | 10:28 PM IST

On-demand house help market becomes two-horse race in urban India

Capital, labour flock to Urban Company, Snabbit as speed becomes currency of convenience

Updated On: 08 Jan 2026 | 11:30 PM IST

Aivar raises $4.6 million in a seed round to take AI services global

Seed round led by Sorin Investments, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, will fund expansion across India, the US and Middle East and deepen investment in AI accelerators, senior talent

Updated On: 08 Jan 2026 | 6:30 AM IST

Govt scraps 3-year eligibility rule for deep-tech startups under DSIR

Speaking on the participation of women, Singh said that over 10,000 women beneficiaries are currently availing DSIR schemes, including more than 55 women-led self-help groups

Updated On: 04 Jan 2026 | 9:18 PM IST

Arya.ag secures ₹725 crore funding in equity round led by GEF Capital

India's largest grain-commerce platform will use the capital to deepen farmer engagement, promote climate-smart agriculture and reduce post-harvest losses across the supply chain

Updated On: 02 Jan 2026 | 7:56 PM IST

India's startups build humanoids with local code, globally sourced hardware

Indian robotics startups are developing humanoid and quadruped robots using locally built software while relying on global supply chains for critical hardware, as deployments steadily rise

Updated On: 24 Dec 2025 | 6:04 PM IST