India could face the threat of steep secondary sanctions from the United States, including punitive duties of up to 500%, after US President Donald Trump backed a bipartisan bill targeting countries that continue trade with Russia, particularly in oil and energy. American Senator Lindsey Graham said President Trump has “greenlit” the proposed legislation, part of the Sanctioning Russia Act of 2025, and is pushing for a strong bipartisan vote as early as next week. The bill seeks to penalise countries that purchase Russian origin oil, gas, and uranium by sharply raising import duties on their exports to the US. “If…
Author: Adarsh Kumar
Engineering major Larsen & Toubro (L&T) has secured a supply order from the Indian Army’s Corps of Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME) for the overhaul, upgrade, and long term maintenance of the indigenous Pinaka Multi-Rocket Launcher Systems. The programme is aimed at supporting frontline artillery platforms currently deployed with the Army, focusing on modernisation and lifecycle-based maintenance. While the financial value of the order was not disclosed, the scope includes replacement of ageing components, upgrades to key sub-systems, and sustained technical support to ensure long-term operational readiness. Under the arrangement, the 510 Army Base Workshop (ABW) of the Corps of…
SoftBank’s recent moves in India indicate a strategic recalibration rather than a retreat, as the global investor balances exits from mature bets with a renewed focus on artificial intelligence and enterprise technology. Over the past year, SoftBank has executed partial and full exits from several Indian startups through founder buybacks, secondary transactions, and IPO-related stake sales. These include monetisation of holdings in companies such as InMobi, Lenskart, Ola Electric, Delhivery, and FirstCry. According to industry estimates, SoftBank has generated over $7 billion from India exits over the years, largely through public market sell-downs and strategic stake reductions. However, the firm…
Climate-tech firm Ecozen delivered a sharp improvement in financial performance in FY25, with revenue jumping 2.5X year-on-year and profit rising close to ₹100 crore, driven by strong demand for its solar-powered cold chain and irrigation solutions. According to its consolidated financial statements filed with the Registrar of Companies (RoC), Ecozen’s revenue from operations climbed to ₹1,150 crore in FY25 from ₹458 crore in FY24. The Pune-based company builds climate-smart solutions using motor controls, IoT, and energy storage technologies powered by solar energy. Its key products include Ecotron (solar pump controller), Ecofrost (solar cold storage), solar air conditioners, and solar panels.…
Bengaluru-based SaaS company Amagi Media Labs Ltd has filed its red herring prospectus (RHP) and fixed a price band of ₹343 to ₹361 per share for its upcoming initial public offering (IPO). The ₹1,788.62 crore public issue will open for subscription on January 13 and close on January 16, while the anchor book will open on January 12. The IPO has a lot size of 41 shares, translating to a minimum retail investment of nearly ₹14,800 at the upper end of the price band. The offering is a mix of a fresh issue and an offer for sale (OFS). Amagi…
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has provisionally attached immovable assets worth approximately ₹400 crore in connection with its ongoing investigation into alleged fund misappropriation by Jaypee Infratech Limited (JIL), Jayprakash Associates Limited (JAL) and related entities. The attachment forms part of a money laundering probe linked to funds collected from thousands of homebuyers for the Jaypee Wishtown and Jaypee Greens real estate projects. According to the agency, the assets attached represent the current market value and include land parcels and other immovable properties associated with the Jaypee Group. The ED’s action follows allegations that homebuyer funds raised for specific housing projects…
India’s market regulator Sebi has accused a Bank of America (BofA) entity of breaching insider trading regulations and internal information-barrier norms in connection with a $180 million share sale of Aditya Birla Sun Life Asset Management (ABSL AMC) in 2024. According to a regulatory notice, Sebi’s investigation examined the role of BofA’s domestic securities unit in handling the block deal executed in March 2024. The regulator found that the bank’s deal team was in possession of unpublished price-sensitive information while engaging, either directly or indirectly, with potential investors ahead of the public disclosure. Sebi noted that the conduct pointed to…
Premium haircare brand &Done has secured $3 million (around Rs 25 crore) in a Series A funding round led by RTP Global, valuing the company at a post-money valuation of approximately Rs 125 crore. The round also saw participation from All In Capital, Suashish, and angel investors including Kitty Agarwal, along with Titan Capital founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal. The Gurugram-based startup had earlier raised Rs 6 crore in a pre-seed round led by All In Capital in December last year. According to the company, the fresh capital will be deployed to strengthen research and product development, expand its…
AI services firm Aivar has raised $4.6 million in a seed funding round led by Sorin Investments, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, as the company looks to scale its operations across India, the United States and the Middle East. The fresh capital will be used to accelerate Aivar’s global expansion, deepen investments in proprietary AI accelerators, strengthen senior leadership, and build scalable delivery capabilities to serve large enterprise clients, the company said. Founded in 2024 by former Amazon Web Services (AWS) colleagues Kousik Rajendran, Praveen Jayakumar, Ashwin Ram Ravichandran and Aadharsh Ayappan, Aivar positions itself as an AI-first services…
Mumbai-based skincare startup Be Clinical has raised Rs 6 crore in a seed funding round led by V3 Ventures, with participation from Titan Capital, founded by Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, which has increased its exposure to the brand. The funding follows an earlier Rs 2 crore investment in the same round led by Titan Capital, with participation from P-TAL founder Aditya Agarwal. With the latest infusion, Be Clinical is strengthening its capital base to scale research-driven product development. According to the company, the fresh proceeds will be deployed towards expanding in-house research and development capabilities, conducting clinical trials, and…