Wednesday was a busy day as the government unveiled a 1.27 lakh crore plan for the semiconductor industry, while AI startup Emergent achieved unicorn status. Today's headlines cover the latest developments across various sectors.
News in Transport and Technology
Ather Energy received approval for a preferential funding round from Hero MotoCorp, India-Japan Fund, and their founders. These funds are intended to support production expansion, product development, research, and general corporate needs.
Shunya Labs, based in Gurugram, is developing voice AI infrastructure tailored to Indian speech patterns. This system is designed to handle multilingual, accented, and mixed speech and is planned for deployment in the banking, medical, telecommunications, and automotive sectors.
Financial Achievements of Platforms
The investment platform Groww reported a 94% surge in net profit in the first quarter of FY27. The company attributed this success to its focus on product quality, user experience, and trust, leading to higher user retention rates compared to the industry.
Startup Funding Rounds
AI startup Emergent became a unicorn after raising $130 million in a Series C round. According to Emergent, these funds will be used to hire personnel in the US and India, accelerate product development, and expand market entry efforts.
E3 Electric.Ai raised 100 crore rupees in a Series A round led by BluVenture. The startup stated that the new capital will help accelerate product innovation, strengthen R&D efforts, and increase market presence in India before the commercial launch of its first E3 TRION scooter.
Biofuel and Fresh Produce
BiofuelCircle, a digital biomass and biofuel platform, secured 35 crore rupees in bridge financing from existing investors, including Spectrum Impact, with participation from Better Capital and Karma Capital. The funds will strengthen working capital and support the next stage of company growth by expanding the biomass supply chain in India.
Founded in 2020, BiofuelCircle connects farmers, biomass aggregators, transporters, and industrial consumers through a technology platform that facilitates price discovery, logistics, quality control, and trade. The company noted that the funding will also supplement working capital injections to deepen the biomass aggregation network and support India's transition to clean energy by improving biomass availability for industries using cleaner fuels.
Seed Funding and Retail
Anmasa, a startup specializing in hyperlocal fresh produce, raised 30 crore rupees in a seed round led by Fireside Ventures with participation from Blume Ventures, existing investors, and high-net-worth individuals. The funds will be directed towards entering new cities, establishing additional production centers, strengthening the technological base, hiring skilled professionals, and enhancing product personalization.
Anmasa operates through neighborhood micro-production stores that prepare flour, cold-pressed oil, and freshly ground spices only after receiving an order, promising delivery within 90 minutes. The company emphasized that its stores serve as production units, experience centers, and order fulfillment nodes, allowing customers to receive fresh products while preserving nutrients, taste, and quality.
The maternal and baby care brand Promom received 30 crore rupees from Fireside Ventures to expand its product range and strengthen its position in the Indian mother and baby goods market. The company plans to use the investment to launch new products and improve accessibility for mothers across the country.
Promom aims to bridge the gap between expensive international brands and inconsistent local alternatives by offering affordable, high-quality goods co-developed with mothers, doctors, and lactation consultants. The brand added that continuous customer feedback collection has helped refine offerings and gain the trust of parents seeking reliable products at different stages of motherhood and infant care.
AI and Accounting
The Surat-based startup Hisabkitab raised seed funding from angel investors and high-net-worth individuals to enhance its AI-powered accounting platform designed for small and medium-sized businesses. The company plans to invest in expanding its intelligent AI capabilities, acquiring clients, building a network of accountant partners, and hiring staff in product and business functions.
Launched in January 2025, Hisabkitab has transformed from a bootstrapped venture into a service serving over 2,700 paying SMEs and startups, with more than 30,000 registrations. The company stated that its monthly revenue has increased nearly sixfold over the past year, reflecting the growing adoption of its cloud accounting platform.
US Operations Expansion
The AI-powered care coordination platform Circle Health attracted funding from Enzia Ventures, Momentum Capital, and other investors to expand its operations in the US elder care market.
The company plans to use the funds to strengthen its sales team in the US, increase clinical staff, and accelerate the development of its proprietary AI platform. Founded in 2022, Circle Health integrates AI-driven workflow automation, clinical staff, and a customizable technology platform to improve patient care coordination. Its platform automates clinical documentation, care gap analysis, and patient monitoring while supporting billing compliance and quality assurance, helping healthcare providers improve operational efficiency and patient outcomes.
Other Industry News
Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL) launched its next-generation HP Navya composite LPG cylinder and partnered with Instamart to provide home delivery through the quick retail platform.
The 10 kg light cylinder is designed for modern households and features a translucent body, allowing users to easily monitor gas levels. HPCL stated that this corrosion-resistant cylinder is intended for apartments, small families, students, and working professionals needing convenient secondary LPG connections. The partnership combines HPCL's LPG distribution network with the Instamart delivery platform, enabling consumers to order cylinders online while improving accessibility, convenience, and safety as demand for faster and seamless household services grows.
Nasscom welcomed the introduction of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and social security pact between India and the UK, calling it a significant step toward expanding bilateral trade, digital innovation, and investment. The industry body also approved the signing of the Double Taxation Convention (DCC), which allows Indian professionals temporarily in the UK to continue contributing to the Indian social security system for five years instead of paying into the UK system. Nasscom noted that this move will enhance the global competitiveness of Indian tech professionals. It also highlighted the role of the Nasscom Forum in the UK, launched in 2025, in strengthening cooperation in digital trade, cybersecurity, and innovation between the two countries.
Zoho released Zoho Classes 2.0, an AI-powered learning management system developed in India for educational institutions worldwide. The platform debuts in India before being globally expanded with regional considerations. Zoho announced that it will provide the platform free of charge to government schools, colleges, and universities in India, as well as teachers with up to 100 students. Supporting all 22 approved Indian languages, the platform integrates teaching, assessment, student engagement, and administration into a single AI-powered system. Private institutions can access the platform via subscription.
Swiggy and FITPASS have joined forces to promote a healthy lifestyle by linking food choices with fitness rewards. Through this collaboration, users who consistently choose healthier food via the Swiggy EatRight initiative and successfully complete the 'EatRight Streaks Challenge' gain access to FITPASS 360—an integrated membership program covering fitness, nutrition, and overall wellness. Swiggy noted that the partnership is based on growing consumer demand for healthy food, with over five million monthly EatRight users on its platform. The company also pointed to the rising demand for protein-rich meals and healthier breakfast options, reflecting changing dietary habits among Indian consumers.
Venture Catalysts fully exited TruNativ, achieving a return of over 12 times. The venture fund reported that its 2021 investment yielded a 12.73x return with an Internal Rate of Return (IRR) of about 67%, while the subsequent 2024 investment returned 1.34x with an IRR of about 18%. Venture Catalysts first invested in TruNativ in June 2021 and completed the exit in June 2026. The fund stated that this investment reflects its confidence in India's growing health and wellness market, driven by increasing consumer demand for preventive medicine, clean-label nutrition, and scientifically backed health products.
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) opened an AI Engineering Lab in Bengaluru in collaboration with NVIDIA to accelerate the adoption of industrial AI. This facility will serve as a physical AI hub for developing and testing AI-based solutions in mobility and manufacturing using NVIDIA infrastructure. TCS stated that the lab will help enterprises transition from pilot projects to large-scale implementation, enabling rapid prototyping and simulation before real-world deployment. This initiative will also support enterprises with software-defined and autonomous functions by integrating artificial intelligence into engineering, manufacturing, and operational processes through TCS's capabilities in industrial autonomy and engineering.
Cybersecurity and Design
ESDS Software Solution Ltd launched two enterprise cybersecurity platforms: Swaraj Nandi, a Privileged Access Management (PAM) solution, and Swaraj Hansa, an AI-based SIEM platform. Both platforms are developed entirely in India and aim to strengthen corporate cybersecurity through privileged access management, threat monitoring, and automated response. ESDS stated that these launches complement the existing Swaraj portfolio, including Swaraj AIOPS, Swaraj Garuda, and Swaraj Jatayoo, reinforcing the focus on building indigenous digital infrastructure. The company noted that the solutions are designed to reduce dependence on imported technologies and help Indian enterprises enhance cyber resilience with locally developed, enterprise-ready platforms.
Canva announced the global rollout of Canva Code 2.0, expanding its AI coding capabilities so users can create interactive applications, websites, and digital experiences using simple text prompts. The latest version allows users to start projects via prompts, templates, or HTML, offering integrated tools for editing, collaboration, and publishing on a single platform. Canva stated that the update aims to make software creation more accessible to non-technical users, similar to how its design platform simplified graphic design.
