 "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.
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Quick commerce becomes the new battleground as festive season approaches
The race for speedy delivery gathers pace for the festival season as quick commerce firms expand beyond metros
 "Quick commerce becomes the new battleground as festive season approaches")
An 11-year bet on rented sofas pays off for Accel as RentoMojo lists
RentoMojo shares jumped nearly 19% on debut as Accel, the platform's earliest institutional backer, sold about ₹317 crore of stock, the single largest stake in the IPO
 "An 11-year bet on rented sofas pays off for Accel as RentoMojo lists")
Flipkart creates over 250,000 festive jobs as ecommerce demand rises
Nearly 75,000 opportunities are for first-time workers, as the Walmart-owned company expands its delivery network with 900 new hubs
 "Flipkart creates over 250,000 festive jobs as ecommerce demand rises")
Amazon Now hits $1 bn annualised gross sales as quick-commerce battle grows
Amazon's instant-delivery service has expanded to more than 60 cities in less than 10 weeks and is on track to reach 100 cities by Diwali, intensifying competition
 "Amazon Now hits $1 bn annualised gross sales as quick-commerce battle grows")
Amazon announces operations network expansion ahead of festive season
Amazon has opened 20 fulfilment centres, six sort centres and 150 delivery stations, expanding storage capacity by 50 per cent and strengthening its reach beyond metros.
 "Amazon announces operations network expansion ahead of festive season")
Brics bets on AI, startups as India pushes innovation-led growth agenda
Brics summit commits to AI governance, a proposed startup fund, and highlights India's AI Impact Summit and financial-hub initiatives as the bloc courts founders and investors across the Global South
 "Brics bets on AI, startups as India pushes innovation-led growth agenda")
Ecom firms may face higher compliance burden under new consumer rules
Amended rules require greater disclosure on pricing, search results, dark patterns and product information, with companies given until January 2027 to comply
 "Ecom firms may face higher compliance burden under new consumer rules")
Flipkart Minutes quadruples business as quick-commerce battle intensifies
Flipkart's quick-commerce arm has expanded to nearly 1,200 micro-fulfilment centres across more than 150 cities as competition in instant delivery intensifies
 "Flipkart Minutes quadruples business as quick-commerce battle intensifies")
OfBusiness deepens manufacturing across metals, chemicals and apparel
Tapping value-added production opportunities may boost supply-chain control and margins; owned capacity now spans over 40 products and direct headcount has crossed 35,000
QNu Labs raises ₹200 crore as demand for quantum-safe security builds
The funding will support technology development and global expansion as governments and enterprises prepare for a shift towards quantum-safe cybersecurity infrastructure
 "QNu Labs raises ₹200 crore as demand for quantum-safe security builds")
Kuku Technologies plans 1,000 hires for AI-powered content production
The mobile-content company is building an AI-native production unit to cut costs and accelerate the creation of micro-dramas for India and global markets
 "Kuku Technologies plans 1,000 hires for AI-powered content production")
India's ecommerce market looks at AI to drive next leg of growth
Executives says customer relevance, responsive supply chains are key
 "India's ecommerce market looks at AI to drive next leg of growth")
Amazon India seller base tops 2 million ahead of festive season
More than 300,000 sellers joined the marketplace in the 15-18 months as Amazon lowers fees and expands AI tools and fulfillment services
 "Amazon India seller base tops 2 million ahead of festive season")
Udaan buys Swiggy's LYNK for ₹500 cr as e-commerce firm readies for IPO
As part of the transaction, Swiggy will acquire about a 2.8 per cent stake in Udaan and invest Rs 75 crore in parent entity TIPL for an additional 0.4 per cent stake
 "Udaan buys Swiggy's LYNK for ₹500 cr as e-commerce firm readies for IPO")
Gaja Capital's next bet is India's AI stack, from Fractal to Sarvam AI
Chief executive officer and managing director Gopal Jain is backing firms from Fractal Analytics to Sarvam AI, calling artificial intelligence a 'five-layer cake'
 "Gaja Capital's next bet is India's AI stack, from Fractal to Sarvam AI")
Sneaker startup Comet raises ₹100 crore in Series B led by Verlinvest
Elevation Capital and Nexus Venture Partners also participated, while Urban Company's Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Snap's Ajit Mohan and entrepreneur Anand Ahuja joined as angel investors
 "Sneaker startup Comet raises ₹100 crore in Series B led by Verlinvest")
Ultrahuman raises $70 mn to build new human-computer interface for health
New financing from Qualcomm Ventures, Labcorp, Alpha Wave, Blume and others will accelerate Ultrahuman's health intelligence platform and its global expansion
 "Ultrahuman raises $70 mn to build new human-computer interface for health")
Beams Fintech Fund leads ₹215 crore investment in MSME lender BNF
The round also includes Baring Private Equity India, Saison Capital and Unleash, with Beams and its affiliates set to hold over 26% of BNF on a fully diluted basis
 "Beams Fintech Fund leads ₹215 crore investment in MSME lender BNF")
Adobe acquires Indian AI automation startup Rilo to boost agentic push
The deal marks Adobe's second known acquisition of an Indian firm as it expands its push into agentic marketing and AI-powered automation
 "Adobe acquires Indian AI automation startup Rilo to boost agentic push")
NCLT orders TLPL's RP to halt further disposal of auctioned assets
Bengaluru Bench directs TLPL's resolution professional and auction buyer Comprint to maintain status quo on disputed assets until the next hearing on September 21
 "NCLT orders TLPL's RP to halt further disposal of auctioned assets")