India’s foreign exchange reserves stood at $723.8 billion as of end-January 2026, reinforcing the country’s strong external sector position, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Sanjay Malhotra said during the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) briefing. The elevated reserve levels come at a time of heightened global uncertainty, marked by volatile capital flows, geopolitical tensions, and shifting monetary policy expectations across advanced economies. Strong External Buffer Amid Global Uncertainty Speaking after the policy announcement, Governor Malhotra said India’s robust forex reserves provide a critical buffer against external shocks and enhance the central bank’s ability to manage volatility in the foreign…
Author: Adarsh Kumar
Global amphibious aircraft manufacturer Amphibian Aerospace Industries (AAI) has entered into a strategic collaboration with India-based Apogee Aerospace to establish amphibious aviation as a critical operational and industrial capability in India. The partnership is centred on AAI’s Albatross 2.0 platform, the world’s first FAA- or EASA-certified transport category amphibious aircraft above 19 seats. The aircraft is certified to carry up to 28 passengers and is approved for registered passenger transport operations, positioning it for both civil and strategic use cases. Under the agreement, Apogee Aerospace has been appointed AAI’s exclusive authorised representative for the Indian subcontinent in the restricted category,…
Gurugram-based textile manufacturer Jain Cord Industries has raised ₹200 crore in its first institutional funding round, securing Series A capital from the Lohia Family Office, which operates under Indorama Capital Holdings Pte. Ltd., according to regulatory filings. As part of the transaction, Jain Cord Industries’ board issued 31,79,550 compulsorily convertible preference shares (CCPS) along with 100 equity shares at an issue price of ₹629 per share, taking the total fundraise to ₹200 crore, filings with the Registrar of Companies (RoC) show. the transaction values Jain Cord Industries at approximately ₹829 crore ($94.75 million) on a post-money basis. The company plans…
Private sector lender Federal Bank has received regulatory clearance for a significant equity infusion, after the Reserve Bank of India approved global private equity firm Blackstone to acquire an up to 9.99% stake in the bank. In a regulatory filing on Thursday, Federal Bank said Blackstone will invest ₹6,196.51 crore through its affiliate Asia II Topco XIII Pte Ltd via a preferential issue on a private placement basis. As per an earlier shareholder approval granted in October 2025, the bank plans to issue up to 272.97 million warrants, each convertible into one fully paid-up equity share with a face value…
Online trucking and logistics platform BlackBuck has reported a strong financial performance in the third quarter of the ongoing fiscal year, posting a net profit of ₹32 crore in Q3 FY26 on the back of sharp revenue growth. According to the company’s financial disclosures filed with the National Stock Exchange (NSE), BlackBuck’s revenue from operations rose 51% year-on-year to ₹172 crore in Q3 FY26, compared to ₹114 crore in the same quarter last year. For the nine-month period ended December 2025, the Bengaluru-based company recorded revenue of ₹466.5 crore, marking a 53% increase from ₹305 crore in the corresponding period…
AI-enabled non-destructive testing (NDT) robotics startup Octobotics has raised around ₹10 crore in a seed funding round led by Navam Capital, with participation from BYT Capital. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate product development, strengthen field validation, and support international expansion, the company said. A portion of the funds will also be deployed toward certification processes and scaling operations across India, Singapore, and the Middle East. Founded in 2020 by Ishan Bhatnagar and Gulshan Kumar, Octobotics builds AI-enabled robotics platforms for non-destructive testing and inspection in asset heavy industries. The startup focuses on inspection use cases in hazardous,…
India’s fast evolving fashion quick commerce segment continues to draw investor interest as ZILO has raised $15.3 million (around ₹140 crore) in a Series A funding round. The round was led by Peak XV Partners, which invested $8 million, while existing backers InfoEdge Ventures and Chiratae Ventures participated with $2.5 million each. The funding round also saw participation from Alteria Capital and Stride Ventures, along with a group of angel investors including Groww founder Lalit Keshre, CRED founder Kunal Shah, Sachin Oswal, Ayyappan R, Abhishek Bansal, Sreevathsa Prabhakar, and Preeta Sukhtankar. Founded by former Flipkart and Myntra executives Padmakumar Pal…
India’s organised pet healthcare space continues to gain momentum as Bengaluru-based startup Dr. Doodley has raised $3.3 million (around ₹30 crore) in a pre-Series A funding round. The fundraise includes ₹20 crore in equity and ₹10 crore in debt, with the equity portion led by V3 Ventures. The round also saw participation from Campus Fund and Thackersey Family Office, along with a group of angel investors including Yatin Shah and Karan Bhagat of 360 ONE Wealth, and Gautam Dalmia, managing director of Dalmia Bharat Group. Founded in 2023 by Utsav Bisaria and Yash Jayprakash Ladda, Dr. Doodley operates a hybrid…
Ride-hailing major Uber has elevated Balaji Krishnamurthy as its new Chief Financial Officer, marking a key leadership transition at the global mobility platform. Krishnamurthy will succeed Prashanth Mahendra Rajah, who is stepping down from the role. The transition is expected to take effect later this month. Krishnamurthy has been with Uber since 2018 and has held several senior leadership positions, including Vice President of Corporate Finance and Head of Investor Relations. During his tenure, he played a central role in shaping Uber’s capital allocation strategy, long-term financial planning, and engagement with global institutional investors. He has also been a regular…
Interior design and home decor startup Material Depot has raised $10 million in a funding round co-led by Accel and Stellaris Venture Partners, as the company looks to scale its omnichannel presence and deepen technology capabilities. The round also saw participation from Whiteboard Capital, DeVC, Soma Capital, and MyAsiaVC, along with a group of angel investors including Livspace founder Ramakant Sharma, Ankit Nagori, Shashvat Nakrani, Spinny founder Niraj Singh, Abhishek Goyal, and others. Material Depot had earlier raised over $4 million from Y Combinator and other early-stage backers. Use of Funds According to the company, the fresh capital will be…