Kuku FM raised $85M in Series C funding led by Granite Asia, with Vertex Growth Fund and Krafton participating. Founded in 2018, the platform offers audio content in 14 languages and has 10M+ subscribers. Funds will enhance premium content, celebrity integration, and GenAI-powered creation. FY24 revenue rose 114% to ₹88 Cr as Kuku FM eyes India’s booming $119B audio OTT market.

Meta has introduced India-specific AI features for its Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, including UPI Lite payments, full Hindi support, and a Bollywood-Actress Deepika Padukone AI voice. Users can pay under ₹1,000 via WhatsApp-linked accounts by saying, “Hey Meta, scan and pay.” A Diwali photo restyling tool adds festive effects on command. Updates are available via the Meta AI app.

Dashamlabs, a Delhi-based materials science startup, raised ₹12 crore in seed funding led by Speciale Invest and IIMA Ventures. Founded in 2024 by Ankit Jhanwar, Apoorv Balwani, and Devakar Dhingra, the company develops high-performance silica aerogel insulation for oil & gas, EVs, defense, and construction. Funds will scale R&D and production of lightweight, fire-resistant materials.

FireAI, an AI-driven business intelligence startup, raised ₹4 crore in seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures. Founded by Vipul Prakash, it integrates 700+ data sources and powers clients like GeM. Funds will advance its Causal Chain analytics and Text-to-SQL tools. Expanding to Dubai, Africa, and Kenya, FireAI aims to boost forecasting accuracy by 30%.

Graph AI secured $3M seed funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners for its AI-driven pharmacovigilance platform, Graph Safety. Founded by Raghav Parvataraju, Vijay Ponukumati, Mohan Konyala, and Ashutosh Bordekar, it automates adverse drug event monitoring and regulatory submissions. Targeting the $8B pharmacovigilance market, Graph AI achieves 70% efficiency gains and 90% faster reporting. The investment reflects growing AI adoption in healthtech, demonstrating investor confidence in AI’s healthcare transformation potential.

Apple’s new 14-inch MacBook Pro with M5 chip offers 3.5x faster AI processing and 1.6x faster graphics. It features a 10-core GPU with Neural Accelerators, enhanced CPU, and 24-hour battery life. macOS Tahoe enables Apple Intelligence for real-time translation and on-device AI tasks. Premium features include Liquid Retina XDR display, six-speaker system, and 12MP camera. Priced at $1,599 with 45% recycled materials, it’s ideal for creators and professionals.

Coinbase increased investment in Indian crypto exchange CoinDCX, valuing it at $2.45 billion. This funding will drive expansion in India and the Middle East. CoinDCX acquired BitOasis and targets 30% Middle East revenue by 2026, reducing India regulatory dependency. Coinbase’s investment signals confidence in India’s crypto market ahead of its relaunch. The funding strengthens CoinDCX against competitors like WazirX and CoinSwitch, supporting global growth ambitions.

Currently, a real-time social networking app founded by Mitesh Shethwala, raised $1M from Aarvi Family Office LLP to enhance features, upgrade tech, and expand its team and community. Focused on authentic, spontaneous connections via Live Map and Business Check-Ins, it aims to revive social media’s original purpose—real-world interactions free from algorithms.

Airoclip raised $2.75M in seed funding led by T-Accelerate Capital, with Centre Court Capital and BITKRAFT Ventures participating. Founded by Naga Rohith Anisetty and Pruthvi Sai Y, the studio will enhance its AI-driven game personalization and expand teams. Known for puzzle hits Tap Hexa and Hexa Dreams, with 300K+ installs across the US and Europe, Airoclip aims to boost engagement through adaptive storytelling.

Orange Sugar raised ₹4 crore in pre-seed funding from Consumer Collective by Atrium and Ramakant Sharma, with angels like Saurabh Jain participating. Founded in 2022 by Tarun Agrawal, Payal Agarwal, and Bharath Gupta, the brand focuses on 100% cotton kidswear for ages up to 10. The funds will drive new product launches, strengthen distribution, and expand presence across Myntra, FirstCry, and Nykaa Fashion.

Consuma, an AI startup transforming consumer research, raised $1.3M in seed funding led by Equirus InnovateX Fund, with angel investors Abhishek Goyal and Mekin Maheshwari. Founded by Abhilash Madabhushi in 2021, Consuma replaces surveys with AI-driven insights, delivering results in 30 minutes at 1/10th the cost. Partnering with 35+ brands like Godrej and Britannia, it will use the funds to enhance technology and expand globally.

Everbright Health raised $7M in seed funding from W Health Ventures and Sanos Capital to scale its AI platform and expand in the US. The startup supports mental health providers by identifying patients, managing billing, ensuring compliance, and overseeing treatments like TMS and SPRAVATO. Partnering with clinicians, Everbright streamlines workflows using US and India-based teams, already collaborating with 75+ behavioral health providers across seven US markets.

RARA Barefoot raised $500K in pre-seed funding from Zomato, Urban Company, and ChrysCapital to launch barefoot sneakers. Founded by Varun Mimani and Manas Tripathi, the D2C brand promotes natural movement with flat, flexible soles and wide toe boxes. Funds will support national expansion, retail partnerships, local manufacturing, and 2026 offline pop-ups. India’s sneaker market is projected to reach $4.67B by 2030 at a 5.7% CAGR.

Fragaria Fruits, Chennai-based agritech startup, raised $2M from WEH Ventures to scale its berry business. Founded by Harish Varadharajan, Timothy Chad Van Niekerk, and Damian López-Salazar, the company uses vertical farming and CEA to offer premium year-round fruits under ‘Oh! Fruits’, including European strawberries. Funds will expand Bengaluru production and add blueberries and raspberries. India’s agritech market is projected to reach $6.2B by 2033.

Rapido integrated flight, hotel, bus, and train bookings through partnerships with Goibibo, redBus, and ConfirmTkt, targeting 50 million users across 400 cities. The app features a new travel section offering seamless booking and exclusive discounts, merging daily commutes with long-distance travel. Rapido’s expansion targets India’s fast-growing digital travel market, strengthening presence in tier 2 and 3 cities with enhanced convenience and affordability.

Standard Chartered and Bank of India issued a $215M loan to AI Fleet Services (AIFS) in GIFT City to finance six Boeing 777-300ER aircraft for Air India. The deal, led by Standard Chartered as Structuring Bank, marks GIFT City’s rise as an aviation finance hub and supports Air India’s fleet renewal under Chairman Sanjay Sharma’s transformation plan.

NTT DATA signed an MoU with NPCI International to introduce India’s UPI in Japan, marking UPI’s first East Asia launch. The collaboration enables UPI payment acceptance across Japanese merchants, allowing Indian tourists instant, secure mobile transactions. Supporting Japan’s cashless payment push, this expands India’s fintech footprint globally. With nearly 20 billion UPI transactions worth $280 billion in September 2025, both parties will assess integration opportunities across Japan’s merchant network.

India’s Department of Chemicals & Petrochemicals, led by Nivedita Shukla Verma, met Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Industry and Minerals, headed by H.E Eng. Khalil bin Ibrahim bin Salamah, to strengthen ties. Bilateral trade reached USD 41.88 billion in 2024–25, with chemicals and petrochemicals contributing USD 4.5 billion. Discussions covered enhanced cooperation, PCPIR investments, and R&D collaboration, recognizing complementary strengths in petrochemicals and specialty chemicals, reaffirming mutually beneficial strategic and economic partnership.

Matters.AI raised $4.7 million seed funding led by Kalaari Capital and Endiya Partners to scale and enhance R&D. Founded by Keshava Murthy and Harsh Sahu, the AI-native platform uses multimodal LLMs and eBPF to secure cloud data. Its AI copilot aids investigation and remediation, serving Groww and Nokia. Planning North America expansion, Matters.AI competes with Cyera amid India’s Digital Personal Data Protection Act preparations.

SpeakX.ai raised $16 million led by WestBridge Capital, with Goodwater Capital and Elevation Capital participating. Its AI-driven spoken English learning offers personalized conversation simulations. Founder Anshul Mittal pivoted from YellowClass to SpeakX.ai in 2023, focusing on AI and a leaner team, achieving profitability with ₹5 crore monthly revenue and 2 lakh+ subscribers. The shift to Google Gemini API improved performance. Upcoming regional language support aims for mass adoption.

Microsoft faces a class action lawsuit claiming its $13B OpenAI deal restricted competition and inflated AI prices. The suit alleges exclusivity to Azure raised ChatGPT costs up to 200x rivals. Though OpenAI began using Google Cloud in 2025, Microsoft’s influence persists. Plaintiffs seek damages and a court ban on restrictions, amid ongoing FTC antitrust scrutiny of Microsoft’s AI partnerships.

Olee.Space appointed Venkateswara Gowtama Mannava, former BEL Chairman, as Strategic Production Advisor. With 40+ years in defense electronics, he’ll guide development in LIDAR and secure communications under Atmanirbhar Bharat. CEO James Solomon called it a key milestone post their $3M seed round, strengthening Olee.Space’s push for innovation, operational excellence, and technological leadership in defense systems.

Curie Money, founded by Arindam Ghosh and Tushar Choudhary, launched nationwide after securing NPCI approval. The fintech, which raised $1.2M led by India Quotient, is a mutual fund-backed UPI app offering up to 6.7% annual returns via liquid mutual funds. Partnering with YES Bank and ICICI Prudential, Curie enables instant UPI payments through real-time fund redemption.

Airbound raised $8.6M in seed funding led by Lachy Groom and Lightspeed to scale drone manufacturing and reliability. Partnering with Narayana Health, it will run 10 daily medical deliveries. Founded by Naman Pushp and Faraaz Baig, Airbound’s “Rudra” system enables one pilot to manage 100 drones. The company plans to expand beyond medical logistics as India’s drone market nears $13B by 2030.

Two Brothers Organic Farms raised ₹110 Cr ($12.4 Mn) in Series B funding led by 360 ONE Asset with Rainmatter Investments. The funds will expand manufacturing, boost global reach, and train 15,000 farmers. With ₹108 Cr revenue in FY25, the firm targets ₹200 Cr in FY26 and aims to enhance its lab and strengthen presence in the US and MENA regions.

HouseEazy raised ₹150 Cr ($16.9 Mn) in Series B funding led by Accel, with Chiratae Ventures and Antler. Founded in 2021 by Tarun Sainani and Deepak Bhatia, it simplifies pre-owned apartment resales using AI for pricing and instant deal closures. The funds will expand operations in Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru, and enhance its tech stack and brand presence.

Artha India Ventures announced the first close of Artha Venture Fund II at INR 250 crore, targeting INR 500 crore. The fund focuses on seed-stage startups in premium consumption, fintech, AI, and deeptech using a 1-2-4 model, targeting 15-20% ownership. Managing Partner Anirudh A. Damani notes ecosystem ‘reset’ with seed investment scarcity. Founded in 2012 by Ashok Kumar Damani, Artha has invested in 140 startups including OYO and Rapido.

smallest.ai secured $8 million seed funding led by Sierra Ventures for enterprise voice AI. Cofounded by Akshat Mandloi and Sudarshan Kamath, it offers hyper-realistic voice agents and TTS models via Waves and Atoms platforms. Supporting 30+ languages, smallest.ai manages 1 million+ calls for real estate and ecommerce with 5,000+ SMB clients. Targeting the $47 billion voice AI market, it competes with Murf AI and Play AI.

Google announced a $15 billion AI hub in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, its largest Indian investment. The five-year initiative (2026–2030) will establish a gigawatt-scale data center, subsea cable gateway, and clean energy infrastructure. Developed with AdaniConneX and Airtel, the hub accelerates digital transformation, aligning with Viksit Bharat 2047. Leaders including Ashwini Vaishnaw and N. Chandrababu Naidu hailed it as strengthening U.S.–India tech collaboration and India’s AI leadership.

Jio Payments Bank Limited (JPBL) will implement FASTag ANPR-based Multi-Lane Free Flow (MLFF) toll system on Gurugram–Jaipur highway at Shahjahanpur and Manoharpura plazas. Using RFID, ANPR, DSRC, and satellite tech, MLFF enables contactless toll collection, reducing congestion. Part of IHMCL pilot, this reinforces JPBL’s digital payments and highway infrastructure role. Managing 11 toll plazas, JPBL uses Jio Platforms’ tech to enhance operations and highway experiences.