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Plazza, a quick medicine delivery startup founded by Aman Priyadarshi, raised $1.4M led by All In Capital, with participation from Better Capital and Tracxn’s Abhishek Goyal. Funds will expand its Bengaluru network with 20 outlets and broaden inventory to 20,000 SKUs. With 15–60 minute deliveries, 25% weekly growth, and 10,000 customers, Plazza takes on rivals like Instamart-Pharmeasy and Zepto.

July 2025 saw a surge in ESIC enrollments, with 20.36 lakh new employees and 31,146 establishments joining. Notably, 48.37% (9.85 lakh) were under 25, highlighting youth participation. Female registrations stood at 4.33 lakh, alongside 88 transgender employees, underscoring inclusivity. Compared to June’s 19.37 lakh, July added 98,694 more enrollees. These provisional payroll figures reflect ESIC’s expanding national reach.

GaadiMech.com secured ₹1.5 Cr in pre-seed funding led by AJVC at a $2M valuation. Founded in 2024 by Surakshit Soni and Sarvesh Kabra, the Jaipur-based car servicing startup will expand to Jodhpur and Udaipur. Offering 90-minute express services with genuine parts, transparent pricing, and live tracking, GaadiMech aims to rebuild trust. The asset-light platform plans nationwide scaling.

Tech Mahindra and AMD have partnered to accelerate enterprise transformation with next-gen infrastructure, hybrid cloud, and AI adoption. The collaboration integrates AMD’s EPYC processors and Instinct accelerators with Tech Mahindra’s Cloud BlazeTech, optimizing workloads for industries like manufacturing, finance, and healthcare. Mohit Joshi stressed scalable hybrid solutions, while Dr. Lisa Su emphasized cloud transformation and AI-driven innovation in a multi-year roadmap.

Curefoods has raised Rs 160 crore ($18M) in pre-IPO funding from 3State Ventures, Binny Bansal’s firm, by issuing 1.28 crore shares at Rs 124 each. The company targets Rs 800 crore via IPO, combining a fresh issue and OFS. Funds will support expansion, debt repayment, and Fan Hospitality investments. With brands like EatFit and CakeZone, Curefoods posted FY25 revenue of Rs 745.8 crore.

Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan endorsed Zoho’s Arattai, an Indian messaging app, aligning with PM Modi’s digital self-reliance push. He praised Arattai as secure and user-friendly, while ministers like Ashwini Vaishnaw also adopted Zoho Show. Built by Sridhar Vembu and Tony Thomas, Arattai offers encrypted, privacy-first messaging. With 130M+ Zoho users globally, the move underscores India’s focus on digital sovereignty and data security, positioning Arattai against global rivals.

blackNgreen founders Rahul Gupta and Karthik Shankar launched Nexiva, an AI-first venture to redefine global customer care with a ₹130 crore investment by 2028. Focusing on LATAM, MENA, and India, Nexiva will fund infrastructure, AI innovation, marketing, and talent. Leveraging blackNgreen’s AI expertise and past innovations like Magic Voice, Nexiva promises personalized, human-like customer engagement to transform service and sales.

KisanKonnect raised $8M in pre-Series B funding led by Bajaj Finserv Group, with participation from Mistry Ventures and others, to scale its fresh produce supply chain and D2C model. Co-founded by Vivek and Nidhi Nirmal, it sources directly from farmers, serving 1 lakh+ customers in Mumbai and Pune. Using IoT and AI for traceability and demand forecasting across 650 SKUs, the funds will expand its tech and farmer network.

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Pulse, a daily proactive briefing for $200/month Pro users. Pulse analyzes chats, feedback, and optional integrations like Gmail and Google Calendar to deliver 5–10 tailored visual cards each morning covering news, reminders, travel, and recipes. With privacy safeguards and opt-in controls, the feature personalizes daily updates. OpenAI plans to expand availability while competing with Google and Microsoft in proactive AI assistance.

RBI issued updated digital authentication guidelines for card transactions, balancing security and flexibility. SMS-based OTP remains valid, while issuers may adopt risk-based authentication. AFA validation is now mandatory for cross-border Card Not Present transactions. The rules promote open access to authentication tech, foster innovation, and increase issuer accountability. With compliance due April 1, 2026, India aligns with global standards for secure digital payments.

India may ease e-commerce export rules, letting global buyers purchase directly from Indian sellers, per a DGFT proposal favoring a third-party export model. While small retailers raise competition concerns, Amazon faces a $2.5B FTC settlement over Prime practices. In India, its marketplace arm saw loss reduction and revenue growth, while also launching 10-minute deliveries in Mumbai after successful pilots.

Vedantu secured $11M funding to expand into new categories and invest in AI, tech, and adaptive content. The edtech firm reported profitability in Q1 FY26, with ₹110 Cr collections and six months of positive cash flow. FY25 collections grew 55% YoY to ₹284 Cr, with cash burn down 30%. Founded by Vamsi Krishna, Anand Prakash, and Pulkit Jain, Vedantu has raised $321M+ from investors like Temasek and Accel.

Meta has introduced real-time message translation on WhatsApp for its 3B users, enabling instant in-chat translations via long-press. Unlike server-based tools, translations occur on-device, preserving privacy. Android users get six languages plus auto-thread translation, while iOS users access 19 languages but translate individually via Apple APIs. The rollout follows Apple’s iOS 26 “Live Translation” and Google’s Messages integration, marking WhatsApp’s push in cross-border communication.

Akashalabdhi, a space tech startup, raised $1.2M in pre-seed funding from investors including Uday Chatterjee and Riceberg Ventures. The funds will support ANTARIKSHAB, an expandable space habitat for orbital logistics, microgravity experiments, and defense, along with projects like inflatable solar arrays. Founded by Siddharth Jena and incubated at IISc and IIT Roorkee, the startup develops scalable, dual-use technologies to advance India’s orbital infrastructure and space capabilities.

Bengaluru-based virtual credit card startup Kiwi raised $24M in Series B funding led by Vertex Ventures, with Nexus Venture Partners, Stellaris, and Omidyar Network participating, valuing the company at $100M. Launched in 2022, Kiwi offers credit-on-UPI via RuPay cards with YES Bank and AU Small Finance Bank. Nexus now holds 21.06%, and the ESOP pool expanded by 2,582 options totaling Rs 72 crore.

Bharat Intelligence, co-founded by Azhaan Merchant and Gourav Sanghai, raised ₹7 crore in pre-seed funding led by Sahyadri Farms to address India’s farm labor crisis. Their AI-powered platform connects farmers with skilled labor and predicts needs via vernacular interfaces. By embedding tech in rural workflows and capturing overlooked data, the startup aims to solve immediate challenges while building a long-term foundation for AI in agriculture.

Cosmoserve Space, a Hyderabad-based startup founded by ex-ISRO scientist Dr. Chiranjeevi Phanindra, raised $3.17M in pre-seed funding led by Alan Rutledge, with AUM Ventures, Shakti VC, and Google’s Ram Shriram participating. The funds will accelerate R&D, team expansion, and debris mitigation prototypes. Cosmoserve is building autonomous robotic spacecraft to address orbital debris, aiming for a sustainable space future through global partnerships.

Samaaro, an event marketing platform founded by Purnank Prakash and Mayank Banka, secured $500K in pre-Series A funding led by Inflection Point Ventures. The startup plans to strengthen presence in India and the Middle East, targeting mid and enterprise clients. Samaaro integrates attendee management, lead scoring, and CRM to boost event ROI. With clients like ICICI Lombard and Varun Beverages, it taps into a $24B global market by 2029.

Bengaluru-based EV startup Simple Energy raised $10M led by Dr. Arokiaswamy Velumani to expand retail, service, and R&D. Founded by Suhas Rajkumar and Shreshth Mishra, with Ankit Gupta, the company targets 150 stores and 200 service centers by 2025. Backed by a 150,000-vehicle Hosur plant, it launched Gen 1.5 models of Simple One and OneS. Preparing for an FY27 IPO, Simple Energy has raised $51M so far.

Handpickd, India’s ‘zero stock fresh commerce’ startup, raised $15M in Series A funding led by Bertelsmann India Investments. Founded in 2024 by Anant Goel, Nitin Gupta, and Sahil Madan, Handpickd sources directly from farmers using a zero-inventory model, serving Gurugram, Noida, and Bengaluru. The funds will strengthen talent and optimize supply chains. The investment stands out amid the shutdowns of Otipy, Fraazo, and Deep Rooted.

Recove, a B2B startup, raised Rs 5.3 crore in pre-seed funding led by Momentum Capital, with participation from Ganesh Natarajan and Ashish Goel. Founded in 2024 by Viral Chhajer, Nirja Bhatt, and Sharan Subaiah, Recove operates a tech-enabled marketplace for plastic recyclables. The funds will scale operations, build pre-processing hubs, and expand its partner network, streamlining procurement for 30+ recyclers through digital tools and reliable raw materials.

Emergent, founded by ex-Dunzo CTO Mukund Jha, raised $23M in Series A funding led by Lightspeed Ventures, with Y Combinator, Together Fund, Prosus, and angel investors participating. Its agentic AI platform enables autonomous app creation covering backend logic, APIs, and UIs via natural language. Combining proprietary models with LLMs like OpenAI and Gemini, Emergent has 1M users, $15M ARR, and targets the $146.2B custom software market.

The House of Rare has partnered with Zepto to offer 10-minute delivery of premium fashion in Delhi and Mumbai. The collaboration brings Q-commerce into fashion, giving The House of Rare a first-mover advantage and immediate access to digitally savvy consumers. Zepto expands its user base while enhancing customer experience, allowing both brands to capture the on-demand fashion market and meet rising consumer expectations efficiently.

Classy Games has raised $300K through Exel by Merak to grow its team and fast-track two upcoming titles a comical detective game and a galactic survival game. Founded in 2021, the studio focuses on accessible, replayable experiences with user-generated content. Its debut, Orbital, drew 200K+ players and 180K hours of gameplay. Operating from Northern Ireland, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, Classy continues building engaging games

Bengaluru-based Gullak raised $7.5M in Series A funding led by Chiratae Ventures, with White Venture Capital, Samved Ventures, and existing investors participating. Targeting Tier II/III cities, Gullak partners with jewelers like Tanishq and Kalyan, enabling users to save digitally in gold from ₹100 daily, redeemable as jewelry. With 300K active users and $2.5M ARR, the startup aims for $10M ARR within a year.

Hyderabad-based battery tech startup Xbattery raised $2.3M in seed funding led by Bipin Patel Family Office and Jhaveri Credits. Founded by Satish Reddy, Sonu Mishra, and Varshith Rao, Xbattery develops BharatBMS, a high-voltage BMS for EVs and energy storage. The funds will support R&D, hardware sourcing, and team growth, while the startup seeks partnerships with EV OEMs to reduce import dependency amid sector growth.

Oolka, an AI-driven credit companion has raised $7M in seed funding from Z47, Lightspeed, and 8i Ventures. Founded by ex-Meesho’s Utkrishta Kumar, Oolka uses agentic AI to automate credit tasks like negotiating rates and fixing inaccuracies. With 2M users and ₹100 crore repayments processed, it nears $1M ARR. Backed by leaders from Z47 and Lightspeed, Oolka aims to democratize financial health for India’s young population.

olee.space, Photonics startup appointed Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Rajiva Ranjan as Strategic Defense Advisor. With 30+ years in the Indian Air Force, he will guide the development of optics and space-based defense systems, including high-energy Laser Systems. Founder James Solomon highlights his expertise in boosting India’s defense capabilities. Backed by $3M seed funding, olee.space aims to strengthen national security and technological self-reliance.

Handcrafted kitchenware brand P-TAL (Punjab Thathera Art Legacy) raised $3M in a funding round led by VC Grid and Rainmatter, with participation from Connecticut Innovations, Anicut Capital, Zeropearl VC, and angels. The company, supporting 110 artisan families, plans global expansion into the US, Europe, UK, and Middle East, and will invest in R&D for region-specific products. Total funding now stands at $3.6M.

Chiratae Ventures has completed the second close of its fifth fund at $150M, with final close expected in early 2026. Fund V will invest across Seed to Series B in AI, deeptech, healthtech, consumertech, fintech, SaaS, climatetech, and spacetech, exploring areas like DefenceTech and Quantum. Led by Venkatesh Peddi and Ranjith Menon, Chiratae has a strong track record with 130 investments, 8 unicorns, and 4 IPOs.