Indian Startup News

Qila Games, a hybrid-casual gaming startup, has raised $1 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Chimera VC, with participation from Visceral Capital, Atrium Angels, Ventana Ventures, 91 Ventures, Untitled Ventures, and other angel investors. Founded in 2024 by Dhananjai Hari and Neeraj Mishra, Qila Games focuses on bridging the gap between casual and mid-core gaming by developing socially engaging experiences tailored for Indian players. Read the full story here:👇 https://lnkd.in/dXTka8Sg #gaming #venturecapital #funding #investors #angelinvestors #investment #bengaluru #startup #indianstartupnews Qila Games

India is gearing up to launch a homegrown web browser that could serve as a local alternative to global players like Google Chrome, according to Union Minister of Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw. At a recent event organized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Vaishnaw announced the winners of the Indian Web Browser Development Challenge (IWBDC), part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. The competition seeks to create a secure browser tailored to Indian users, with a focus on data protection and compliance with the country’s new Data Protection Act. Zoho Corporation took the top spot, receiving Rs 1 crore, while Team PING and Team Ajna finished as first and second runners-up, earning Rs 75 lakh and Rs 50 lakh respectively. The browser is expected to keep user data within the country and maintain compatibility across Windows, iOS, and Android devices. #google #chrome #india #AtmanirbharBharat #browser #internet #indianstartupnews

Neeraj Chopra-backed Stage, commonly touted as the Netflix for Bharat, has raised $12.5 million in a Series B funding round led by GoodwaterCap and BlumeVentures. The funding round also included $2.5 million worth of secondaries for some angel investors, including Harsh Shah (co-founder of Fynd), and Aayush Phumbra (founder of Chegg). Physis Capital, Mumbai Angels, The Chennai Angels, Venture Catalysts, Inflection Point Ventures (IPV) and other existing investors also participated. ISN was the first to report on Stage's discussions regarding its funding round in October last year. Read the full story here:👇 https://lnkd.in/dq4FbJgB #ott #webseries #sharktankindia #angelinvestors #entrepreneurs #funding #investors #investment #startup #indianstartupnews STAGE Parveen Singhal Vinay Singhal Shashank Vaishnav

Several Tata Group companies, including Tata AutoComp Systems, Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), Tata Technologies, and Tata Electronics, have quietly become key global suppliers to Tesla, according to a report by The Economic Times. Their role is expected to grow further if Elon Musk’s electric vehicle (EV) giant solidifies its plans for India, where Tesla is said to be assembling its local supplier network. The report noted that Tesla’s senior global procurement team has been meeting with Indian suppliers to discuss the development of key components such as castings, forgings, electronics, and fabricated parts. The move aligns with the automaker’s broader strategy to tap into India’s emerging EV market, which could lead to expanded sourcing and potential local manufacturing if Tesla formally enters the country. Meanwhile, Tesla has already laid groundwork for its Indian presence by signing a five-year lease for a 4,003-square-foot showroom on the ground floor of the 2 North Avenue complex at Maker Maxity in Mumbai’s Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). #tesla #tatagroup #tata #electricvehicles #manufacturing #india #mumbai #indianstartupnews

The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved a new incentive scheme worth Rs 1,500 crore to encourage low-value BHIM-UPI transactions (Person-to-Merchant) for the financial year 2024-25. The scheme will be implemented from 01.04.2024 to 31.03.2025 and focuses on supporting small merchants by allowing them to accept digital payments without extra costs. The scheme applies to UPI transactions up to Rs 2,000 made at small merchant outlets. These transactions will qualify for an incentive of 0.15% of the transaction value. Large merchants will continue to offer zero fees on transactions up to Rs 2,000 but will not receive an incentive. With this, the government aims to make digital payments more accessible for small businesses, especially those in rural and semi-urban areas so that more customers can pay using BHIM-UPI. Read the full story here:👇 https://lnkd.in/dxEm-p9d #upi #payments #government #incentive #smallbusiness #indianstartupnews

Lighthouse PropTech has raised $2.5 million in a funding round led by Turbostart with a $1 million investment. Turbostart is a global early-stage venture capital firm and accelerator. The Dabur Family Office and several other HNI family offices joined the round, valuing the startup at $13.5 million. It plans to use the raised capital for expansion as it builds a technology-driven platform for luxury real estate transactions in India. Read the full story here:👇 https://lnkd.in/drgmuthF #proptech #technology #realestate #payments #funding #investors #startup #indianstartupnews Lighthouse Proptech Ganesh Raju

American ride-hailing giant Uber's India unit, Uber India, has recorded a 41.1% year-on-year increase in revenue, reaching Rs 3,762 crore in FY24, while its net losses shrank by 71.4% to Rs 89 crore, Entrackr reported. Beyond operational revenue, Uber India also recorded Rs 99 crore from non-operating sources, including interest on current investments and miscellaneous income, bringing total revenue to Rs 3,860 crore in FY24, up from Rs 2,744 crore in FY23. #uber #bengaluru #ola #rapido #taxi #cars #business #indianstartupnews

My Pahadi Dukan, a D2C brand dedicated to offering authentic Himalayan health and wellness products, has raised an undisclosed amount in a pre-seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures (IPV), a Gurugram-based angel investment firm. The startup offers authentic Himalayan health and wellness products, sourced from remote mountain regions. It was founded in 2021 by Himanshu Dua, Shubham Tandon, Rohan Sehgal, and Mohd. Anas Zubair. Read the full story here:👇 https://lnkd.in/gVJrR_CZ #d2c #health #retail #entrepreneurs #funding #investors #investment #startup #indianstartupnews My Pahadi Dukan

Dr. Arokiaswamy Velumani founder of diagnostic chain Thyrocare, shared his perspective on Amazon’s decision to lay off 14,000 managerial positions, warning professionals and entrepreneurs not to “celebrate too early” when it comes to career or business success. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Velumani pointed out how numerous employees may have once celebrated landing jobs at high-profile companies, only to face uncertainty during mass layoffs. “Imagine how many might have celebrated [getting hired],” he wrote, adding that the situation leaves thousands feeling depressed. “It’s not 10 or 20. 100 or 200. 1000 or 2000. 14,000!!!!” “Don’t celebrate too early. Career or business—it’s a marathon race," he added. Velumani’s remarks come after media reports said that Amazon plans to cut 14,000 managerial positions to save $3.5 billion annually as part of broader efforts to streamline operations. #amazon #layoffs #employees #workers #college #placements #indianstartupnews

Bill Gates, the former Microsoft CEO and co-chair of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, visited India and experienced the “Namo Drone Didi” initiative—a government-led program aimed at empowering rural women and modernizing agriculture through drone technology. During his stop at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra in New Delhi, Gates interacted with “Drone Didis,” who are spearheading drone-powered farming solutions. He later shared a video on Instagram, captioned: “These women are flying India’s agricultural productivity to new heights.” Notably, the drones are developed by an Indian startup called Garuda Aerospace, which has supplied 446 agricultural drones to women’s self-help groups across 20 states. These drones are used for tasks such as spraying fertilizers and monitoring crop health, improving farm efficiency and rural incomes. #billgates #drones #agriculture #women #rural #womenempowerment #indianstartupnews