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 its 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. There, he covered the entrepreneurship ecosystem, including startups, 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 its 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. There, he covered the entrepreneurship ecosystem, including startups, 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/workspace/business Standard Web/undefined
CuePilot AI secures $1.8 million to bring voice-first AI into preschools
Round from Eximius Ventures and Titan Capital, led by Unilazer Ventures (backed by Ronnie Screwvala)
 "CuePilot AI secures $1.8 million to bring voice-first AI into preschools")
Food-delivery platforms generate ₹1.2 trillion, support 1.37 million jobs
Study by NCAER and Prosus finds sector growing faster than economy, boosting restaurants and labour markets
 "Food-delivery platforms generate ₹1.2 trillion, support 1.37 million jobs")
Ola Electric promoter Aggarwal sells small stake to clear ₹260 cr loan
Transaction removes all promoter share pledges, company says control and strategy remain unchanged
 "Ola Electric promoter Aggarwal sells small stake to clear ₹260 cr loan")
Speciale Invest plans ₹1,400 cr Growth Fund II for India's deep-tech scale
The deep-tech-focused venture firm plans to raise ₹1,400 crore for its second growth fund to back companies from Series A, betting India's ecosystem is shifting from research to execution
 "Speciale Invest plans ₹1,400 cr Growth Fund II for India's deep-tech scale")
India to offer more opportunities for next 500 mn users: Prosus' Sharma
The India head of the Dutch tech investment firm explains why Prosus is betting on India's heterogeneous market and AI-first strategy
 "India to offer more opportunities for next 500 mn users: Prosus' Sharma")
Amazon Pay rolls out biometric authentication for UPI payments in India
Amazon Pay now lets Android users approve eligible UPI transactions with fingerprint or facial recognition, reducing PIN friction for payments up to ₹5,000, the company said
 "Amazon Pay rolls out biometric authentication for UPI payments in India")
MoEngage raises another $180 million in Series F, offers liquidity to staff
Funding led by ChrysCapital and Dragon Funds backs the company's AI-driven expansion beyond traditional marketing platforms
 "MoEngage raises another $180 million in Series F, offers liquidity to staff")
Ola Electric founder sells personal shares to repay ₹260 cr promoter loan
Bhavish Aggarwal monetises a small part of his stake, lifting a key overhang while retaining roughly 34 per cent ownership
 "Ola Electric founder sells personal shares to repay ₹260 cr promoter loan")
Edtech firm Aakash seeks RBI clarity on funding used in rights issue
Edtech firm Aakash had approached National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in the interest of all stakeholders, as it was unable to utilise the funds received from TLPL
 "Edtech firm Aakash seeks RBI clarity on funding used in rights issue")
Moxie Beauty raises $15 mn in Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners
The fast-growing haircare brand plans to expand product development and distribution as demand rises for India-specific, salon-grade formulations
 "Moxie Beauty raises $15 mn in Series A led by Bessemer Venture Partners")
Licious crosses ₹100 crore monthly revenue mark for the first time
Omnichannel expansion and repeat demand fuel the meat retailer's post-pandemic growth rebound
 "Licious crosses ₹100 crore monthly revenue mark for the first time")
Non-metros accounted for 75% of crypto activity in 2025: CoinSwitch
CoinSwitch's 2025 report shows non-metro regions now drive more than three-quarters of digital-asset activity, led by Uttar Pradesh
 "Non-metros accounted for 75% of crypto activity in 2025: CoinSwitch")
Non-metro India now drives most crypto growth, says Ashish Singhal
CoinSwitch co-founder says tier-2 and tier-3 cities drive 76 per cent of activity as women investors reach 12 per cent of user base
 "Non-metro India now drives most crypto growth, says Ashish Singhal")
Deccan AI launches expert network to power next phase of AI training
It has unveiled Deccan AI Experts, a specialised talent network enabling India's top professionals to contribute directly to AI model training and evaluation as data replaces compute as key bottleneck
 "Deccan AI launches expert network to power next phase of AI training")
Harness raises $240 million to speed up AI-driven software delivery
Goldman Sachs Alternatives leads $200 million investment, valuing the platform company at $5.5 billion as demand surges for automated code-to-production workflows
 "Harness raises $240 million to speed up AI-driven software delivery")
GVFL leads $12 million round in renewable-energy firm Soleos Solar Energy
Funding to support expansion into storage, group-captive projects as Soleos pushes toward round-the-clock clean-power solutions
 "GVFL leads $12 million round in renewable-energy firm Soleos Solar Energy")
Uber expands into B2B logistics, adds metro ticketing in Bengaluru via ONDC
Uber has entered B2B logistics in Bengaluru through Uber Direct, integrated Namma Metro ticketing on its app, both powered by ONDC, as it builds multi-service mobility and commerce offerings in India
 "Uber expands into B2B logistics, adds metro ticketing in Bengaluru via ONDC")
Elecbits secures $5.5 million to boost electronics design and manufacturing
Elecbits has raised $5.5 million in a Series A round led by Nexus Venture Partners, with SE Ventures and Riverwalk Holdings, to scale its AI-powered Elecbits XOR platform
 "Elecbits secures $5.5 million to boost electronics design and manufacturing")
BYT Capital launches ₹180 crore deep-tech fund to back frontier innovation
BYT Capital has launched a ₹180 crore Category II AIF focused on deep-tech, targeting 18-20 startups with ₹3-6 crore initial cheques and a 55 per cent follow-on reserve
 "BYT Capital launches ₹180 crore deep-tech fund to back frontier innovation")
Delaware court reverses $1 billion judgment against Byju Raveendran
Court agreed that damages had not been determined and ordered a new phase to commence in early January 2026 to determine any damages related to claims against Raveendran
 "Delaware court reverses $1 billion judgment against Byju Raveendran")
