The IPO season continues in the sphere of initial public offerings. Zetwerk Manufacturing Business Limited has received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India for its proposed initial public offering. This marks an important regulatory milestone on the company's path to a stock market debut.
The proposed IPO will include both a new equity issuance and a sale offer from existing shareholders. However, the final size of the offering and the valuation will be determined during the book-building process.
Concerns have arisen in Europe regarding how uncontrolled content viewing consumes users' time. The European Union accused Meta of violating the social media law because the company designed Facebook and Instagram in a way that retains users. Consequently, a demand was made to disable 'key addictive features,' such as infinite scrolling.
Meta now has an opportunity to respond and defend itself before the commission issues a final decision. According to a PTI report, this decision could result in a fine of up to 6% of the company's annual global revenue.
Meanwhile, the Indian government announced that it has received WhatsApp's response to the notification regarding the 'username' feature and is currently reviewing it, according to PTI sources. This step followed a notification sent to the messaging app owned by Meta last Wednesday. The center questioned the proposed WhatsApp username feature, expressing concerns about online fraud, phishing, and digital arrest schemes.
In another area, Fiji Simo, Chief Applications Officer at OpenAI, announced her full departure from the large artificial intelligence company to prioritize her personal health.
Techsparks 2026, the flagship technology summit from YourStory, is coming soon. YourStory invites startups to apply for Tech30 2026. This year's theme is 'The New Technological Order,' reflecting the transition of the Indian deep tech sector from early promises to real global impact.
Every year, Tech30 selects 30 early-stage startups creating breakthrough technologies in India. The 2026 cohort will be presented at TechSparks 2026 from October 13 to 15.
Among the Tech30 alumni are companies such as Freshworks, Chargebee, Juspay, Innovaccer, Capillary, Skyroot, Pixxel, Qure.ai, Addverb, Hasura, Digantara, Apna, Onsurity, and DeepSource. Collectively, previous Tech30 cohorts have contributed to two IPOs, the emergence of five unicorns, nine 'soon-to-be-unicorns,' and 45 'mini-unicorns.' These companies have created over 35,000 jobs, developing businesses in 53 locations.
Nearly two-thirds of all Tech30 alumni (64.3%) continue to actively work on projects, indicating the program's ability to identify companies with long-term potential.
For many years, online retail portals relied heavily on significant discounts during festive sales. However, a new report suggests that initial planning, real-time inventory visibility, and expedited delivery are as important as the discounts themselves.
The 'Festive Readiness Report 2026,' released by Fynd, an AI-based retail technology company, is based on data from March 2025 to June 2026, collected from platforms Amazon, Flipkart, Myntra, AJIO, Nykaa, and JioMart.
According to the report, the peak festive demand in 2025 occurred eight days before Diwali, while direct consumer orders increased by 16% before Navratri compared to the previous year. The average discount level decreased from 44% in 2024 to 34% in 2025, suggesting that consumers continued to spend despite smaller markdowns. More than half of festive sales were for items valued under 2000 rupees, highlighting the importance of value-oriented pricing rather than just mass discounts.
During a challenging period, Europe's largest automaker, Volkswagen, plans to streamline its model lineup and further reduce production capacity, although it has not yet announced staff reductions. Additionally, the US stock market debut of South Korean semiconductor company SK Hynix on Friday, following a $26.5 billion share sale, will be a key test of investor confidence in the sustainability of the AI boom. This comes amid chip stocks losing momentum in recent weeks due to investor concerns about AI adoption.
Applications for Tech30 2026, YourStory's flagship program that highlights the most promising early-stage startups in India, have officially opened. Every year, Tech30 selects thirty early-stage startups developing breakthrough technologies in India.
The 2026 cohort will be featured at TechSparks 2026—YourStory's premier technology summit, which will take place in Bengaluru from October 13 to 15. This year's theme is 'The New Technological Order,' reflecting the transition of India's deep tech sector from initial potential to real global impact. Tech30 continues to serve as a key platform for identifying the founders driving this transition.
Over many years, Tech30 has established itself as one of the most closely tracked startup lists in India. Its alumni include companies such as Freshworks, Chargebee, Juspay, Innovaccer, Capillary, Skyroot, Pixxel, Qure.ai, Addverb, Hasura, Digantara, Apna, Onsurity, and DeepSource. Collectively, previous Tech30 cohorts have contributed to the creation of two IPO companies, five unicorns, nine 'superunicorns,' and 45 'minicorns.' These companies have created over 35,000 jobs across 53 different locations.
Even more telling is the longevity of these companies: nearly two-thirds of all Tech30 alumni (64.3%) remain actively operating, demonstrating the program's ability to identify companies with long-term potential.
The thirty startups selected for Tech30 2026 will receive a dedicated exhibition booth at TechSparks 2026. This will allow them to showcase their products to investors, corporations, founders, operators, and the wider startup community over the three days of the event. Furthermore, inclusion in the list means the startups will be alongside a cohort that consistently identifies companies long before they become widely known.
Tech30 2026 seeks early-stage startups in deep technology that solve complex and defensible problems. The program is open to startups operating in various sectors, including space and defense, drones and unmanned systems, robotics and autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and next-generation communications.
This year, the program places increased emphasis on startups operating outside major urban centers in India. Founders from Tier 2 cities and emerging startup hubs are strongly encouraged to apply, reflecting the growing depth of innovation across the country.
Applications undergo a two-stage evaluation process. Startups are assessed based on the strength and defensibility of their technology, the significance of the problem they solve, the capabilities of the founding team, product maturity, market opportunities, scalability, and overall business viability. The goal of the process is simple: to find 30 startups with the potential to shape the next phase of India's deep tech ecosystem.
Applications for Tech30 2026 are open and close on August 24. Founders can submit their applications through the Tech30 2026 registration form. For those building a deep tech startup in India, this is a chance to become part of one of the country's most sought-after early-stage startup cohorts.
