 "Peerzada Abrar")
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.
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.
Peerzada Abrar
Amazon CEO Andy Jassy visits India as quick-commerce battle heats up
The company plans to expand Amazon Now to more than 300 cities as rivals Blinkit, Zepto, Instamart and Flipkart race to build larger fulfilment networks
 "Amazon CEO Andy Jassy visits India as quick-commerce battle heats up")
Amazon turns water positive in India, meeting its 2027 goal ahead of time
Projects expected to replenish over 4 billion litres annually helped Amazon return 120 per cent of the water used across its Indian operations in 2025
 "Amazon turns water positive in India, meeting its 2027 goal ahead of time")
Flipkart Minutes hits 1K micro-fulfilment centres as qcom race heats up
Walmart-backed Flipkart expands its quick-commerce footprint across 130 cities and 8,000 pincodes, with plans to scale up to 1,500 fulfilment centres
 "Flipkart Minutes hits 1K micro-fulfilment centres as qcom race heats up")
Will Kunal Shah be able to deliver on Meta's goal to monetise WhatsApp?
Shah has a portfolio of about 298 companies, focusing primarily on sectors such as consumer tech, fintech, SaaS, climate tech, AI and edtech
 "Will Kunal Shah be able to deliver on Meta's goal to monetise WhatsApp?")
Cybersecurity startup Mitigata raises $15 mn in Bessemer-led Series B round
Bessemer-led funding will help the company expand its AI-powered platform as enterprises grapple with rising cyberattacks and growing security risks
 "Cybersecurity startup Mitigata raises $15 mn in Bessemer-led Series B round")
Amazon India's new engine: Everyday essentials, in minutes to next day
Half of all orders are now daily essentials, as the e-commerce giant sees speed and selection locking in shopper loyalty
 "Amazon India's new engine: Everyday essentials, in minutes to next day")
How robots, software and scale are powering Zepto's IPO ambitions
Ahead of a planned listing, Zepto's 23-year-old co-founder is betting that robots and software can narrow the cost of quick commerce delivery
 "How robots, software and scale are powering Zepto's IPO ambitions")
Amazon turns to smaller cities to drive next phase of Prime growth
About 70 per cent of new Amazon Prime members now come from Tier-II and Tier-III markets as the company expands Amazon Now and prepares for Prime Day 2026
 "Amazon turns to smaller cities to drive next phase of Prime growth")
Vetic raises $40 million to expand pet-healthcare network
The Bessemer-led funding will help the startup expand clinics and veterinary services, broaden insurance offerings and invest in technology
 "Vetic raises $40 million to expand pet-healthcare network")
Nutrition startup TruNativ raises $30 mn in Series B funding led by OrbiMed
The Mumbai-based nutrition startup plans to expand distribution and grow its ingredient business as demand rises for clean-label and preventive-health products in India
 "Nutrition startup TruNativ raises $30 mn in Series B funding led by OrbiMed")
Amazon rolls out AI tools for India's small sellers ahead of Prime Day
The e-commerce giant says its Seller Assistant suite can cut routine workloads and help corner-shop merchants go global - as rivals close in
 "Amazon rolls out AI tools for India's small sellers ahead of Prime Day")
Singapore court stays surrender requirement imposed on Byju's founder
The Singapore High Court has stayed the committal and surrender provisions of a civil contempt order against Byju Raveendran pending appeal in an ongoing dispute
 "Singapore court stays surrender requirement imposed on Byju's founder")
Meesho acquires Kirana Club in ₹202-crore deal to expand grocery presence
The acquisition gives Meesho access to a platform serving over 4 million retailers and strengthens its presence in India's grocery and business-to-business commerce markets
 "Meesho acquires Kirana Club in ₹202-crore deal to expand grocery presence")
Flipkart hires senior tech leaders to strengthen AI, fintech capabilities
The e-commerce company has appointed former leaders from Swiggy, Mastercard and Razorpay to bolster its artificial intelligence, data science, payments and engineering functions
 "Flipkart hires senior tech leaders to strengthen AI, fintech capabilities")
Equal AI raises $30 mn to expand AI-powered assistant platform in India
The Series B round, co-led by Prosus Ventures and Tomales Bay Capital, will support the expansion of Equal AI's voice-based assistant and lifestyle services
 "Equal AI raises $30 mn to expand AI-powered assistant platform in India")
Craft chocolate startup Manam raises $9 mn to expand retail footprint
The Hyderabad-based company, which works with more than 250 cacao farmers in Andhra Pradesh, plans to open new stores in the Delhi-NCR region
 "Craft chocolate startup Manam raises $9 mn to expand retail footprint")
Coram AI raises $35 million to bring autonomous tech to security
The startup, founded by former Lyft self-driving executives, plans to expand its India engineering team as demand grows for AI-powered physical security solutions
 "Coram AI raises $35 million to bring autonomous tech to security")
The CA who went home and built a Rs 1,176 cr rural e-commerce startup
Prasanna Kumar walked away from the corporate life to solve the supply chain problem he saw as a child and built VilCart - an e-com startup for 100,000 kirana stores across rural South India
 "The CA who went home and built a Rs 1,176 cr rural e-commerce startup")
PhonePe launches AI tool to help merchants build payment pages in minutes
SmartPages enables businesses to generate customised payment pages using simple text prompts, removing the need for coding or design expertise
 "PhonePe launches AI tool to help merchants build payment pages in minutes")
Dark patterns cost Indian online shoppers up to ₹28,000 cr a year: Study
A Datum Intelligence study finds hidden charges and deceptive checkout practices are eroding consumer trust and putting more than Rs 55,000 crore in e-commerce spending at risk
 "Dark patterns cost Indian online shoppers up to ₹28,000 cr a year: Study")