Fast-fashion brand OUTZIDR bags $3M in Pre-Series A funding

Fast-fashion brand OUTZIDR has raised INR 27 Cr ($3M) in Pre-Series A funding led by RTP Global and Stellaris Venture Partners. Founded by Nirmal Jain, Mani Kant Mani, and Justin Mario, the brand plans to launch its first offline store by March 2026 and grow its team. With 100K customers and 8,000 styles in just five months, OUTZIDR is targeting Gen Z consumers and competing with peers like NEWME and KNOT. The funding marks a vote of confidence amid a 30–40% surge in the fast fashion market in 2024.

“India Will Never Compromise”: PM Modi’s Strong Message on Power Broker Trump’s Tariffs

In a veiled response to Trump’s tariff hike, PM Modi reaffirmed India’s commitment to farmers at the MS Swaminathan Conference, stating, “India will never compromise on the interests of farmers, fishermen, and dairy farmers.” Aware of the cost, he added, “We are ready for it.” This follows the US doubling tariffs to 50% over Russian oil. India called the move “unfair” and vowed to protect its energy security.

Power Broker Trump doubles India tariffs to 50% over Russian oil purchase

US President Donald Trump has doubled tariffs on India to 50%, citing its continued purchase of Russian oil. The move adds a 25% duty to existing tariffs and was labeled “unfair, unjustified and unreasonable” by India. Trump told CNBC, “India has not been a good trading partner,” pointing to trade imbalances. The decision marks a shift in US-India trade ties, raising concerns over economic fallout.

Amazon India and FIEO have signed an MoU to boost e-commerce exports for Indian MSMEs.

Amazon India and FIEO have signed an MoU to accelerate e-commerce exports for Indian MSMEs. A joint task force will focus on policy and infrastructure, alongside nationwide workshops to support sellers, especially in handicrafts and home textiles. Srinidhi Kalvapudi emphasized alignment with Amazon’s $80B export goal by 2030. The initiative aims to equip MSMEs with tools to expand globally and drive economic growth.

Digital lending startup Zype raises INR 90 crore funding

Digital lending startup Zype has raised ₹90 Cr ($10.2M) in a round led by Unleash Capital Partners, with Xponentia Capital participating. Since 2022, it has raised ₹236 Cr in equity. An NBFC since 2023, Zype offers personal loans to young professionals, competing with Fibe and Kreditbee. It has disbursed ₹1,300 Cr in loans, with ₹400 Cr AUM, achieved ₹150 Cr ARR in FY25, and expects net profits from FY26.

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited launches Kotak Nifty Alpha 50 Index Fund

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management has launched the Kotak Nifty Alpha 50 Index Fund, an open-ended scheme tracking the Nifty Alpha 50 Index. Open for subscription from July 28 to August 11, 2025, it selects 50 high-alpha stocks from the top 300 companies, weighted by alpha values. Nilesh Shah and Devender Singhal emphasize its rule-based, quantitative approach to drive long-term capital growth.

HYLENR Closes Pre-Series A Funding to Commercialise Low-Energy Nuclear Reaction Systems

HYLENR has raised $3M in Pre-Series A funding led by Valour Capital and Chhattisgarh Investments, with investors Karthik Sundar Iyer and Anant Sarda participating. The company aims to commercialize its LENR technology for carbon-free energy, moving from pilot projects to market launch. CEO Ram Ramaseshan emphasized its focus on the US, Europe, India, and Japan. HYLENR plans a $25M round to scale R&D and global partnerships.

Gladful secures INR 8 Cr funding to boost its protein-rich kids’ nutrition line

Gladful, a kids’ nutrition brand founded in 2022 by Parul and Manu Sharma, has raised ₹8 Cr in funding led by Eternal Capital’s Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, with Antler India and Venture Catalysts participating. Known for protein-rich, clean-label foods like chilla and dosa mixes, Gladful is entering the ₹12,000 Cr milk mix market with NutraMilk. The funds will fuel R&D, team expansion, and growth across tier I and II cities.

Jeh Aerospace raises $11M in Series A funding

Jeh Aerospace has raised $11M in Series A funding led by Elevation Capital, with General Catalyst participating, following a $2.75M seed round. Founded in 2022 by Vishal R. Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla, the company focuses on high-precision aerospace and defense manufacturing using software-defined technology. Operating in the US and India, Jeh employs a friend-shoring strategy to scale operations and strengthen its role in the global aerospace supply chain.

SuperGaming, the Pune-based gaming powerhouse, has secured $15 million in a funding at $100 million valuation

SuperGaming has raised $15M in funding led by Skycatcher and Steadview Capital, valuing the company at $100M. The funds will support the global launch of its battle royale game, Indus, starting in Latin America with Loud GG, and strengthen its development infrastructure. Backers include a16z’s Speedrun, Bandai Namco’s 021 Fund, and Polygon Ventures. SuperGaming will also expand SuperPlatform and integrate Web3 via B3 GameChain.

The Sleep Company raises INR 480 Cr in Series D funding

The Sleep Company has raised ₹480 Cr ($54.6M) in Series D funding from ChrysCapital and 360 ONE Asset to boost manufacturing, retail, and R&D. Founded in 2019 by Harshil and Priyanka, the D2C brand offers mattresses, recliner beds, and bedding accessories. With ₹700 Cr+ revenue and 60% YoY growth in FY25, 70% comes from offline retail. Investors include Fireside Ventures and Varun Alagh, with Avendus Capital advising.

DPDZero, a debt collection startup, secures $7 million in Series A funding

Bengaluru-based DPDZero has raised $7M in Series A funding led by GMO Venture Partners, with India Quotient, Sinarmas Group, SMBC Asia Rising Fund, and Blume Ventures participating. Founded in 2022 by Ananth Shroff and Ranjith Ramachandra, the AI-driven debt collection startup serves clients like Tata Capital and L&T Finance. With 6X revenue growth, it has recovered ₹150 Cr from 3.5M+ borrowers, targeting the $1T lending tech market by 2030.

Fraganote, an Indian luxury perfume secures $1M to expand its luxury fragrance brand

Fraganote, a luxury perfume brand co-founded by Arjun Anand and Garima Kakkar, has raised $1M in pre-Series A funding led by Rukam Capital. The funds will support expanding its fragrance portfolio, launching new scent formats, and piloting offline retail. Known for artisanal, narrative-led perfumes with high perfume oil concentrations, Fraganote aims to build an iconic Indian perfume house amid a market projected to hit $873.3M by FY2032.

GameRamp raises $5.4M in pre-seed funding

GameRamp, co-founded by Vivek Ramachandran and Sashank Vandrangi, has raised $5.4M in pre-seed funding led by BITKRAFT Ventures to scale its AI-native publishing platform for mobile games. The funds will grow engineering and AI teams in the US and India and launch Sentinel for AI-driven in-game economies and Grow for one-click financing. GameRamp’s automation aims to increase developer revenue by 40–60%.

Game Development Studio Shortgun has raised $1 million in seed funding

Shortgun Games, founded by Jeet Chandan and Vidhit Mehta (of Rogue Heist fame), has raised $1M in seed funding to develop India’s first genre-blending TPS for PC and consoles. Based in India, the studio will expand its team and focus on interactive storytelling, cinematic action, and high production quality. India’s gaming market, valued at $5.21B in 2024, is projected to reach $22.53B by 2034.

EON Space Labs secures $1.2M funding to scale its AI-powered imaging tec

Hyderabad-based deeptech startup EON Space Labs has raised $1.2M in pre-Series A funding led by MGF Kavachh. Founded in 2022 by Sanjay Kumar, Punit Badeka, and Manoj Kumar Gaddam, the IIT Madras-incubated firm builds AI-driven Earth Observation imaging payloads. Its miniaturized EO/IR systems, including the MIRA telescope and LUMIRA platform, are compact and lightweight. The funding will support manufacturing, team expansion, and new LUMIRA variants.

Terafac, an AI-robotics startup has raised Rs 6.5 crore in a pre-seed funding

Chandigarh-based AI-robotics startup Terafac has raised ₹6.5 Cr ($800K) in a pre-seed round led by Inuka Capital, with backing from DEVC and Bharat Founders Fund. Founded by Anubhi Khandelwal and Amrit Singh, Terafac’s AI-Vision platform transforms industrial robots into intelligent machines. Its first product, WeldT, automates welding using computer vision. Terafac targets 80 deployments, 20 customers, and ₹8 Cr ARR by FY26.

BSE SME platform crosses milestone of 600 listings

The BSE SME platform has crossed 600 listings, raising ₹10,652 Cr with a market cap of ₹1,84,574 Cr. Since January 2023, average IPO size rose to ₹32 Cr, with ₹6,109 Cr raised. Nearly one-third of SMEs have shifted to the mainboard, showcasing India’s economic potential. An AI tool for IPO document validation was introduced, reinforcing support for MSMEs in driving Viksit Bharat 2047.

TurboHire secures $6M in Series A funding to fuel global expansion & AI-powered recruitment solutions

TurboHire, an AI-driven HR tech startup, has raised $6M in Series A funding led by IvyCap Ventures to boost global expansion and product innovation. Founded in 2019 by Deepak Agrawal, Rakesh Nayak, and Gaurav Kumar, TurboHire leverages agentic AI to automate recruitment. Serving clients like Cipla, Tata Motors, and PwC, the company competes in India’s $2.3B HR tech market against players like DarwinBox and Keka.

JioBlackRock AMC launches NFO for five Index Funds; expands portfolio of tailored investment options for Indian investors

JioBlackRock Asset Management, a JV between JFSL and BlackRock, has launched its first five Index Funds via NFO from August 5-12, 2025. Aimed at democratizing investments, the funds include NIFTY 50, NIFTY NEXT 50, MIDCAP 150, SMALLCAP 250, and 8-13 YR G-SEC INDEX. CEO Sid Swaminathan emphasized a digital-first approach. Available on JioFinance, Groww, Zerodha, and more, they cater to both new and seasoned investors.

SC stays Madras HC order in Testbook vs. Google Play Store billing dispute

The Supreme Court has stayed a Madras High Court order, allowing Testbook’s challenge to Google’s Play Store payment policies. Justices JB Pardiwala and R Mahadevan issued the stay. Testbook, managing 700+ exam prep apps, disputes Google’s 15%-30% fees. Google argues the CCI has exclusive jurisdiction, while the RBI regulates payment systems. Senior Counsel Harish Salve highlighted conflicting rulings, with Google warning of fragmented outcomes.

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge considers TCS’s recent layoffs a business decision needing no intervention

Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge called TCS’s 12,000-job layoffs a business decision, requiring no intervention, despite Labour Minister Santosh Lad’s inquiry. He stressed AI upskilling, linking government action to such incentives. KITU protested, alleging Industrial Disputes Act violations. Kharge’s stance aligns with TCS CEO K. Krithivasan, who cited “skill mismatch.” Nasscom expects further “workforce rationalisation.” The complaint was filed with Additional Labour Commissioner G. Manjunath.

SatSure and KALRO Partner to Leverage Satellite Data for Agricultural Transformation in Kenya

SatSure Analytics has partnered with KALRO to transform Kenyan agriculture using Earth Observation data. By integrating SatSure’s AI with KALRO’s research, the collaboration will enable data-driven crop monitoring, yield forecasting, and climate resilience. The MoU supports pilot projects and digital tools to aid farmers. Dhruva Rajan and Salim Kinyimu emphasized its role in enhancing food security and empowering stakeholders with timely, actionable insights.

VinFast is in talks to boost local sourcing in India as its first Indian plant opens

VinFast is in talks to boost local sourcing in India as it opens its first plant in Thoothukudi. CEO Pham Sanh Chau confirmed discussions with component makers, some considering shifting production to India. Backed by a $2B deal with Tamil Nadu, the plant targets 1.5 lakh vehicles annually and export orders from Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Mauritius. VinFast plans Indian showroom launches and aims for 2 lakh global deliveries in 2025.

Mitigata raises $5.9M Series A for AI-led cyber resilience, global growth

Bengaluru-based Mitigata has raised $5.9M in Series A funding led by Nexus Venture Partners, with Titan Capital and WEH Ventures participating. The funds will enhance its AI-driven cyber resilience platform and expand services. Serving 500+ enterprises across 25 sectors, Mitigata is India’s first IRDAI-regulated cyber insurance broker. Nexus is also raising $700M for its eighth fund.

Noida-based ILine.ai raises $500K to expand EV delivery network

Noida-based ILine.ai Solutions has raised $500K in angel funding from climate-tech and mobility investors to expand into 12 Tier-II cities by December 2025. Launched in April 2025, the company runs a dual-app marketplace for low-emission EV-based last-mile deliveries. The funds will boost its driver marketplace and AI dispatch engine, targeting 30,000 daily orders by Q4 2026 and net-zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2028.

Social gaming platform STAN raises $8.5M in Series A funding

STAN secured $8.5M in Series A funding from Bandai Namco, Square Enix, Reazon Holdings, Google’s AI Futures Fund, and Aptos Labs, plus existing investors. The funds will fuel expansion in India and other mobile-dominant markets, enhance AI personalization, and introduce publisher integrations. Founded in 2022 by Parth Chadha, Rahul Singh, and Nauman Mulla, STAN offers live audio, creator clubs, and real-time monetization tools for gaming communities. With 25M+ downloads, it focuses on India’s tier 2/3 markets. “We have built STAN with India at the core,” says CEO Parth Chadha. A key competitor is Discord.

Bhindi.io, an Agentic AI platform raises $4M in pre-seed funding

Bhindi.io, founded by Sowmay Jain, has secured $4 million in pre-seed funding led by Cyber Fund to advance its agentic AI platform. Bhindi aims to simplify AI interaction by providing a unified interface to over 300 AI agents, eliminating the need for multiple apps. Users can track CoinDCX portfolios, receive AI-powered Gmail alerts, and automate GitHub code reviews. The platform has recorded over 333,000 messages across 21,913 conversations and facilitated 52,330 agent executions. Bhindi seeks to reduce micromanagement and enhance productivity with its 24/7 background agents.