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  • Google to Invest $15 Billion in Mega Data Center Cluster in Visakhapatnam

    According to reports, Google intends to invest $15 billion, or around INR 88,774.2 crore, to construct a data centre cluster with a 1 GW capacity spread across three campuses in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh. According to sources cited by ET, the cluster will have three data centre campuses with high-capacity underwater cables, specialised cable landing stations, and a vast network of metro fibre and telecommunications lines.

    The data centres will be a key component of India’s aspirations to become a global powerhouse for digital and artificial intelligence infrastructure, and they are anticipated to be operational by July 2028. On October 14, Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh is scheduled to conclude the deal with Google executives. The State Investment Promotion Board, which is led by Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, will sanction the project today, the newspaper also stated.

    Google’s Visakhapatnam’s Data Centre Cluster to be Asia’s Largest Centre

    According to reports, Visakhapatnam’s data centre cluster would be the biggest in Asia. Alphabet was reportedly on track to invest $6 billion in Andhra Pradesh to construct a 1 GW data centre and related power infrastructure in July. “We’ve made certain announcements like Sify (a 550 MW data centre to be built in the state), which are public,” Lokesh told Reuters at the time. Some announcements are not yet available to the general public. We will make such announcements in October.

    This occurs at a time when the need for data centres is increasing due to the rapid adoption of AI and the growing prevalence of smartphones. The data centre industry in India is expected to increase from $4.5 billion in 2023 to $9.3 billion by 2027 and over $11.6 billion by 2032, making it one of the largest markets in terms of smartphone usage and AI adoption.

    OpenAI, the parent company of ChatGPT, is also seeking to establish a data centre in India with a minimum capacity of 1 GW, while Reliance is constructing a data centre in Jamnagar. After Sam Altman’s trip to India, the new facility would be finalised, which would be a significant step forward for “Startgate” in Asia.

    Quick Shots

    •Google to invest $10 billion (INR 88,774.2 crore)
    to build a mega 1 GW data centre cluster in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

    •The cluster will comprise three campuses with
    underwater cables, cable landing stations, and metro fibre networks.

    •Project expected to be operational by July 2028.

    •Andhra Pradesh IT Minister Nara Lokesh to finalise
    the deal with Google executives on October 14.

    •State Investment Promotion Board, chaired by CM N.
    Chandrababu Naidu, to approve the project today.

    •The Visakhapatnam cluster will be Asia’s largest
    data centre.

  • Google Offers up to INR 26 Lakh Reward for Finding Security Flaws in its AI Systems

    To identify and address security vulnerabilities in its artificial intelligence (AI) systems, Google has started a new incentive programme. The organisation is rewarding those who find significant flaws that have the potential to cause actual harm with incentives of up to $30,000 (about INR 26 lakh).

    Rogue actions—situations in which an AI system is deceived into performing an action it shouldn’t—are the focus of this new AI bug reward programme. Examples include a secret command that compels an AI to summarise a user’s private emails and forward them to an attacker, or an AI question that might cause Google Home to unlock a door.

    Google has given precise examples of what constitutes an AI bug. These comprise any flaw that allows a huge language model or other generative AI tool to be exploited to get around security, change data, or do undesirable behaviours. For example, in the past, researchers discovered vulnerabilities that made it possible to manipulate smart home equipment by manipulating calendar events, opening shutters, or turning off lights without authorisation. Keep in mind that not all AI problems will result in compensation.

    It isn’t enough to just make Gemini make a mistake or produce unpleasant text. Instead, these kinds of problems ought to be reported via Google’s AI products’ regular feedback features, which allow safety teams to examine and correct model behaviour over time.

    CodeMender by Google

    In addition to the recently launched bug bounty programme, Google also unveiled CodeMender, an AI agent that automatically fixes security vulnerabilities in code. According to the business, 72 vulnerabilities in open-source projects have already been fixed by CodeMender after it was reviewed by human specialists.

    Serious rogue action defects in Google’s main products, including Search, Gemini Apps, Gmail, and Drive, are eligible for the top award of $20,000. The sum can reach $30,000 with bonuses for exceptionally creative or high-quality reports. Smaller problems or faults in other products, such as NotebookLM or Jules, are eligible for lower awards.

    Researchers have already made over $400,000 from Google’s AI-related reports in the past two years. Simply put, this new initiative makes things more competitive and official. Our daily lives are increasingly involving AI technologies.

    They can be found in home appliances, laptops, phones, and even the instruments we use at work. Attackers can become more inventive as these systems become more powerful. In essence, Google is promising that we will compensate someone who can break it before the bad people do.

    Quick
    Shots

    •Bugs include AI being tricked to perform harmful or
    unintended actions, e.g., exposing private data or controlling smart devices.

    •Flaws that allow large language models or
    generative AI tools to bypass security, alter data, or behave undesirably.

    •Google’s AI agent automatically fixes
    vulnerabilities; 72 open-source issues resolved so far.

    •Serious defects in Search, Gemini, Gmail, Drive
    eligible for $20k–$30k; smaller flaws in other products get lower awards.

  • General Catalyst leads $6M Pre-Series A round in HIRA’s parent company, Meolaa, to build a digitally native FMCG powerhouse

    Meolaa, an end-to-end technology-powered FMCG company, today announced that it has secured $6 million in Pre-Series A funding to advance its digital-first growth strategy. The round was led by General Catalyst (GC), alongside participation from Claypond Capital (family investment office of Dr. Ranjan Pai), Colossa Ventures, entrepreneur Kunal Shah, Turbostart Global, and other existing investors. This marks a significant step in Meolaa’s evolution into an end-to-end technology-powered Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) business, harnessing AI and data science to generate actionable consumer market intelligence, accelerate execution, and increase the probability of success for every new brand and product.

    The company’s strategy is further aligned with the evolving preferences of Gen Z consumers, who are driving demand for cleaner, more conscious, and innovative offerings that combine sustainability with novelty. Meolaa remains committed to addressing this demand by building a new generation of FMCG brands distinguished by agility, precision, and measurable outcomes.

    Ishita Sawant, Founder and CEO, Meolaa, said “At Meolaa, we believe consumer brands must be built with precision — powered by data, insights, and culture. With General Catalyst’s support, we are accelerating our transition into a modern, AI-enabled FMCG house designed to disrupt the value chain end to end. HIRA, our flagship brand, is just the beginning — proof that products rooted in real consumer needs can scale fast, resonate deeply, and travel globally. By reimagining the assembly line of brand creation, we are solving for agility, speed, and scale — while reverse-engineering success to tilt the odds in our favour. This partnership gives us the conviction and resources to build India’s first FMCG powerhouse for the world.”

    Meolaa is augmenting AI and advanced analytics across its business verticals, integrating consumer market intelligence, new product development, packaging and branding innovation, and supply chain and distribution optimization. This end-to-end technology-powered framework creates a unified workflow that accelerates decision-making, strengthens product design, and ensures that every stage of the brand lifecycle is informed by actionable insights.

    “What excites us about Meolaa is Ishita’s vision to build an AI-native FMCG powerhouse, replacing traditional R&D with intelligent systems that compress brand development from years to months,” said Neeraj Arora, Managing Director at General Catalyst. “Her consumer-first approach and global brand insights, combined with her bias for action, position her uniquely to identify whitespace opportunities and execute rapidly. Under Ishita’s leadership, they’re reimagining how consumer brands are built and scaled for the modern economy.”

    Large FMCG companies operate through long, sequential brand creation and product development cycles that can take upwards 18 to 24 months. The process involves extensive market research, R&D, packaging design, consumer testing, and nationwide rollout, often slowing the response to shifting consumer demands. Meolaa addresses this gap through a unified AI-powered brand creation framework that combines real-time consumer intelligence, structured innovation processes, and intelligent go-to-market orchestration. This integrated approach compresses timelines from years to months while effectively reverse engineering product–market fit.

    The newly raised capital will be deployed across three key priorities:

    1. AI and Data Science Infrastructure: Serving as the central engine of Meolaa’s business model, the AI and data science infrastructure redefines the foundations of FMCG. It unifies predictive analytics, proprietary algorithms, and automation into a seamless intelligence-driven system that replaces traditional manual processes. This backbone powers the entire brand journey, positioning the company to set new benchmarks in how consumer brands are built and grown.
    2. Brand Expansion: The company plans to expand into adjacent personal care categories, guided by actionable insights to compress development cycles and increase success rates. Each new brand will target sizeable market opportunities with focused value propositions and curated product portfolios built for scale.
    3. Operational Agility and Scale: Strategically expanding into high-potential distribution networks by identifying the most relevant consumer cohorts and geographies, while leveraging AI-driven operational intelligence to optimize performance across core business functions. This enables the company to achieve greater agility, efficiency, and responsiveness to evolving consumer demand.

    Meolaa’s insights-driven approach has already delivered strong results by identifying and capturing emerging opportunities in underserved categories such as the Indian fragrance market. Valued at $281 mn in FY2024 and projected to reach $ 873.3 mn by FY2032, India’s fragrance segment is witnessing the rise of a “mass-premium” segment, driven largely by the aspirations of Gen Z professionals, whose strong entry-level salaries are prompting them to invest in premium categories that boost confidence, including fragrances. This generation is turning to premium experiences not only for quality, authenticity, and sensorial richness, but also as tools for self-expression, social currency, and aspirational consumption. A BCG and Snapchat study corroborates the influence of GenZ on emerging consumer trends, with the generation accounting for 43% of the country’s total consumption.

    Recognizing this market opportunity, Meolaa’s first and flagship brand, HIRA, serves as definitive proof of concept to the company’s approach, achieving INR 1 Cr in monthly recurring revenue within just three months of launch by capturing the underserved premium fragrance segment. Much like the disruption witnessed in categories such as sneakers and bags over recent years, HIRA has emerged as the force redefining the fragrance category, scaling at a pace the market had not imagined. Together with the upcoming digital-first brands, the extended portfolio is now projected to achieve significant near-term growth targets.

    Meolaa is building a full-stack AI layer that functions as the intelligence backbone for brand teams, supporting the entire lifecycle from actionable intelligence generation and product development to execution and scale. The platform manages core functions such as brand creation, scenario analysis, and routine decision-making with greater speed and accuracy. While data infrastructure for forecasting and trend analysis already exists in the industry, Meolaa operationalizes this information, turning fragmented processes into a unified system with measurable outcomes. This marks the emergence of a new-age house of brands in FMCG that prioritizes building from scratch and owning intellectual property from day one, fundamentally differentiating from acquisition-driven growth strategies.

    Additional Commentary

    “We are pleased to expand our investment in Meolaa as it steps into a powerful new chapter of championing sustainable brands for the next generation of consumers. From day one, Meolaa’s AI-driven insights platform has tapped into emerging cultural and consumer trends, offering personalized experiences and building meaningful engagement, especially with millennials and Gen Z. These insights inspired the creation of HIRA, a clean, enduring fragrance brand meeting a real need in the largely untapped sustainable fragrance category. At Colossa, we believe the future of consumer products in India will be shaped by sustainability and innovation! And women founders like Ishita are well positioned to lead that future,” said, Ashu Suyash, Founder- Colossa Ventures

    “From backing Meolaa at its seed stage to witnessing its rapid evolution, it’s been remarkable to see Ishita and her team challenge the fundamentals of an industry as entrenched as FMCG,” said Dr. Ranjan Pai. “Meolaa combines deep consumer understanding with technology to accelerate brand creation and scale – bringing a level of agility and precision rarely seen in this space. Under her leadership, Meolaa is building the blueprint for how the next generation of consumer companies will operate.”

  • OpenAI Launches Agent Builder to Simplify Creation of Custom AI Agents

    As a component of the AgentKit, OpenAI has introduced the Agent Builder, which gives developers the means to create agentic processes, enhance performance, and create agents using a visual-first canvas.

    In a blog post announcing the capability, OpenAI stated that up until now, creating agents required balancing disparate tools, including intricate orchestration without versioning, unique connectors, manual evaluation pipelines, timely tweaking, and weeks of frontend work prior to launch. Developers can now more quickly integrate agentic UIs using new building pieces and graphically design workflows with AgentKit.

    Features of OpenAI’s Agent Builder

    The drag-and-drop functionality of the Agent Builder allows developers to design multi-agent workflows. It makes it simple for teams to test agents, see how they operate, and make adjustments. ChatKit makes it simple for developers to incorporate chat-based agents into websites or applications for conversation experiences.

    These can be applied to knowledge assistants, research, onboarding, and customer service. In order to create agents on the visual canvas and integrate them into their applications using the Agents SDK for Node.js or Python, advanced users can also select Agent Builder. Reinforcement fine-tuning (RFT), which enables programmers to teach models to follow specific rules and make better decisions, is being expanded by OpenAI.

    Some models already have the feature, while GPT-5 is presently under beta testing. The new function incorporates pertinent context, such as file and online searches, using the most recent AI models. In order to pull in both internal and external context, it may also link to well-known corporate programmes and MCP servers.

    OpenAI’s Connector Registry

    Additionally, OpenAI unveiled the Connector Registry, which aids businesses in managing data across various workspaces and applications, such as Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint. Guardrails, a security layer that stops agents from disclosing private information or performing dangerous actions, was developed by OpenAI to keep agents safe.

    Guardrails to identify jailbreaks, implement personalised security measures in the Canvas, conceal personally identifiable information, and more are integrated into the Agent Builder. All developers have access to the Evals capabilities, and Agent Builder is presently under beta testing. Standard API pricing includes the new tool.

    Quick
    Shots

    •Part of AgentKit, Agent Builder enables developers
    to create AI agents using a visual-first canvas.

    •Drag-and-drop interface allows multi-agent workflow
    design, testing, and adjustments without complex orchestration.

    •Easily add chat-based agents for knowledge
    assistants, customer service, research, and onboarding.

    •Supports Agent SDK for Node.js/Python and
    Reinforcement Fine-Tuning (RFT) for better decision-making.

    •Agents can access internal and external data,
    including files, online searches, and corporate systems.

    •Manages data across Dropbox, Google Drive, Microsoft
    Teams, SharePoint, and more.

  • TCS Cancels Q2 Results Press Conference Amid Ratan Tata Death Anniversary Observance

    According to media sources, Indian IT powerhouse Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has cancelled its post-results news conference for the second quarter profits (Q2), which was scheduled for October 9, because the date falls on the anniversary of Ratan Tata’s passing. At 5:30 p.m., the press conference was planned.

    However, the Business Line report also stated that the analyst call will happen that same day. In honour of Ratan Tata, TCS has modified their earnings-day schedule for the second consecutive year. Following his death, the business also cancelled its Q2 news conference last year, but other investor-related events went forward as planned.

    TCS Already Notified the Stock Exchanges

    On September 22, Tata Consultancy Services notified the stock exchanges that the Board of Directors will meet on October 9 to review and approve the company’s audited standalone financial results for the quarter and six months ending September 30, 2025.

    The announcement of a second interim dividend to equity owners will also be discussed by the company’s board. The executive team will speak to the media in a press conference at 5:30 p.m., and the earnings conference call will take place at 7:00 p.m., according to a separate filing on September 23. Despite share losses and ramp-downs in a few clients, analysts predict modest revenue growth.

    Axis Securities anticipates that BFSI, Hi-Tech, and cross-currency tailwinds would propel TCS’s 3.5% QoQ topline growth. It further stated that salary increases, increased investments, and decreased utilisation are projected to cause the EBIT margin to drop by 21 basis points over the course of the quarter.

    TCS Cutting 2% of its Global Workforce

    The justification for the anticipated separation of 12,000 employees, the effect on employee morale, and the separation’s expenses will also be of interest to investors. As the corporation now seeks to concentrate on restructuring plans amid the push for artificial intelligence (AI), TCS announced layoffs of about 2% of its global workforce in the fiscal year 2025–2026.

    According to Kotak Institutional Equities (KIE), investors are likely to monitor a number of important factors, including (1) the reasons behind the underperformance in growth in developed markets and any potential share losses; (2) whether the impact of the US tariffs on demand subsided; (3) the rate of adoption of GenAI and the deflationary effect on spending; (4) the impact of the GCC ramp-up on company growth and the GCC as a growth lever; (5) H-1B dependence and plans for further de-risking; and (6) margin aspirations in light of elevated competitive intensity.

    Quick
    Shots

    •TCS cancels Q2 results media briefing on Oct 9 due
    to Ratan Tata death anniversary.

    •Earnings call for investors scheduled at 7:00 p.m.
    as planned.

    •CS Board to review and approve Q2 & H1
    financial results and discuss interim dividend.

    •Analysts predict around 3.5% QoQ topline growth
    driven by BFSI, Hi-Tech, and cross-currency tailwinds.

  • US Government Shutdown & Halts NASA Operations, Leaving Space Agency Offline

    Following the US government’s shutdown on October 1st due to Congress’s failure to adopt a budget or temporary funding package, NASA ceased the majority of its operations. NASA is “closed” until further notice, according to a notification on the agency’s website. The closure comes as federal agencies in Washington shut down for the first time in almost six years due to a lack of agreement among lawmakers on spending.

    According to NASA, only operations necessary to safeguard people and property are still underway. This includes keeping an eye on the ISS, assisting spacecraft that are presently in use, and doing planetary defence tasks like watching asteroids. Public involvement, teaching, and research initiatives have all been put on hold.

    NASA’s Social Media and Daily Updates on a Mute

    According to Reuters, NASA has restricted its communications to critical notifications and stopped posting daily mission updates and social media posts. According to the Associated Press, thousands of NASA workers are currently on unpaid furlough due to the closure.

    According to the New York Times, the closure would cause delays in the Artemis program, which aims to send humans back to the Moon. Until funds are restored, testing, scheduling, and logistical work have been put on hold. According to the Wall Street Journal, studies that rely on ongoing financing have been impacted by the suspension of research funded by NASA grants at colleges and labs.

    Disruption may also affect contractors who work with the agency. Businesses connected to NASA’s supply chain are evaluating the effects of postponed contracts and funding shortages, according to a Bloomberg report. Similar shutdown have occurred at NASA during previous budget disagreements.

     According to CNN, the 35-day government shutdown in 2018–2019 caused thousands of employees to halt work and postponed research missions. According to officials, most scientific and technological advancements are halted during these times, even as critical safety procedures continue.

    Staff Left with Limited Work Option

    NASA has about 18,000 employees. The majority of public servants have been told not to report to work until funding is restored, according to the Washington Post. During the time off, workers are unable to access government systems or work on their tasks.

    A congressional budget standoff preceded the shutdown. Neither a short-term funding package nor a new yearly budget plan could be passed by lawmakers. Noting that essential government functions are impacted, President Joe Biden has encouraged lawmakers to break the impasse. NASA’s operations will continue to be restricted to critical safety functions until a solution is found, and all scientific, research, and exploratory initiatives will be put on hold.

    Quick
    Shots

    •ISS monitoring, active spacecraft support, and
    planetary defense continue.

    •Daily mission updates and public engagement paused;
    only critical alerts shared.

    •Moon mission testing, scheduling, and logistics on
    hold until funding resumes.

    •University and lab projects funded by NASA grants
    suspended.

  • MS Dhoni Completes Drone Pilot Training with Garuda Aerospace’s DGCA-Approved Academy

    Garuda Aerospace, one of India’s leading drone manufacturers, announced that its brand ambassador and investor, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, has successfully completed his drone pilot training at the company’s DGCA-approved Remote Pilot Training Organisation (RPTO) in Chennai.

    The achievement marks a new milestone in Dhoni’s association with the company, extending beyond investment and brand endorsement as he actively participates in promoting drone innovation and skill development in India.

    Dhoni Earns DGCA Drone Pilot Certification

    After completing the intensive training programme, Dhoni is now certified to operate drones, underscoring the growing importance of certified drone pilots in India’s emerging aviation ecosystem. The course combined theoretical ground instruction with hands-on simulator sessions and real drone flight training, emphasising the need for safe and regulated drone operations.

    Garuda Aerospace has been spearheading drone pilot training across the country through its expanding network of centres, including over 300 “Centres of Excellence” in collaboration with leading educational institutions. These initiatives reflect the company’s commitment to quality, formal certification, and credibility in the drone industry.

    Leadership Remarks

    Commenting on Dhoni’s certification, Agnishwar Jayaprakash, Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace, said:

    “Having our brand ambassador and investor, MS Dhoni, personally undergo the training and get certified as a pilot is a monumental milestone for us. He picked it up very quickly and was extremely focused on learning. His belief in our mission to revolutionise the drone industry continues to inspire our entire team.”

    Dhoni expressed his excitement at completing the DGCA Drone Pilot Certification Programme with Garuda Aerospace, which has already trained more than 2,500 aspiring drone pilots under its Master Instructors. He also shared his enthusiasm for continuing his journey with the company as it scales new heights in drone technology.

    Garuda Aerospace’s Growing Presence

    As India’s drone sector rapidly expands, the demand for skilled and certified drone pilots is rising to ensure compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Garuda Aerospace currently holds six DGCA approvals, including the distinction of being the first Indian drone start-up to receive dual DGCA certifications for both manufacturing and training.

    The company has DGCA authorisation to conduct pilot training across both small and medium drone categories (under and above 25 kg MTOW). Through its Drone-as-a-Service (DaaS) model, Garuda Aerospace continues to make drone technology affordable and accessible across industries such as agriculture, logistics, and infrastructure.

    To further support India’s drone talent pipeline, the company also runs a “Train the Trainer” programme to certify instructors who will guide the next generation of pilots.

    Earlier this year, Garuda Aerospace raised ₹100 crore in Series B funding at a $250 million valuation, led by VCATS and the Narotam Sekhseria Family Office, reaffirming investor confidence in its vision and leadership.

    List of MS Dhoni Investments: From Cricket to Business – A Look at His Strategic Moves
    MS Dhoni is not only famous for ruling the cricketing world but is also known for his great investment skills. Explore the list of Dhoni’s investments in companies. Check out MS Dhoni’s investment portfolio.
    StartupTalky- Business News, Insights and StoriesMuskaan Kapoor

  • Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 7th October 2025: Intangles Raises $30 Mn, Wakefit Gets SEBI Nod for IPO & More

    India’s startup ecosystem witnessed a dynamic day of funding activity on 7th October 2025, with emerging ventures across clean energy, AI, healthcare, and EV marketplaces securing early and growth-stage investments. From Intangles’ $30 million Series B round led by Avataar Venture Partners to Wakefit’s SEBI approval for its INR 468 crore IPO, the day reflected strong investor confidence and expanding innovation across sectors.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup – 7th October 2025

    Company Amount Round Lead investor(s) Sector
    TrusTerra INR 9 Crore Pre-seed Finvolve, India Accelerator EV / Used-electric-vehicle marketplace
    The Medical Travel Company $4.5M Seed Nexus Venture Partners Medical travel / Healthcare logistics
    Contrails AI $1M Pre-seed Huddle Ventures, IAN Group Trust & safety / Content moderation AI
    Intangles $30M Series B Avataar Venture Partners, Baring Private Equity India Automotive / Predictive AI
    Zillout INR 2.75 Crore Seed Not specified Tech / Startup
    Thrustworks/Dynetics Not disclosed Seed Jamwant Ventures Tech / Engineering
    Lucio $5M Seed / Early stage DeVC Legal tech / Automation for law firms
    August AI $3M Seed Accel, Claypond Capital Healthtech / AI-driven healthcare
    Newtral $600,000 Seed / Early stage NOW Accelerate Climatetech / Sustainability platform
    H2 Carbon Zero $850K Seed Venture Catalysts, Faad Networks Clean energy / Hydrogen fuel cells

    TrusTerra Raises INR 9 Crore in Pre‑seed Round

    TrusTerra, an AI-driven marketplace for used electric vehicles (EVs), has secured INR 9 Crore in a Pre‑seed funding round co‑led by Finvolve and India Accelerator, with co-investments from strategic angel investors. The startup aims to address trust issues in the EV resale market by providing battery health metrics through its proprietary TruEV Score™. The funding will be used to expand its marketplace across Tier‑1 and Tier‑2 cities, strengthen partnerships with OEMs, banks, and NBFCs, and hire senior talent in technology, operations, and business development.

    Dineout Founders Secure $4.5 Million for Their Medical Travel Startup

    The founders of Dineout, Ankit Mehrotra and Sahil Jain, have raised $4.5 million for their new venture, The Medical Travel Company, aimed at facilitating cross-border medical travel. The platform connects patients with hospitals abroad, simplifies documentation, manages travel logistics, and provides access to affordable, high-quality healthcare. Led by Nexus Venture Partners, this funding will help the startup scale its operations, expand partnerships with hospitals internationally, and develop technology solutions for smooth coordination of medical tourism.

    Contrails AI Raises $1 Million in Pre‑seed Round from Huddle Ventures and IAN Group

    Contrails AI, a trust and safety technology startup, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed round co-led by Huddle Ventures and IAN Group. The startup builds AI-driven tools to identify and mitigate online content risks across marketplaces, media platforms, and financial services. Funds from this round will support the expansion of US and EU pilots, enhancement of AI models, and onboarding of new clients.

    Intangles Raises $30 Million in Series B Round Led by Avataar Venture Partners

    Intangles, a predictive AI startup for the automotive sector, has raised $30 million in a Series B round led by Avataar Venture Partners, with participation from Baring Private Equity India and Cactus Partners. Intangles provides physics-enabled AI models that monitor vehicles in real-time, predicting maintenance needs and preventing breakdowns. The funding will be used to expand technology capabilities, grow into new geographies, and strengthen its AI-driven predictive maintenance platform.

    Zillout Raises Seed Funding Round

    Zillout, a tech startup has successfully raised a seed funding round to accelerate its growth. While the funding amount and investor details were not disclosed, the capital is expected to support product development, expand the team, and increase market presence. The startup aims to create a more efficient, user-friendly, or sustainable experience in its sector.

    Thrustworks/Dynetics Raises Seed Round Led by Jamwant Ventures

    Thrustworks/Dynetics, a startup, has raised a seed funding round led by Jamwant Ventures. The funding will enable the startup to accelerate product development, enhance R&D capabilities, and expand operations. While specific funding details remain undisclosed, this investment will support the team in building solutions that address pressing challenges, improving efficiency, scalability, or technological innovation.

    Lucio, a legal tech startup focused on automating and simplifying legal workflows for law firms and corporate clients, has raised $5 million in a funding round led by DeVC. The funding will be utilized to enhance its AI-driven platform, expand offerings to enterprise clients, and scale its team. Lucio aims to digitize the legal workflow, improve efficiency, reduce errors, and enable law firms to offer faster, more reliable services. This round highlights growing investor confidence in the potential of technology to transform the legal sector in India.

    August AI Raises $3 Million from Accel and Claypond Capital

    August AI, a healthtech platform leveraging artificial intelligence, has raised $3 million in a funding round led by Accel and Claypond Capital. The investment will fuel technology enhancements, scale platform offerings, and expand reach across hospitals and healthcare providers. August AI focuses on using AI-driven solutions for patient care, diagnostics, and hospital operations, aiming to improve clinical efficiency and outcomes. This round represents growing confidence in the role of AI in optimizing healthcare delivery.

    Newtral Raises $600,000 to Scale Global Sustainability Platform

    Newtral Technologies, a Bengaluru-based climate-tech startup addressing value-chain emissions, has secured a $600,000 investment from NOW Accelerate, the venture studio’s co-building program focused on sustainability and climate-tech. As part of this partnership, NOW will also step in as an institutional co-founder, embedding its venture-building resources and network to help Newtral expand globally, scale revenue, and build towards Series A readiness.

    H2 Carbon Zero Raises $850K to Build Hydrogen Fuel Cell Factory

    Clean energy startup H2 Carbon Zero has raised $850,000 in a seed funding round led by Venture Catalysts and Faad Networks. The startup aims to eliminate diesel generators by developing modular, stackable hydrogen fuel cells for telecom towers, data centers, and defense outposts. The funds will be used to set up India’s first gigawatt-scale hydrogen fuel cell factory, advance R&D, and accelerate commercialization. H2 Carbon Zero envisions a sustainable, low-emission alternative to conventional diesel power, supporting India’s green energy transition and reducing the carbon footprint of critical infrastructure.

    Key Business News for 7th October 2025

    Wakefit Gets SEBI Approval for INR 468 Crore IPO

    Home and sleep solutions startup Wakefit has received SEBI approval for its INR 468 crore IPO, which includes a fresh issue and an Offer for Sale by existing investors. The funds will be used to open new stores, enhance marketing, and support general corporate growth. Investors like Peak XV Partners, Verlinvest, and Investcorp are expected to partially exit through the OFS. The move marks Wakefit’s next step in expanding its footprint in India’s fast-growing home and lifestyle market.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 6th October 2025
    India’s startup and business ecosystem witnessed several significant developments on 6th October 2025. From major funding deals to strategic business moves, here’s a quick roundup of the top stories shaping the market today.
    StartupTalky- Business News, Insights and StoriesStartupTalky News

  • Zoho Expands Fintech Portfolio with New POS Device and Soundbox Launch

    To broaden its fintech products under Zoho Payments, SaaS startup Zoho has introduced its line of point-of-sale (POS) devices, which includes an all-in-one POS device, smart POS device, and static QR with soundbox. Sridhar Vembu, a co-founder of Zoho, made the announcement on X.

    In order to tackle “real business challenges and strengthen India’s digital payments infrastructure”, Zoho has also teamed up with NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd (NBBL), a subsidiary of the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI), Vembu continued. According to Vembu, the business is also working on integrating Zoho Pay with Arattai, its instant messaging app, so that payments may be made through the app.

    Zoho Also Announces Pool of Payment Solutions

    On the outskirts of today’s ongoing “Global Fintech Fest 2025” in Mumbai, Zoho also announced the availability of a variety of payment options, including payout capabilities, virtual accounts for collections, and marketplace settlements.

    According to a statement from the firm, Zoho Payments now facilitates payouts, allowing companies who use Zoho Payroll to automate employee payroll procedures and make salary disbursements. Companies have a more dependable method of transferring money, can track payments made, and can pay salaries from any bank account with ease.

    In February of last year, Zoho was granted final permission for a payment aggregator licence. After then, the business launched Zoho Payments, marking its entry into the payments market. At the time, Zoho said that companies could simplify their payment procedures by integrating Zoho Payments with its financial and operations apps, such as Zoho Books, Zoho Invoice, and Zoho Billing.

    Zoho Strongly Backed by the Indian Government

    The recent product introductions by Zoho coincide with a renewed interest in goods manufactured in India. Ashwini Vaishnaw, the minister of information technology, recently openly supported Zoho’s software package for official government work. In the meantime, Arattai has experienced a dramatic increase in downloads in recent weeks.

     Additionally, Zoho launched a new sub-brand last week named Vani to provide “visual” workplace communication products driven by AI. Along with its extensive language model, the company unveiled a suite of AI tools in July to help organisations with automation, easy integration, and customised AI agents. In order to increase its robotics research and development skills, it also purchased the robotics firm Asimov Robotics earlier this year.

    Quick Shots

    •Zoho launches new POS devices and soundbox under
    Zoho Payments to boost digital payment solutions.

    •Zoho collaborates with NPCI Bharat BillPay Ltd
    (NBBL) to address real-world payment challenges and strengthen India’s
    digital infrastructure.

    •Zoho plans to integrate Zoho Pay with Arattai messaging
    app for in-app payments.

    •Zoho introduces payout features, virtual accounts,
    and marketplace settlements for businesses.

    •Zoho received payment aggregator licence in Feb last
    year, officially entering the payments market.

  • Kunal Shah-Backed Fintech Startup Niro Shuts Down Citing Regulatory Roadblocks and Funding Challenges

    After 4.5 years of operation, the fintech startup Niro, which assisted consumer internet platforms in offering embedded credit products, has closed. Investors like Elevar Equity, GMO Venture Partners, Rebright Partners, Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance VC, Innoven Capital, Alteria Capital, and CRED founder Kunal Shah supported the Bengaluru-based company, which was established in 2021 by Aditya Kumar and Sankalp Mathur.

    In a LinkedIn post announcing the shutdown, Kumar stated that after 4.5 years, $20 million in finance, $200 million in loan disbursements, and 30 collaborations, “we’ve had to shut down Niro.”

    What is the Core Reasons for Niro’s Clossure?

    Just as the company was changing its business model, Shah explained, it was struck by “a perfect storm of regulatory pushback on personal lending, credit deterioration, and sub-optimal capitalisation,” which led to its demise. By collaborating with banks and NBFCs, Niro’s primary offering was to assist online platforms in integrating credit products; in other words, it transformed big consumer apps into fintech distribution channels.

    The business expanded quickly and was one of the first in this field. According to Kumar, Niro had accomplished the seemingly impossible by recruiting amazing people, raising patient, high-quality funding, and persuading major consumer internet platforms and top lenders to collaborate with us in order to unleash value at scale.

    Within just over two years of its start, Niro had $100 million in assets under management, and at its height, its platform had over 170 million members. During its existence, it also signed 30 partnerships and disbursed $200 million in loans. However, the company was compelled to alter its strategy at an unfavourable moment due to the swift legislative changes in the digital lending environment, declining credit quality, and financial limitations. Kumar described the situation as “a perfect storm.”

    Financial Dynamics of Niro

    Tracxn, a market intelligence platform, reports that Niro raised $18.7 million in four investment rounds, valued at $58.4 million. It had about 290 employees at its height. With ten years of experience, Kumar is a fintech entrepreneur who founded Qbera, a digital lending company that InCred later purchased. He oversaw InCred’s consumer loan division after the acquisition.

    The closure of Niro coincides with a number of fintech startups dealing with increasingly stringent laws, declining credit scores, and a more conservative investment climate, all of which have made it harder to scale lending operations.

    Quick Shots

    •Fintech startup Niro, backed by Kunal Shah and top
    VCs, shuts down after 4.5 years of operations.

    •Launched by Aditya Kumar and Sankalp Mathur to help
    consumer internet platforms offer embedded credit products.

    •Raised $18.7M in funding, valued at $58.4M,
    disbursed $200M in loans, and had 30+ partnerships.

    •Achieved $100M AUM and reached 170M+ users at its
    peak.

    •Closure reflects wider fintech struggles with new
    regulations, investor caution, and scaling hurdles.