Startups In India

Accel, Google AI Futures Fund back five startups in India AI program

Early-stage companies selected from more than 4,000 applicants will receive up to $2 million each and access to Google's AI models and computing resources

After India AI Impact Summit, firms turn talk into business globally

A month after the India AI Impact Summit, startups report partnerships, product launches and global leads as India positions itself as a source of AI solutions

India bridges funding gap to back high-innovation, long-gestation startups

India's technological landscape is bridging the investment gap needed to support high-innovation and long-gestation startups

Women startup founders get just ₹4 for every ₹100 raised by men: Report

Kalaari Capital report highlights stark gender gap in India's startup funding, with women founders receiving just ₹4 for every ₹100 raised by male counterparts

Govt taps space startups to develop 'bodyguard' satellites amid tensions

Discussions between government bodies and startups are in advanced stages and the private companies are aiming to launch their first test satellite in the first half of this year

Semicon 2.0 to boost deep tech startups, create design ecosystem: Vaishnaw

Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Sunday said the Centre's Semicon Mission 2.0 will focus on bolstering deep tech startups, prioritising the creation of a design ecosystem and getting equipment manufacturing and design facilities in the country. Addressing the inaugural session of the Gujarat Semiconnect Conference 2026 here, the Union Minister for Electronics & Information Technology said that a talent gap of 20 lakh in the semiconductor sector will create huge opportunities for students. "Semicon 2.0 will be totally the reverse of Semicon 1.0, which focused on getting manufacturing facilities in India. We got that. We have 10 plants, with the first starting commercial production yesterday. Very soon, the second plant will start commercial production," he said. Vaishnaw said that the top priority for Semicon 2.0 - the second phase of India's Semiconductor Mission - will be to create a "design ecosystem", so that deep tech startups get the opportunity to develop the next ...

PM Modi meets AI startup CEOs, discusses use of tech in agri, education

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday discussed the potential of harnessing artificial intelligence technology in various sectors like agriculture, environmental protection, and promoting higher education in mother tongue, among others, with CEOs of AI and deeptech startups. CEOs and founders of 16 AI and deeptech startups presented their ideas and work at a roundtable meeting with the prime minister. Modi underscored the need for strong data governance, cautioned against misinformation, and urged the development of solutions tailored to India's needs, said a statement from Prime Minister's Office. Referring to UPI as a model of simple and scalable digital innovation, he expressed confidence in Indian companies and encouraged trust in domestic products. He also spoke about expanding private participation in the space sector and noted strong investor interest in Indian startups. Modi discussed the potential of harnessing AI technology in various sectors like in agriculture and ...

Serge Raffa of Allianz India praises ethical, inclusive AI at India summit

Raffa said the scale of the event exceeded expectations, noting strong participation from companies and startups showcasing innovations across sectors

Regulatory sandboxes necessary to foster AI innovations: IFSCA official

Regulatory sandboxes are necessary to ensure that startups and other players can build things in a controlled environment within the guardrails without stifling innovation, a senior official at the International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA) said on Monday. Speaking at a session at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in the national capital, IFSCA's Chief Technology Officer Joseph Joshy also said he would look at the things through the regulatory lens. The five-day summit -- which will see a host of heads of state and government, overseas representatives and industry players, among others -- commenced on Monday. "We need to ensure that there are regulatory sandboxes among regulators so that there are guardrails... (so that) before regulations come startups and others can build things in a controlled environment so that you don't stifle innovation and that you encourage it within the guardrails," Joshy said. Joshy is also the Chief General Manager as well as Head of FinTe

AI-powered Cloud service provider Neysa to raise $1.2 bn via equity, debt

Blackstone and co-investors infuse $600mn in equity; Neysa to raise additional $600mn via debt

Startups driving innovation, job creation, says former President Kovind

India has emerged as the world's third-largest startup ecosystem, with over 2 lakh recognised startups driving innovation and job creation across the country, former President Ram Nath Kovind said on Sunday. At the same time, more than 100 startups have achieved the unicorn status, he said at an event hosted by Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO). With global leaders and technology voices converging for the AI Impact Summit, he said this impressive global ranking and the sheer number of high-value startups reflect the innovation, job creation, and world-class enterprises emerging from every corner of India. Speaking to investors and mentors at ILLUMIN8, JITO's national startup initiative, Kovind said, "Business and values are not opposites, but partners. Profit and purpose must move forward together". Jain principles reflect a deep understanding that a society that focuses only on profits but neglects values may advance for some time, but it will gradually lose its way, he

What businesses should track closely at the India AI Impact Summit 2026

As India hosts the AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, businesses are watching closely for signals on compute access, policy direction, security frameworks and deployable AI use cases

Olyv raises $23 mn in Series B led by Nandan Nilekani's Fundamentum

Online lending marketplace Olyv has raised $23 million in a Series B round led by Nandan Nilekani's Fundamentum to expand products across insurance, UPI and business loans

Pet care startup Supertails raises $30 million in Series C funding round

The Bengaluru-based pet care platform will use the funds to expand technology capabilities, strengthen healthcare services and scale up its offline clinics and quick-delivery network

ElevenLabs raises $500 million in Series D, valuation jumps to $11 bn

Sequoia-led funding round triples voice-AI startup's valuation as it expands beyond speech into full audio stack

Investor needs to know AI is transformative: Fractal CEO Velamakanni

Enterprise AI firm Fractal Analytics sets ₹857-900 IPO price band as cofounder Srikanth Velamakanni bets on long-term growth, R&D and India's AI future

Loop AI raises $14 mn in Series A funding round led by Nyca Partners

Enterprise AI platform Loop AI has raised $14 million in a Series A round led by Nyca Partners to expand its product suite and scale teams across the US and India

Too Young to Follow the Rules: How a 23-Year-Old Is Rethinking Indian Rug Design

.

Why over 100 Indian AI startup founders are moving operations to the US

Around 100 Indian AI startup founders are heading to the US as demand, funding and decision-making for AI products remain stronger in the American market

India-EU trade deal to back innovation hubs, startups and emerging tech

India and the EU adopt a Joint Strategic Agenda to deepen cooperation on technology, innovation and startups, spanning AI, semiconductors and clean tech