 "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/1000
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")
Flipkart joins Meta affiliate programme to expand creator-led shopping
The partnership will allow creators to tag products from Flipkart and Myntra on Meta platforms, helping shoppers move seamlessly from discovery to purchase
 "Flipkart joins Meta affiliate programme to expand creator-led shopping")
We'll definitely win in India: Amazon country manager Samir Kumar
Amazon India Country Manager Samir Kumar on the company's $35 billion bet, the quick-commerce race, and why he believes it's still early innings for e-commerce in India
 "We'll definitely win in India: Amazon country manager Samir Kumar")
Over 75% of Meesho orders now come from AI-powered recommendations
Meesho says its PRISM recommendation engine is reshaping product discovery, with AI-driven personalised feeds powering most orders on the platform
Kuku files confidentially for ₹3,500 cr IPO, eyes ₹15,000 cr valuation
The company, which operates Indian language audio and short-video apps under the Kuku FM and Kuku TV brands, respectively, seeks a valuation of up to ₹15,000 crore
 "Kuku files confidentially for ₹3,500 cr IPO, eyes ₹15,000 cr valuation")
Reserve Bank of India issues compounding order in Myntra Designs FEMA case
Walmart-owned online fashion retailer paid Rs 2.88 lakh to settle alleged contraventions related to overseas investment reporting and commitments
 "Reserve Bank of India issues compounding order in Myntra Designs FEMA case")
Flipkart bets on payments, biometrics and loyalty ahead of IPO push plans
The Walmart-owned e-commerce giant is expanding into biometrics, credit and loyalty programmes to boost growth, improve margins and strengthen customer engagement
 "Flipkart bets on payments, biometrics and loyalty ahead of IPO push plans")
Ola Electric shares under pressure after QIP bid for fresh funds
The stock opened down 3 per cent at ₹38.50 on the National Stock Exchange and touched a low of ₹38.08 before trimming some losses.
 "Ola Electric shares under pressure after QIP bid for fresh funds")
Cars24 launches AI Labs, commits $20 mn to back AI startups and founders
Auto-tech platform Cars24 launches AI Labs to build AI-first products and support founders through funding, mentorship and partnerships with OpenAI, AWS and ElevenLabs
 "Cars24 launches AI Labs, commits $20 mn to back AI startups and founders")
AI has moved beyond hype into payoff phase, says HPE's Suresh Babu
Babu, who leads HPE's worldwide high-performance computing (HPC) and AI strategy, shares insights on supercomputers, sovereign AI & why India's moment in the global AI race is closer than it appears
 "AI has moved beyond hype into payoff phase, says HPE's Suresh Babu")