Specialty chemicals startup Distil has raised $7.7M in Series A funding led by Jungle Ventures and CE-Ventures. Founded in 2023 by Viraj Shah and Atanu Agarrwal, Distil provides custom chemical solutions for SMEs. The funds will drive R&D and expansion into the Middle East, Africa, and North America. Distil targets $25–30M revenue and breakeven in 12 months, as India holds 4.3% of the $4.7T global market.

Reliance Consumer Products Ltd. (RCPL), Reliance’s FMCG arm, is investing ₹768 crore in its first integrated food park in Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, part of a ₹40,000 crore plan. The facility will produce chocolates, snacks, noodles, atta, rice, and spices, targeting 23,000 TPA of spices and 3,800 TPA of snacks in Phase 1. It will create 500 jobs; approvals are underway, with a beverage plant trial by June 2026.

Favcy Venture Builders acquired Kal Ke Krorepati, now streaming on JioHotstar, to amplify authentic Indian founder stories. With creative control, Favcy VB will emphasize revenue-driven resilience and extend support via the 1to10 Accelerator for mentorship and funding. Founder Pranav Chaturvedi stresses uniting content, capital, and community. MilapSinh Jadeja hails the wider reach, as Favcy plans a refreshed format to engage entrepreneurs beyond metros.

Rohit Bafna’s 888VC has launched a ₹175 Cr ($19 Mn) AIF to back early-stage Indian deeptech startups in AI and sustainability. The fund will invest ₹2–4 Cr per startup over three years, focusing on scalable ventures. Founded in 2022, 888VC has already invested $12 Mn across 20 startups, with a portfolio worth $500 Mn. The AIF aligns with India’s RDI scheme.

Reliance will launch Campa Sure in October 2025 to disrupt India’s ₹16,000 crore bottled water market, rivaling Bisleri, Kinley, and Aquafina. Priced at ₹15 per liter and ₹5 for 250ml, it mirrors Jio’s affordability play. With new bottling plants like Guwahati and Reliance’s vast retail reach, experts expect wider access and price cuts from competitors, boosting consumer benefits.

Frontier Tech Capital, co-founded by Pawan Gandhi, Brijesh Pande, and Razat Gaurav, is launching a $150M fund for Southeast Asian growth-stage tech firms. With nearly half already secured, it will invest $10M+ in 10–15 companies generating $50M+ revenue. Led by Manoj Kohli in India, the fund targets profitable, scalable firms in manufacturing tech, creative tech, and agritech, with strong investor backing and global expansion focus.

VyomIC, a Chennai-based deep-tech startup, raised $1.6M pre-seed funding led by Speciale Invest to develop its LEO-based PNT technology. Founded by Lokesh Kabdal, Vibhor Jain, and Anurag Patil, VyomIC is building satellite constellations for secure, GPS-independent navigation. Its system combines atomic clocks, encrypted signals, and AI, offering jamming-resistant PNT for defense, finance, and aerospace. The startup plans a global constellation for secure navigation and timing services.

OnFinance AI, a Bengaluru-based generative AI startup for BFSI, raised $4.2M Pre-Series A led by Peak XV’s Surge. Founded by Anuj and Priyesh Srivastava, it develops ComplianceOS, powered by NeoGPT, India’s first BFSI-specific LLM trained on SEBI, RBI, IRDAI, and AMFI data. With 70+ agents for compliance, risk, and audit automation, plus InvestigativeOS for KYC and surveillance, the funds will boost R&D and global expansion.

Cognizant and Venbrook have partnered to modernize insurance claims processing with AI-powered solutions. Their co-developed agentic AI TPA platform will streamline claims handling, compliance, and customer communication for P&C insurers. Venbrook contributes its adjuster network, while Cognizant provides digital services. Leaders Jason Turner and Ganesh Ayyar highlight improved efficiency and cost savings. The global TPA market is projected to reach $795B by 2032 (Allied Market Research).

EVamp Technologies has raised ₹7 Cr to expand its Mobilane EV charging network and scale AC and LEV DC charger manufacturing. As a Charge Point Operator, it delivers smart charging solutions across highways and cities. Founder Devansh Shah targets sustainable EV infrastructure growth, while cofounder Gunjan Mehta highlights profitability and innovation. The funding will accelerate deployment, enhance user experience, and support India’s clean mobility mission.

Microsoft has asked its H-1B and H-4 visa holder employees to return to the U.S. before the Sept 21 deadline, following the Trump administration’s $100K annual H-1B fee. An internal email advises those already in the U.S. to remain. India accounts for 71% of H-1B visas, China 11.7%. In 2025, Amazon secured 12K approvals, while Microsoft and Meta each exceeded 5K.

Google has unveiled 20 startups for its AI First Accelerator in India, chosen from 1,600+ applications. Backed by Google Cloud, Gemini models, and mentorship, the cohort targets healthcare, finance, climate, and enterprise tech. With 45% focused on agentic AI and others on multimodal and foundational AI, the program aligns with the IndiaAI Mission, reinforcing India’s rise as a global AI innovation hub.

Bengaluru deeptech startup SpaceFields raised $5M Pre-Series A led by Globaz Technologies, with Rockstud Capital and others. Founded by Apurwa Masook, Rounak Agrawal, and Sudarshan Samal, it builds rocket propulsion systems for defense and aerospace. Funds will scale manufacturing and teams. Backed by four iDEX contracts and four patents, SpaceFields strengthens India’s defense tech. Globaz’s Karan Wilkhoo calls it vital for India’s technological sovereignty.

NVIDIA and Intel announced a strategic collaboration to develop advanced data center and PC products. Intel will build custom x86 CPUs for NVIDIA’s AI platforms and x86 SoCs with RTX GPUs for PCs. NVIDIA will invest $5B in Intel stock. Jensen Huang (NVIDIA) and Lip-Bu Tan (Intel) stress the partnership’s role in AI and accelerated computing, aiming to expand ecosystems and deliver industry breakthroughs.

Blue Energy Motors (BEM) raised $30M led by Nikhil Kamath and Omnitex to scale LNG and EV trucks in India. Founded in 2020 by Anirudh Bhuwalka, BEM has logged 50M+ km on highways and raised $50M total from backers like Essar. It sold 1,000 LNG trucks to Flipkart, Reliance, and others. A $400M Maharashtra plant targets 30,000 EV trucks, supporting the government’s PM E-Drive scheme.

The iPhone 17 launch at Mumbai’s BKC Apple Store turned chaotic as eager buyers clashed over line-cutting, leading to arguments and scuffles. Security and police intervened to restore order. Similar excitement was reported in Delhi and Bengaluru. Despite the mayhem, demand for the iPhone 17 remains extremely high, underscoring India’s growing Apple craze and the need for better crowd management at major tech launches.

Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced new online gaming regulations, effective Oct 1, banning real money gaming (RMG), related ads, and financial transactions. Penalties up to ₹3 Cr apply. India’s $4.3B RMG sector, backed by $3B investments, faces disruption. Dream11 pivots to Dream Money, while others explore new models. Firms like Gameskraft, Games24x7, MPL, Zupee, and Pokerbaazi have cut jobs amid restructuring.

Equilibrium, a 2024-founded climate tech startup, raised $3M seed funding from Kalaari Capital, Peak XV Partners, and Avaana Capital, plus $2M blended finance. Led by Siddhanth Jayaram and Sricharann Seshadri, it drives carbon removal via agroforestry and mangrove projects across 120,000 hectares in nine states, involving 150,000 farmers. The firm targets 20M tonnes carbon removal, expanding amid India’s $1T climate tech market opportunity by 2030.

Meta Connect 2025 saw glitches as Ray-Ban Display glasses ($799) and a neural wristband faltered during demos with Jack Mancuso and Andrew Bosworth. The AI assistant skipped steps in a cooking demo, and gesture-based video calls failed, forcing Bosworth onstage. Videos went viral, though Mark Zuckerberg stayed composed. Analyst Gene Munster praised the risk of live demos. Meta calls the 600×600 display glasses with muscle-movement detection a wearable AI breakthrough.

Gameskraft has laid off 120 employees after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act, 2025 banned real-money gaming, forcing operational halts. CEO Prithvi Singh promised support with health benefits till March 2026. This comes amid Pocket52’s suspension, a ₹21,000 Cr GST demand, and allegations of ₹250 Cr embezzlement by ex-CFO Ramesh Prabhu. Platforms like RummyCulture, LudoCulture, Games24x7, and MPL are also hit, pivoting to new models.

TCS and Qualcomm have launched the TCS Innovation Lab in Bengaluru, focusing on Software Defined Everything (SDx) and Edge AI. Part of the Bringing Life to Things Network, it will develop real-time AI solutions for healthcare, manufacturing, smart infrastructure, and medical devices. Leveraging Qualcomm’s platforms, TCS aims to build agile, future-ready systems, reinforcing both firms’ vision of AI-driven innovation and a connected future.

Bharat Supply has named N. Balakrishna as CFO to drive financial strategy and expansion. Formerly Snowman Logistics’ CFO, he brings 14 years of cross-sector experience. Formed from the merger of Connect India and Faarms’ logistics arm, Bharat Supply aims to reach 300+ districts by 2025. Backed by Aavishkaar Capital and Conny & Co., it currently serves 200,000+ villages, supporting e-commerce, agriculture, and consumer durable brands.

LTIMindtree and Shopify have launched an AI-powered Center of Excellence (CoE) for Digital Commerce to help enterprises scale and modernize retail. The CoE will build AI capabilities, develop accelerators, provide migration toolkits, and design learning programs. LTIMindtree Interactive will drive transformation, while leaders Dr. Sujay Sen and Rhys Furner stress the partnership’s role in faster launches and smarter scaling, positioning brands to thrive in an AI-first world.

The Technology Development Board (DST) is backing Raptee Energy’s 240-Volt electric motorcycle platform, India’s first of its kind. The innovation adapts high-voltage car tech for two-wheelers, enabling faster charging and higher efficiency. Featuring an ARAI-certified battery, smart connectivity, and sustainable manufacturing, it aligns with Aatmanirbhar Bharat and SDGs. Leaders from TDB and Raptee stress its role in domestic innovation and India’s EV transition.

Rolls-Royce has opened its largest Global Capability and Innovation Centre in Bengaluru, a 700-seat facility reinforcing the city’s rise as a hub for aerospace, defense, and advanced engineering. With over 2,000 engineers already in India, the move boosts R&D career opportunities for young talent and strengthens Bengaluru’s position as a global aerospace and innovation capital.

Groq, founded by ex-Alphabet engineer Jonathan Ross, raised $750M at a $6.9B valuation led by Disruptive with BlackRock backing. The startup focuses on AI inference chips for faster, cheaper deployments, diverging from training-centric hardware. Groq also secured a $1.5B Saudi commitment, projecting $500M revenue in 2025, strengthening its role in building U.S. infrastructure for high-speed AI.

PhonePe, Paytm, and CRED have halted credit card rental payments after the RBI’s new payment aggregator (PA) guidelines. The rules require PAs to process funds only for merchants with direct contracts, barring marketplace-style models without KYC. This impacts users and fintech revenues from convenience fees. Executives foresee onboarding hurdles. The RBI, after flagging P2P credit card payments, now mandates PA categorization and a ₹15 Cr minimum net worth.

Supply6, a D2C nutrition brand, has raised $1.1M seed funding led by Zeropearl VC, with investors like Kunal Shah, Ashutosh Valani, Priyank Shah & Yogesh Kabra. Founded by Vaibhav Bhandari & Rahul Jacob, the funds will support product expansion, clinical studies & new markets. Its flagship Supply6 360 delivers 63+ nutrients. Backed by AB de Villiers, the brand has 2 lakh customers, 45% repeat purchases, and wide availability across major e-commerce platforms.

Paytm, in partnership with Suryoday Small Finance Bank and powered by NPCI, has launched Paytm Postpaid as a Credit Line on UPI, allowing users to “Spend Now, Pay Next Month.” The service enables instant short-term credit for QR scans and online transactions with up to 30 days to repay. Available via the Paytm app, it offers spend categorization, privacy controls, and personalized UPI IDs for secure, seamless payments.

PlaySuper, a gaming commerce platform, has raised $1M seed funding led by Chimera, with participation from Audacity VC, IAN Capital Fund, and Dhruv Vohra. Founded by Shouradeep Chakraborty, Upamanyu Chatterjee, and Abhir Das, the startup will use funds to enhance product development and expand in India and Southeast Asia. Its rewards-as-a-service SDK integrates branded rewards into games, driving retention and monetization, with monthly GMV exceeding $350,000.