Page 6 - Start- Ups

Uttarakhand to strengthen startups, sets up venture fund of Rs 200 crore

CM Dhami said that a venture fund of Rs 200 crore has been set up to boost entrepreneurship in the state

GreenGrahi raises ₹32 cr in a seed funding round led by Avaana Capital

The company also plans to expand its team and enter global markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, and the European Union

Nabard buys 10% stake in 24x7 Moneyworks to boost rural credit digitisation

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (Nabard) has acquired a 10 per cent stake in agri fintech startup 24x7 Moneyworks Consulting Pvt Ltd. This marks Nabard's first-ever investment in a bootstrapped startup, reinforcing its commitment to digital transformation in rural India, the apex rural credit institution said in a statement. 24x7 Moneyworks Consulting Pvt. Ltd's flagship platform, eKisanCredit (eKCC), is a fully digital loan origination system designed for Cooperative Banks, PACS and RRBs, it said. The eKCC platform integrates seamlessly with land records, Aadhaar, eKYC, core banking systems and ePACS, enabling end-to-end automation of the rural credit lifecycle, it said. Over the past two and half years, Nabard has piloted eKCC across various banks and the system is now ready for nation-wide roll-out, it said. "eKCC has demonstrated the potential to improve access, transparency, and efficiency in dispensing agricultural credit This strategic collaboration

Vayudh raises $10 million in funding round led by Dharana Capital

The funds will be used to deepen the company's research and development (R&D) capabilities, expand manufacturing infrastructure, and accelerate deployments with India's defence forces

And the wait continues: Fintech funding revival still out of reach

Sectoral regulators have signalled that they expect fintechs to focus strongly on governance, risk, compliance, and conduct aspects

Nanotech startup Vimano raises Rs 25 cr in seed round led by Ankur Capital

Vimano's membranes can reshape how energy is stored across multiple formats, with green hydrogen alone projected to grow nearly 10-times to over $60 bn by 2030, according to the investor Ankur Capital

AI startup landscape in India faces tech depth woes, talent drain

India trails global peers in core AI innovation despite rising investor interest

Why Indian startups are stuck in delivery while China races ahead in deep tech

India's startups excel in food delivery and e-commerce, but lag behind China's in deep tech, AI, and EVs. As global rivals scale up, India faces key innovation hurdles

India's deep-tech startups struggle with product-market fit: Investors

Speaking at the second edition of Startup Mahakumbh on Thursday, investors emphasised that while the country's startup ecosystem is buzzing with momentum

3000 startups to participate in Startup Mahakumbh 2025: DPIIT joint secy

The second edition of 'Startup Mahakumbh' is set to take place at Bharat Mandapam from April 3-5

Pratilipi raises $20 million to expand Indian language storytelling

The company expects this to be its final primary funding round ahead of a potential public listing

Indian start-ups raised $1.23 bn venture debt in 2024: Stride Ventures

The global venture debt market has been growing at a CAGR of 14 per cent

India's VC funding surges 40% in early 2025, defying global slowdown

Deal volume also increased 11 per cent during the same period, underscoring growing investor confidence in the country's innovation-driven startup ecosystem

Startup funding rounds get bigger as investors back seasoned founders

Seed rounds over $3 million now account for 50% of all funding, sub-$1 mn rounds have fallen to a third of their 2017 levels

Loca Loka plans to enter India by October, targets 1 mn bottles in 3 years

The company is set to launch Añejo tequila in Miami and Las Vegas this May. India will get all three variants

Funds under PRIP scheme likely to be sanctioned by August 2025: DoP

The department had last week sought expressions of interest from interested entities for project funding under the PRIP scheme

Women-led tech startups' funding drops 25% in 2024, says Tracxn report

India ranks third globally after US and UK in funding raised by women-led tech startups

OYO estimates Rs 1,100 cr PAT, Rs 2K cr Ebitda for FY26: Ritesh Agarwal

Travel tech unicorn OYO estimates its profit after tax to touch Rs 1,100 crore in the next financial year 2025-26, according to projections shared by Founder Ritesh Agarwal with the company's leadership on Wednesday, sources said. The company expects EBITDA of Rs 2,000 crore for the same period, on the back of a strong top-line growth, buoyed by the recent Motel 6 acquisition. EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) is a financial metric that measures a company's profitability and cash flow. Motel 6 is projected to contribute an EBITDA of over Rs 630 crore in the coming financial year, which will be the first full year of its integration, according to sources. "This contribution is anticipated to push OYO's combined EBITDA to over Rs 2,000 crore in FY26," said a person aware of the financial projections. OYO recorded a Profit After Tax (PAT) of Rs 166 crore in the third quarter ended December, up nearly six times from Rs 25 crore in the year-ago ..

Women borrowers up 22% since 2019, majority from semi-urban, rural: Report

Women borrowers in India have grown at a compounded growth rate of 22 per cent over the last 5 years with majority of them from semi-urban and rural areas, who are also actively monitoring their credit scores, a report said on Monday. The report titled 'From Borrowers to Builders: Women's Role in India's Financial Growth Story', released by NITI Aayog CEO B V R Subrahmanyam also showed bulk of their loan was for meeting consumption demand and comparatively less for businesses. The report has been published by TransUnion CIBIL, Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) of NITI Aayog and MicroSave Consulting (MSC). "The number of women availing credit in India has increased at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22 per cent between CY 2019 and 2024. While consumption loans continue to be the preferred products held by women borrowers, the report's insights show that more women are also availing business loans," a statement said. As per the report, credit availment for financing ...

'Bharat consumer' is driving India's digital and startup boom: India Inc

Digital revolution is sweeping across India, particularly among consumers in smaller towns and lower-income segments, startup leaders say at BS Manthan