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  • Azent Overseas Education Announces UK Admissions Day

    Azent Overseas Education, one of India’s leading study abroad platforms, is set to host a UK Admissions Day on October 29, 2025, at its Hyderabad Center. The event will bring together representatives from renowned UK universities — Ulster University Belfast, University of Wolverhampton, Edinburgh Napier University, and St. Mary’s University, London and more— offering aspiring students an exclusive opportunity to explore study options, understand admission requirements, and secure offers for the January 2026 intake.

    “At Azent, our mission is to make overseas education more accessible, transparent, and personalized for every student. The UK Admissions Day in Hyderabad reflects our commitment to empowering students with first-hand information and real interactions with university experts. This event not only supports students in securing admissions for the upcoming intake but also deepens our engagement with our partner universities and the parent community.” said Priyanka Nishar, Founder and Managing Director of Azent Overseas Education.

    The UK Admissions Day is part of Azent’s continued effort to simplify and streamline the overseas education journey for Indian students. This event aims to provide students and parents with direct access to university representatives, enabling them to receive on-the-spot guidance, application support, and clarity on scholarships, eligibility criteria, and visa processes.

    The event will also serve as a dynamic platform for student-university engagement, allowing candidates to understand academic programs, post-study work opportunities, and the overall student experience in the UK. Each of the participating institutions brings a strong academic reputation and a distinctive portfolio of courses that continue to attract Indian students seeking high-quality education and global career prospects.

    The recent high-profile visit of UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to India, accompanied by a 125-member delegation of university Vice Chancellors, business leaders, entrepreneurs, and cultural representatives, marks a defining moment in the India–UK strategic partnership. The discussions around the forthcoming Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signal a renewed era of collaboration — unlocking vast opportunities across education, business, innovation, and investment. Education remains a cornerstone of this bilateral relationship, with UK universities playing a pivotal role in nurturing global talent. For decades, the UK has stood as one of the most sought-after destinations for international students, and the growing demand from India continues to reinforce its reputation as a hub for world-class learning, cultural diversity, and global career pathways.

    By bringing together universities, students, and families under one roof, Azent aims to reinforce its position as a trusted bridge between global education institutions and Indian aspirants. The event is also designed to showcase the company’s end-to-end solutions — from counseling and test preparation to education loans, visa assistance, and pre-departure support.

    About Azent

    At Azent Overseas Education Ltd, we have a strong commitment to education and career development. We are passionate about bringing global education to the doorsteps of students all over India. Integrity is essential to the admissions process and Azent is committed to the highest ethical standards. Our organization and our counselors pledge ethical and respectful behavior in our interactions with our students and their families. We aspire to become the world’s leading global education advisory, unleashing potential, one student at a time.

  • Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 28th October 2025: Optimo Capital Raises INR 150 Cr, Smallest.ai Secures $8 Mn, Amazon Layoffs & More

    India’s startup scene stayed active on 28th October 2025, with fresh funding across fintech, AI, and edtech. Optimo Capital led the day’s deals, followed by Smallest.ai and Cybrilla. Meanwhile, OpenAI announced free ChatGPT Go access for Indian users, and Amazon revealed plans for major corporate layoffs.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup – 28th October 2025

    Company Amount Round Lead investor(s) Sector
    Optimo Capital INR 150 Cr Series A Founder Prashant Pitti; Blume Ventures; Omnivore Fintech / Digital loans against property
    Smallest.ai US $8 Mn Seed Sierra Ventures; 3one4 Capital; Better Capital Voice AI / Enterprise speech tech
    Satark AI Undisclosed (cap US$3 Mn) Pre-seed Infynno Solutions Cybersecurity / Autonomous CISO-infrastructure
    Cybrilla Undisclosed Pre-Series A 360 ONE Asset; Peak XV; Groww Tech infrastructure / Wealth & asset-management
    Gubbachhi Undisclosed Pre-seed D2C Insider Super Angels Fund Edtech / Early-learning platform

    Optimo Capital launches digital-LAP lending platform

    Fintech-NBFC Optimo Capital has raised INR 150 crore in a Series A round led by founder Prashant Pitti, with participation from Blume Ventures and Omnivore. The company focuses on providing digital “loan against property” (LAP) solutions to MSMEs using AI and land-record data to speed up credit assessment and disbursal.

    Smallest.ai raises $8 Mn to expand enterprise voice-AI offering

    Voice-AI startup Smallest.ai secured $8 million in a seed round led by Sierra Ventures, joined by 3one4 Capital and Better Capital. The company builds AI speech models for enterprise contact-centres and plans to extend its voice tech stack across India and North America.

    Satark AI raises pre-seed to build autonomous cyber-leadership stack

    Cybersecurity startup Satark AI has raised a pre-seed round from Infynno Solutions through convertible notes. The startup is developing an AI-powered “autonomous CISO infrastructure” that automates policy, risk, threat, and compliance management for organizations.

    Cybrilla secures pre-Series A funding led by 360 ONE Asset
    Wealth-tech infrastructure startup Cybrilla has secured a pre-Series A round led by 360 ONE Asset with participation from Peak XV and Groww. The company offers a “Wealth OS” platform for asset-managers and distributors to launch investment products efficiently and manage compliance.

    Gubbachhi raises pre-seed funding from D2C Insider Super Angels Fund

    Early-learning platform Gubbachhi has secured a pre-seed round from the D2C Insider Super Angels Fund. The startup focuses on child-centric learning through interactive curricula and plans to strengthen its digital presence in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.

    Key Business News for 28th October 2025

    OpenAI gives away one-year free access to ChatGPT Go in India

    OpenAI has announced that its ChatGPT Go subscription will be available free of charge for one year to all users in India, starting from November 4, 2025. The plan (which previously cost INR 399/month) comes ahead of the company’s first DevDay Exchange event in Bengaluru, and applies to both new and existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India.

    Amazon to cut up to 30,000 corporate jobs in major restructure

    Amazon plans to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees beginning around October 28, 2025 — representing about 10% of its roughly 350,000 corporate workforce. The move is part of a broader cost-reduction and efficiency push, particularly after pandemic-era hiring surges.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 27th October 2025
    India’s startup ecosystem witnessed notable activity on 27th October 2025, with fresh funding rounds across diverse sectors including fashion, clean energy, and nutrition.
    StartupTalky- Business News, Insights and StoriesStartupTalky News

  • Mehli Mistry Voted Out from Tata Trusts After Board Decision

    After a majority of trustees voted against his reappointment to the boards of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and the Sir Ratan Tata Trust, Mehli Mistry, a close friend of Ratan Tata, is leaving Tata Trusts. Mistry will resign from the Tata Trusts’ governing boards after three of the six trustees opposed his renomination in a circular resolution that was distributed last week.

    According to sources, former Defence Secretary Vijay Singh, TVS Group chairman Venu Srinivasan, and Tata Trusts Chairman Noel Tata were the three trustees that opposed his reappointment. Darius Khambata and Pramit Jhaveri voted in favour of Mistry’s continuation at the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, while Khambata and Jehangir HC Jehangir did the same at the Sir Ratan Tata Trust. The split ruling, which ends Mehli Mistry’s official affiliation with two of India’s most significant philanthropic organisations, highlights the widening gaps in the trusts’ leadership about appointments and governance issues.

    Tata Trusts’ Internal Rift Lead to Mehli’s Exit

    Mistry’s current three-year tenure as a trustee ends on October 28. He was first inducted in 2022. The most recent suggestion is made in the midst of rumoured internal divisions within Tata Trusts, with one side reportedly supporting Chairman Noel Tata and another group led by Mistry and consisting of supporters of Ratan Tata.

    The most influential stakeholder in the company is the Tata Trusts, which together own 66% of Tata Sons. With Mehli Mistry’s support, Tata Trusts unanimously reappointed Venu Srinivasan as a lifetime trustee earlier this week. Mistry backed Srinivasan’s reappointment as a trustee of Tata Trusts, as did trustees Pramit Jhaveri, Jehangir H.C. Jehangir, and Darius Khambata.

    They did, however, include a crucial requirement: majority consent is required for any subsequent trustee renewals. They cautioned that their permissions would be revoked if there was not unanimous agreement. Voting was never a possibility within the Trusts during Ratan Tata’s leadership. Traditionally, decisions were made by consensus and group agreement; however, this approach is currently being examined in light of indications of internal conflict.

    Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan and Vijay Singh Opposed Mistry’s Reappointment

    Mistry had the backing of trustees Pramit Jhaveri, Darius Khambatta, and Jehangir H.C. Jehangir, although Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, and Vijay Singh were apparently against his continuing. A month ago, a group of four trustees led by Mehli Mistry objected to Vijay Singh’s reappointment as a nominee director on the board of Tata Sons, the firm’s main holding company. This was the most recent flashpoint.

    A rare and visible indication of discontent among one of India’s most prestigious corporate institutions, the decision caused an unusual split (3-4) within the Tata Trusts. The second week of September 2025 saw Singh’s resignation from the Tata Sons board. Singh needed the support of both Srinivasan and Noel Tata, but it was insufficient because all Tata Trust actions must be approved unanimously.

    The significant division among the trustees was revealed when Srinivasan and Tata resisted Mistry’s candidature for the Tata Sons board. There is no chance that Noel will change his mind about turning down Mistry’s application for a Tata Sons board membership, according to people familiar with the situation.

    Quick Shots

    •Mehli Mistry, a close confidant of Ratan Tata, has
    been voted out of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and Sir Ratan Tata Trust boards.

    •The decision came after three of six trustees
    opposed his reappointment in a circular resolution last week.

    •This marks the end of Mistry’s official association
    with Tata Trusts, key shareholders owning 66% of Tata Sons.

    •Trustees Noel Tata, Venu Srinivasan, and Vijay
    Singh voted against Mistry’s reappointment.

  • ChatGPT Go Free in India: OpenAI Announces One-Year Complimentary Access for All Users

    On 28 October, OpenAI declared that starting on November 4, ChatGPT Go will be free for a year for all Indian users. The package, which now costs INR 399 a month, will be made available as part of a temporary promotion that takes place in conjunction with the company’s first DevDay Exchange event in Bengaluru.

    Since ChatGPT Go was first introduced in India a few months ago, the firm has been inspired by the ingenuity and uptake of its users, said Nick Turley, Vice-President and Head of ChatGPT. To assist more people access and benefit from cutting-edge AI, the company is making ChatGPT Go freely available for a year ahead of its first DevDay Exchange event in India. “We’re excited to see the amazing things our users will build, learn, and achieve with these tools,” Turley stated.

    Free Subscription also Available for Existing ChatGPT Go Subscribers

    According to OpenAI, the free-access offer’s sign-up period will begin on November 4. The 12-month promotion will also apply to current ChatGPT Go members in India; further information will be available soon. Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-5 model, ChatGPT Go is the company’s newly released subscription tier that gives customers more access to premium services like longer memory, more picture generation, higher message limits, and expanded file and image uploads.

    ChatGPT Go was released in August 2025 in response to Indian users’ desire for more reasonably priced access to cutting-edge features. India’s paid ChatGPT user base more than doubled in the first month after its debut. Since then, the service has grown to almost 90 markets worldwide.

    India a Massive Market for ChatGPT

    India is one of ChatGPT’s fastest-growing and second-largest markets. Today, millions of individuals utilise ChatGPT every day for learning, productivity, and creativity. These users include professionals, students, and developers.

    According to OpenAI, the free-access campaign demonstrates its “India-first” stance and advances the IndiaAI Mission, which aims to increase indigenous innovation capability, promote digital inclusiveness, and increase access to artificial intelligence tools. In order to encourage responsible AI use and skill development across the country, the company is also collaborating with government programmes, educational institutions, and civil society groups under the IndiaAI Mission.

    Quick Shots

    •On October 28, OpenAI announced that ChatGPT Go will be free
    for one year for all Indian users starting November 4.

    •The subscription, usually priced at INR 399 per month, is now
    part of a special promotional offer tied to OpenAI’s first DevDay Exchange
    event in Bengaluru.

    •The 12-month complimentary plan applies to both new and
    existing ChatGPT Go subscribers in India.

    •More details on sign-up and activation will be shared by OpenAI
    soon.

    •The offer begins November 4, 2025.

    •ChatGPT Go was launched in August 2025 following strong demand
    for affordable AI access.

  • MCX Suffers System Outage, Delays Gold and Silver Futures Trading Once More

    In its fourth update, released 28 October’s morning, the Multi Commodity Exchange (MCX) advised market players that a technical problem has delayed the start of trade. Although it did not provide a new start time, the exchange stated that trading would start from its Disaster Recovery (DR) site.

    It further stated that participants would be informed in due time of the revised start time. Updated at 10:20 a.m. A technical problem has caused a delay in the start of trading. The DR site will be the starting point for trading. Market participants will be notified when trading will begin. “We apologise for any inconvenience,” MCX said on its official website.

    Exchange Keep Changing the Timings

    The exchange had previously told customers that trading would begin at 9:30 AM, but it then changed that to 10:00 AM and then to 10:30 AM. In an early post on social networking site X, low-broking stockbroking platform Zerodha said that the precise timing for MCX trading to resume has not yet been confirmed.

    In their article, Zerodha stated that the MCX opening has been further delayed. The updated timing has not yet been verified. “As soon as an update is available, we’ll share it.” The conversation affirmed that operations would resume from its Disaster Recovery (DR) site, a backup infrastructure intended to guarantee business continuity in the case of outages at the primary site, even if it did not go into detail about the specifics of the malfunction.

    This is not the first time that MCX has encountered this problem. A similar technical issue caused a delayed market opening earlier in July of this year, with trading starting over an hour past the 9:00 AM planned time. A phased resumption was indicated by the numerous notices that MCX had sent out during the morning at that point. The first stated that trading will return by 9:45 AM, then it was revised to 10:10 AM, and eventually it started operations at 10:17 AM.

    This is not the First Time for MCX

    MCX experienced a significant issue in February of last year that resulted in a four-hour operational halt. Its switch to a new trading platform was thought to be the cause of the problem. Both domestic and foreign markets saw a decline in the price of gold and silver on October 27.

    The December silver futures contract dropped 2.78% to INR 1,43,367 a kilogramme, while the December gold futures contract closed at INR 1,20,957 per 10 grammes, down 2.02%. Precious metals’ decline came as U.S.-China trade tensions eased, which reduced demand for safe haven assets. Investor interest in gold and silver was further dampened by an impending meeting between the presidents of the United States and China, which is anticipated to conclude a trade agreement.

    Quick Shots

    •MCX suffered another technical glitch on October
    28, delaying the start of gold and silver futures trading.

    •Trading is set to resume from the Disaster Recovery
    (DR) site, but no confirmed restart time was announced.

    •MCX apologized for the inconvenience and assured
    updates “in due time.”

    •Zerodha confirmed on X that the exact resumption
    time was unconfirmed as of morning updates

  • ‘No Logic, No Context, Just Ritual’: Anupam Mittal Slams 35% Salary Hike Obsession, Urges Focus on Real Growth

    In a thought-provoking LinkedIn post that’s making waves across India’s corporate circles, Anupam Mittal, Founder and CEO of People Group and Shark Tank India investor, has questioned the country’s fixation with the so-called “standard” 30-35% salary hike during job switches.

    The 35% hike ritual under scrutiny

    Mittal began his post with a candid question: “What’s with this 35% hike obsession?” He pointed out how professionals in India often expect this number automatically when switching jobs.

    “Every time someone switches jobs in India, there’s this magic number – a 30-35% hike! No logic. No context. Just ritual,” he wrote.

    He added humorously, “When asked why, the response is that it is ‘standard’. WTF? Who set this standard? I sure didn’t get the memo 😅”

    “A lot of motion, no progress”

    While Mittal acknowledged that professionals should always earn their worth, he warned that blindly chasing a percentage hike every year could be counter-productive.

    “Chasing a percentage hike every year is like running on a treadmill – a lot of motion, no progress,” he wrote, highlighting how frequent job switches for marginal pay increases often prevent people from gaining meaningful experience or specialisation.

    According to him, professionals who switch roles every 12 months for a salary bump end up with “no depth, no edge, and no real compounding.”

    The number that actually matters

    Mittal suggested a different metric for career growth, one that focuses on skill and thinking rather than money.

    “If there’s one number worth chasing, it’s not a 35% raise. It’s a 35% growth in your judgement – in critical thinking, first-principles thinking & creative problem-solving,” he advised.

    He further noted that with the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, professionals must focus on developing uniquely human capabilities. “Because everything else? It’ll be automated by AI,” he cautioned.

    Outcomes over outputs

    Mittal concluded his post with a reminder that in uncertain markets, it’s not the highest-paid employees who survive, but those who can truly deliver impact.

    “When the market turns (and it always does), it won’t be the highest-paid who survives. It’ll be the ones who can produce, not output, but outcomes 💪🏽,” he wrote.

    Why it resonates

    Mittal’s post has struck a chord with thousands of professionals and leaders who echoed his thoughts in the comments. Many agreed that the obsession with arbitrary salary hikes has led to short-term thinking, inflated expectations, and declining depth in expertise.

    At a time when India’s job market is evolving rapidly, his message serves as a reminder to value long-term growth, judgement, and adaptability over chasing standardised pay bumps.

    Forget MBAs! Anupam Mittal Reveals the Only 2 Skills You Need to Be a Successful Entrepreneur
    Shark Tank’s Anupam Mittal shares the only 2 skills students and professionals need to succeed in business, selling and building. Learn why these superpowers matter more than degrees.
    StartupTalky- Business News, Insights and StoriesMuskaan Kapoor

  • Gmail Data Breach Rumors False, Says Google After Password Leak Reports

    Following allegations that millions of email credentials had been compromised, Google has refuted accusations of a significant security breach at Gmail. The business stressed that the accusations were not based on a fresh attack against Gmail but rather on a misinterpretation of previously stolen material that was making the rounds online.

    “Reports of a ‘Gmail security breach impacting millions of users’ are false,” Google’s official X account, News, said on October 28. Because of Gmail’s robust defences, users are always safe. According to the post, the false claims were caused by “a misunderstanding of infostealer databases,” which commonly aggregate information from different online credential theft events. Google claims that these collections don’t point to a new attack on Gmail or any other particular platform.

    Troy Hunt First Person to Report Breach in Gmail

    Troy Hunt, an Australian cybersecurity expert and the creator of the breach notification platform “Have I Been Pwned”, disclosed that a huge 3.5-terabyte database comprising over 183 million email credentials had leaked online, sparking the uproar. According to Hunt, the data may include Gmail accounts, among other providers, and is purportedly made up of information from multiple previous thefts.

    The New York Times brought the leak to the attention of the world by mentioning Hunt’s recommendation that visitors visit HaveIBeenPwned.com to see if their personal information has been exposed. The website allows users to enter their email addresses to check if they are listed in any known breaches and to obtain details about the time and location of the data exposure.

    Google Asks Users to Strengthen their Accounts

    Google reaffirmed its recommendation for customers to improve account security, even though it insists that Gmail has not been compromised. The internet giant advised everyone to reset credentials if they were found in public data sets, use passkeys as a safer substitute for passwords, and enable two-step verification. Additionally, Google stated that its security algorithms instantly identify and eliminate risks brought on by massive credential dumps, guaranteeing that impacted accounts are quickly resecured.

    Google and ChatGPT Locking Horns

    Alphabet’s market value plummeted by $150 billion on 21 October as a result of OpenAI’s release of ChatGPT Atlas, an AI-powered web browser. This was one of the biggest one-day market reactions to a tech product launch this year. A mysterious six-second movie showcasing browser tabs was uploaded to X to make the announcement.

    CEO Sam Altman then said during a livestream that the browser is “a rare once-a-decade opportunity to rethink what a browser can be about.” Within hours following OpenAI’s statement, Alphabet shares dropped as much as 4.8% to $246.15, but they recovered considerably to settle down 2.4% at $250.46.

    Quick Shots

    •Google refuted claims of a major Gmail data breach
    involving millions of leaked passwords.

    •Company clarified the reports were based on old,
    previously stolen data, not a new hack.

    •Official statement on X (formerly Twitter):
    “Reports of a Gmail security breach are false.”

    •Troy Hunt, creator of Have I Been Pwned, first
    flagged a 3.5 TB leaked database with 183 million email credentials.

  • Smallest.ai Secures $8 Million Seed Funding to Accelerate Global Voice AI Expansion

    Full-stack enterprise Voice AI platform Smallest.ai has announced the closure of an $8 million seed funding round led by Sierra Ventures, with participation from 3one4 Capital and Better Capital.

    The fresh capital will fuel global expansion across North America and India, accelerate product innovation, and strengthen enterprise adoption in regulated sectors including banking, financial services, retail, healthcare, and IT. The company also announced the appointment of Apoorv Sood as Global Head of Go-To-Market (GTM) to spearhead enterprise growth and partnerships worldwide.

    Founded by Sudarshan Kamath and Akshat Aandloi, Smallest.ai enables both on-premise and hybrid deployments, ensuring data privacy, compliance, and reliability, vital for industries such as BFSI. Its enterprise-grade architecture is built for massive scalability, observability, and failover reliability, ensuring consistent uptime and performance across millions of customer interactions.

    At the heart of Smallest.ai lies its proprietary full-stack Voice AI, combining speech recognition, natural language understanding, and speech synthesis to power real-time, human-grade conversations. Its Lightning engine achieves 100 ms latency, while the Electron model delivers 10x faster responses than global benchmarks, maintaining enterprise-grade accuracy and security.

    The platform currently powers thousands of monthly call minutes for leading enterprises such as Paytm, MakeMyTrip, ServiceNow, and Dalmia Cement, with multilingual support expanding soon to include Hindi, Spanish, and additional Indian languages.

    “We’ve built Smallest.ai for scale, reliability, and trust—especially for regulated industries,” said Sudarshan Kamath, Founder and CEO, Smallest.ai. “This capital gives us the push to take that vision global with the same enterprise discipline we started with.”

    “We invested in Smallest.ai because we believe they’re solving one of enterprise AI’s toughest problems: real-time, human-grade voice interactions at scale,” said Ashish Kakran, Partner, Sierra Ventures. “Built with roots in India and a clear focus on both the US and Indian markets, the team is demonstrating how world-class innovation can come out of India and serve global customers. We’re excited to support this next chapter — enabling voice to become a first-class interface in enterprise engagement across continents.”

    “Voice is becoming the new interface for enterprise engagement. Our focus is on scaling this globally while building meaningful impact for teams, customers, and partners. It’s about using AI to make communication faster, smarter, and more human,” said Apoorv Sood, Global Head of Go-To-Market, Smallest.ai.

    The company is projecting 300% growth in the US and 150% year-on-year growth in India over the next year, fuelled by rising enterprise demand for scalable, natural Voice AI solutions.

    According to market projections, the global Voice AI Agents market is expected to grow from $2.4 billion in 2024 to $47.5 billion by 2034 (≈35% CAGR), reflecting the rapid adoption of AI-powered voice automation across industries.

    Enterprises worldwide spend hundreds of billions annually on human-led customer engagement. Smallest.ai’s platform delivers up to 80% cost reduction, 10x improvement in agent productivity, 24×7 availability, and over $10 million in annual savings for large organisations.

  • Amazon Layoffs 2025: 30,000 Corporate Jobs to be Cut in Major Restructuring Move

    According to various media reports, Amazon plans to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees starting on October 28 in order to reduce costs and make up for hiring too many staff during the pandemic’s peak demand. The number is close to 10% of Amazon’s around 350,000 corporate employees, although it only makes up a small portion of the company’s 1.55 million total workforce.

    This would be Amazon’s biggest layoff since it began laying off over 27,000 employees in late 2022. Over the past two years, Amazon has reduced the number of employees across a number of businesses, including podcasts, devices, and communications. A number of divisions might be impacted by the layoffs that start this week, including operations, devices and services; Amazon Web Services; and human resources, often known as People Experience and Technology, or PXT.

    Amazon CEO Calling the Move ‘Excess of Bureaucracy’

    Andy Jassy, the CEO of Amazon, is taking steps to cut back on what he has called too much bureaucracy, including by laying off managers. Earlier this year, he added, he set up an anonymous complaint line to find inefficiencies, which has resulted in almost 1,500 responses and more than 450 process modifications. In June, Jassy predicted that more job losses would probably result from the growing usage of AI tools, especially when it comes to automating repetitive and routine jobs. It wasn’t immediately clear how many jobs would be cut in this round.

     According to those with knowledge of the situation, the figure may fluctuate over time as Amazon’s financial priorities alter. According to a previous Fortune story, a 15% reduction might be applied to the human resources department. It wasn’t immediately clear how many jobs would be cut in this round. According to those with knowledge of the situation, the figure may fluctuate over time as Amazon’s financial priorities alter.

    As per previous Fortune story, a 15% reduction might be applied to the human resources department. Another reason for the severity of the layoffs, according to two of the sources, is that a programme that was started early this year to get workers back to work five days a week—one of the strictest in the tech industry—has not produced enough attrition. Because they reside far from the business’s headquarters or for other reasons, some employees who don’t swipe in every day are being told they have voluntarily left Amazon and must go without severance pay, which saves the company money.

    Layoffs a New Trend in Tech Sector: Layoffs.fyi

    According to a website that tracks tech job cuts, Layoffs.fyi, 216 companies have shed roughly 98,000 workers so far this year. It came to 153,000 for the entire year 2024. AWS, the cloud computing division of Amazon, announced second-quarter revenues of $30.9 billion, a 17.5% increase that was far less than the 39% and 32% gains for Microsoft’s Azure and Alphabet’s Google Cloud, respectively.

    AWS’s third-quarter revenues are expected to have increased by roughly 18% to $32 billion, which is a modest slowdown from the 19% increase in the previous year. Many of the most well-known online applications, including Snapchat and Venmo, were taken offline during a 15-hour internet outage last week, leaving AWS still in shock.

    It looks like Amazon is anticipating another strong holiday shopping season. Like in the previous two years, it intends to provide 250,000 seasonal jobs to assist in staffing warehouses and other needs.

    Quick Shots

    •Amazon to lay off up to 30,000 corporate employees
    starting October 28, 2025.

    •Represents about 10% of its 350,000 corporate staff
    but a small share of its 1.55 million total workforce.

    •Marks Amazon’s largest layoff since 2022, when
    27,000 employees were cut.

    •Amazon aims at reducing costs and correcting
    over-hiring during pandemic demand surge.

  • Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 27th October 2025: Banana Club, HYDGEN & Neulife Raise Fresh Capital; Lenskart IPO Announced, Vodafone Idea Gets Relief

    India’s startup ecosystem witnessed notable activity on 27th October 2025, with fresh funding rounds across diverse sectors including fashion, clean energy, and nutrition. Banana Club, HYDGEN, and Neulife secured new capital to drive their respective growth and expansion plans. Meanwhile, the business landscape saw two major corporate developments — Lenskart announced the price band for its much-anticipated IPO, and Vodafone Idea received crucial regulatory relief from the Supreme Court, boosting investor confidence.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup – 27th October 2025

    Company Amount Round Lead investor(s) Sector
    Banana Club INR 12.25 crore Expansion / Growth (not explicitly named) Men’s fashion / D2C clothing
    HYDGEN US$5 million Equity + Debt Transition VC Green hydrogen / Industrial clean-energy
    Neulife US$1 million Seed Funding Subhkam Ventures; Singularity Ventures Premium protein / Performance nutrition

    Clothing brand Banana Club raises expansion capital

    Premium men’s fashion label Banana Club has secured INR 12.25 crore at a valuation of INR 245 crore, according to the company’s announcement. The Bengaluru-based brand says the funds will support opening a flagship store in HSR Layout, plus further scaling of its omnichannel business (stores plus e-commerce). The brand, founded in 2011, operates in-house manufacturing for high-street men’s fashion and claims to offer runway-inspired styles at accessible pricing.

    HYDGEN raises growth capital for on-site green hydrogen systems

    Deep-tech startup HYDGEN has raised US$5 million in a mixed equity-and-debt round led by Transition VC, with participation from Cloudberry Pioneer Investments, Moringa Ventures and strategic family offices. The Mangalore- & Singapore-based company builds anion exchange membrane (AEM) electrolyzers enabling industries to generate ultra-pure hydrogen on-site. It plans to use the fresh capital to upgrade its production facility (for a semi-automated line), enhance its single-stack capacity to 250 kW from its current 1–100 kW range, and expand into Japan, Europe and the Middle East.

    Neulife raises seed funding to expand premium protein range

    Bengaluru-based nutrition brand Neulife has secured US $1 million in seed funding led by Subhkam Ventures and Singularity Ventures. The funds will help the company expand its premium protein portfolio, boost manufacturing, and strengthen distribution across India, aiming for a 15% market share in the premium nutrition space.

    Key Business News for 27th October 2025

    Lenskart Solutions launches its IPO with strong valuation ambitions

    Indian eyewear omni-channel retailer Lenskart has fixed its initial public offering (IPO) price band at INR 382 to INR 402 per equity share (face value INR 2) and will open subscription from October 31 to November 4, 2025. The total issue size is around INR 7,278 crore, comprising a fresh share issuance worth about INR 2,150 crore and an offer-for-sale (OFS) of over 12.75 crore shares by promoters and early investors. At the upper end of the band, the implied valuation is around INR 69,700 crore (≈US$8 billion). The proceeds are expected to be used to strengthen marketing, expand technology infrastructure, and open more company-owned stores across India.

    Vodafone Idea Ltd receives regulatory relief via Supreme Court decision

    The telecom operator Vodafone Idea has been under significant financial stress due to its large legacy liability of adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues. On 27 October 2025, the Supreme Court of India allowed the government to review the dues owed by Vodafone Idea under a more flexible framework, potentially easing the company’s cash-flow burden and improving its ability to invest in network roll-out. Following the decision, the company’s shares saw a sharp jump, reflecting renewed investor optimism.

    Daily Indian Funding Roundup & Key News – 24th October 2025
    India’s startup and business ecosystem saw notable developments on 24th October 2025, with multiple funding rounds and key corporate announcements.
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