Page 2 - Startups

AI-led startups face takeoff hiccups as overreliance poses challenges

AI is helping Indian founders build prototypes faster, but scaling these startups is proving harder as technology costs, bugs and weak product understanding emerge

IDFC First Bank, IIMCIP launch ₹2 crore startup incubation initiative

IDFC First Bank has partnered with the IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) to launch a pan-India programme aimed at nurturing enterprises working on sustainable business solutions, officials said on Monday. The 'IGNITE' programme will provide total financial and operational support of Rs 2 crore, including a direct startup grant corpus of Rs 1.36 crore, they said. It aims to help early-stage ventures strengthen their business models, expand market reach, and deliver measurable environmental and social outcomes, according to an official statement. Under the programme, 16 startups from across the country will be selected through a competitive evaluation process, it said. The focus areas include green manufacturing, waste recycling and upcycling, cleantech, renewable energy, water management, environmental technologies, and the sustainable use of indigenous resources. The selected startups will undergo a structured incubation journey comprising business diagnostics, expert mentorin

PM Narendra Modi meets founders, CEOs of 20 homegrown space-tech startups

The Prime Minister said private participation had strengthened India's space ambitions and urged startups to explore applications in agriculture, environment and education

Over 85% of India's deeptech funding raised in past six years: IVCA

More than 85 per cent of India's $11.4 billion deeptech funding since 2015 was raised in the past six years, as the sector moved from early-stage proof points to commercial validation

IIM-B incubator tops $7 billion in startup value as it turns to AI

NSRCEL plans specialised sector centers and AI tools to expand its entrepreneur network toward one million

In an age of social media, founder-led brands are the new business model

Interestingly, founder-led brands follow a very different marketing formula

PhysicsWallah Q1FY27 net loss narrows to Rs 88 crore, revenue rises 24%

PhysicsWallah's revenue from operations rose 24.4 per cent year-on-year to Rs 1,053.95 crore, while the edtech firm reported positive Ebitda of Rs 52 crore

Bengaluru startup bets on cancer-sniffing dogs and AI for early detection

Dognosis is repurposing the canine sense of smell, traditionally used to detect drugs or explosives, for low-cost health screening and aiming to make early detection accessible to far more people

Startup tech deployment should move beyond major cities: FM Sitharaman

The finance minister said government support should go beyond funding, with technologies having relevant public applications deployed quickly in districts and public facilities

Krafton India plans to diversify investments into AI startups, VC funds

The BGMI maker has invested close to $250 million in India over the past four to five years and plans to continue investing roughly $50-60 million in companies and funds.

D2C startups turn to qcom platforms for festive launches

D2C startups across food, beverages, fashion and electronics are using quick commerce as a launch and discovery channel, with festive-season demand driving new products and wider assortments

Accel bets $550 million on India's next wave of founders for AI era

Venture capital firm behind Flipkart and Swiggy closes ninth India fund as part of a record $3.5 billion global raise, betting AI lets homegrown startups build for the world from day one

VC firm Piper Serica marks first close of Rs 800 crore Bharat Tech fund

The venture capital firm has secured Rs 300 crore in commitments and plans to back 21-22 engineering-led fintech and deep-tech companies at the Series A and select Series B stages

Deeptech startup Yaanendriya raises ₹15 crore from Piper Serica

Deep-tech startup Yaanendriya raises ₹15 crore from Piper Serica to accelerate R&D, expand navigation technologies and scale indigenous sensors for defence and aerospace

Aditya Vuchi's new startup to build community hubs for gig workers in India

The venture will begin with a Hyderabad centre offering rest areas, affordable food, EV charging, healthcare and other essential services for verified gig workers

Modest venture capital funding for high-tech startups; 2026 shows hope

VC funding in India's chip and space startups is picking up in 2026 as the government's Semicon 2.0 push boosts investor confidence

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

Risks a must for growth of semicon design: Meity Secretary S Krishnan

The government will white-list venture capital firms to co-invest in semiconductor design startups under ISM 2.0, aiming to de-risk funding and deepen India's chip ecosystem

AI hardware startup Aina raises $5.5 mn to build next-generation interface

The startup, founded by a former Ultrahuman executive, is developing a context-aware computing interface as AI agents reshape how people interact with smartphones and computers