Startups In India

Funding for operator-led startups nearly doubles in two years to 11%

Funding for startups founded by experienced business operators rose nearly 12 times between 2023 and 2025, while seed-stage investments increased 17.5 times

TDB-RDI selects 22 deeptech startups with project cost of ₹4,744 crore

The Technology Development Board has backed 22 deeptech startups with ₹2,192 crore under the RDI Fund, supporting projects worth ₹4,744 crore across strategic sectors

Technology that succeeds in India can succeed anywhere in world: BITS VC

Technology that succeeds under Indian conditions can often succeed anywhere in the world, but the challenge is that deep technology does not run on normal startup timelines, according to BITS Group Vice Chancellor Ramgopal Rao. In an interview with PTI, the renowned academician said India cannot become a global innovation hub merely by building more companies around technologies developed elsewhere. "We must build companies around science and intellectual property created in our own universities. India has two enormous advantages: talent and problems at scale. Both can become the basis for globally important companies," Rao said. He said India needs homegrown solutions in semiconductors, healthcare, agriculture, space, energy, water, advanced materials, artificial intelligence, defence and manufacturing. "A technology that succeeds under Indian conditions can often succeed anywhere in the world. The difficulty is that deep technology does not run on normal startup timelines," he t

Delhi approves ₹400 cr start-up policy to boost innovation, create jobs

The Delhi Start-up and Incubation Policy will be rolled out in phases, beginning with 11 state universities, 13 government-aided colleges, polytechnic institutions, Industrial Training Institutes (ITI

Rize raises $31 mn to grow sustainable rice platform across Southeast Asia

BNP Paribas Asset Management Alts led the Series B round as Rize expands exports, develops AI tools and scales carbon initiatives across Vietnam, Indonesia and other markets

AI coding startup Emergent hits $1.5 bn valuation in Series C round

Emergent has raised $130 million at a $1.5 billion valuation as rapid global adoption of its AI-powered software development platform drives strong revenue and user growth

RDI fund's maiden startup cohort likely to plug deeptech gaps

The first five startups backed under the Rs 1 lakh crore RDI fund aim to develop indigenous deep-tech solutions across space, healthcare, clean energy and advanced engineering

RDI fund's first cohort of startups aims to plug country's deep-tech gaps

The first five startups backed under the government's RDI fund will develop indigenous technologies in space, defence, healthcare, batteries and biotechnology through milestone-based financing

Indus Valley raises $17 million in funding round led by Gaja Capital

Indus Valley, a toxin-free kitchenware brand, on Tuesday said it has raised USD 17 million (about Rs 161 crore) in a funding round led by private equity firm Gaja Capital. TheSeries B funding round also included participation from existing investors DSG Consumer Partners, Rukam Capital, and The Chennai Angels, the Chennai-based firm said in a statement. "This investment will help us accelerate product innovation, strengthen our omnichannel distribution, deepen our brand presence, and expand our leadership across safer kitchen categories," Jagadeesh Kumar co-founder and CEO of The Indus Valley said. DSG Consumer Partners MD & Head of India Hariharan Premkumar said the investment will deepen product and distribution capabilities. Founded in 2016 by Jagadeesh Kumar and Madhumitha Uday Kumar, Indus Valley is a cookware company which offers toxin-free, non-coated cookware solutions across cast iron, iron, stainless steel, triply cookware, and pressure cookers.

IIMA Ventures launches AI residency programme for student entrepreneurs

The month-long, fully funded programme has selected 43 students from more than 11,000 applicants to help transform AI-led startup ideas into validated ventures

India tech funding rises 12% to $7.2 bn in H1 2026 but deal count shrinks

Technology startups raised $7.2 billion in the first half of 2026, with larger funding rounds driving growth even as deal volumes, investor participation and first-time funding declined

Centre clears ₹22 crore aid for startups under Green Hydrogen Mission

The first batch of support under the National Green Hydrogen Mission's startup programme was announced as MNRE launched the Green Hydrogen Certification Portal

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

Ethereal Machines raises $28.5 mn in Series B round led by Avataar Ventures

The Bengaluru-based deep-tech startup will use the capital to expand precision manufacturing capacity, build a mega factory and strengthen its presence in global aerospace and defence markets

Defence, space-tech startups move beyond metros for testing, manufacturing

As defence and space-tech ventures move from design to deployment, many are expanding testing, manufacturing and training operations into smaller cities to access land, airspace and lower costs

9 Indian cos join WEF's Tech Pioneers cohort of 100 early-stage startups

Nine Indian startups, including Dhruva in the space business and Varaha in the climate arena, have made it to the World Economic Forum's latest list of new technology pioneers. Releasing the list, the WEF said these 100 early-stage startups from 23 countries are building the infrastructure for the next era of AI and are developing breakthrough technologies with the potential to transform industries and societies. "What sets this year's cohort apart is its focus on enabling the next era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). While recent advances have centred on models and consumer applications, many of the Tech Pioneers are building the software and physical infrastructure needed to AI at scale," the WEF said. The cohort also reflected the expanding geographies of frontier innovation. India has contributed nine companies, many focused on deep-tech and space innovation, while the Republic of Korea records its strongest representation to date across AI, robotics and quantum ...

From BPO to robo-BPO: Why robotics labs may need Indian homes, factories

Experts say India could become important hub for physical AI services, but only if companies go beyond basic data collection and build higher-value capabilities in robotics, simulation, infrastructure

Profitable products in AI world possible, says Thomas Jeng of OpenAI

OpenAI says rising AI token costs are not a long-term hurdle for startups, as Indian adoption of Codex and AI workflows accelerates sharply

Pronto admits to recording household tasks for AI training after backlash

A report citing investor documents claimed that Pronto was recording household activities inside homes to help train physical AI and robotics systems, triggering privacy concerns among customers

Snabbit expands into beauty services with quick salon-at-home offering

Startup expands into salon-at-home services with instant fulfilment model after Bengaluru pilot completed over 2,000 beauty service jobs in six weeks