Khoraj facility to anchor next phase of capacity expansion; land acquisition approved at ₹4,960 crore Maruti Suzuki India on Monday confirmed that its upcoming car manufacturing plant, the company’s fifth in the country, will be located at the Khoraj industrial estate in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar district, marking a key step in its long-term capacity expansion strategy. In a regulatory filing to the BSE, the country’s largest carmaker said the board has approved ₹4,960 crore towards land acquisition, development and preparatory activities for the new facility. The total investment for the plant, along with phased installation of manufacturing capacity, will be finalised…
Author: Aman Atulya
New growth pool for tech and consumer startups Venture growth firm Dharana Capital has raised $250 million for its second India-focused growth fund, according to regulatory filings and media reports. The capital will be deployed to invest in technology and consumer businesses across the Indian startup ecosystem. Building on earlier capital and long-term vision This new vehicle follows Dharana Capital’s first fund of $160 million, raised in 2022. The firm said it intends to support founders in building durable, standalone businesses that can potentially transition to public markets. Dharana typically writes larger growth-stage cheques tailored to individual company needs, and…
Regulatory approval for public listing Capital markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India has cleared the initial public offering (IPO) plans of OnEMI Technology Solutions, the parent company of digital lending platform Kissht, according to regulatory filings. The approval follows the company’s submission of its Draft Red Herring Prospectus (DRHP) last year, as more fintech firms prepare to tap public markets amid improving investor sentiment. IPO structure and size As per the draft papers, the proposed IPO will include a fresh issue of shares worth up to ₹1,000 crore, along with an offer for sale (OFS) of nearly 8.8…
Hyderabad-based finance automation startup Bluecopa has raised $7.5 million in a Series A funding round led by Analog Partners, with existing investors Blume Ventures and Dallas Venture Capital also participating. With this round, Bluecopa’s total funding stands at $11.6 million. The development follows an earlier report by Entrackr in November, which had indicated the company was in advanced talks to close a Series A round. Use of funds and expansion plans The fresh capital will be used to deepen product development around autonomous finance capabilities and to build specialised AI models for finance teams handling large transaction volumes. Bluecopa also…
Policy unveiled at Umagine TN summit Tamil Nadu has launched a dedicated Deep Tech Startup Policy 2025–26, positioning itself as the first Indian state to roll out a framework focused exclusively on science-led, IP-intensive ventures with long research cycles and high technical risk. The policy was unveiled by M K Stalin at the Umagine TN technology summit in Chennai. Aimed at bridging lab-to-market gaps Anchored by the Information Technology and Digital Services Department and implemented through the Tamil Nadu Technology Hub, the policy seeks to address structural challenges faced by deep tech startups in moving from research to commercialisation. The…
Paints maker Akzo Nobel India Ltd on Friday announced the appointment of Parth Jindal as its Chairman with immediate effect, subject to shareholders’ approval. In a regulatory filing, the company said its board of directors approved Jindal’s appointment at a meeting held on Friday. Jindal currently serves as Managing Director of JSW Paints Ltd and JSW Cements Ltd. The leadership change follows JSW Paints’ acquisition of a majority stake in Akzo Nobel India last year through a ₹12,915-crore transaction, after which JSW Paints became the promoter of the company. Alongside Jindal’s appointment, the board approved the re-designation of Rajiv Rajgopal…
Parliamentary panel briefed on VDA risks India’s Income Tax (I-T) Department has raised fresh concerns over the risks posed by virtual digital assets (VDAs) such as cryptocurrencies, aligning its position with earlier warnings from the Reserve Bank of India. According to a Times of India report citing sources, the tax department flagged these issues in a presentation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance. Concerns over anonymity and fund movement Tax officials reportedly cautioned that VDAs could be used to move funds outside the formal financial system, bypassing regulated intermediaries. The anonymous, borderless and near-instant nature of cryptocurrency transactions was…
The Problem with Traditional NetworkingIn today’s hyperconnected world, professional networking has become noisy and exhausting. Endless scrolling, unanswered connection requests, and cold emails have turned what should be meaningful conversations into a tiring process. This is exactly the gap Zspawn aims to address. Swipe-to-Connect: A Smarter Way to Build ConnectionsBuilt proudly in India, Zspawn is the world’s first swipe-to-connect professional networking app, designed for professionals who want clarity, speed, and intent in how they connect. Instead of searching endlessly or drafting awkward introductions, users simply swipe to discover people who align with their professional goals and interests. Once matched, conversations…
OpenAI’s flagship product ChatGPT is showing signs of slowing momentum, even as Google Gemini continues to close the gap, according to fresh traffic and market-share data from Similarweb. Traffic trends show cooling growth Data analysed by Similarweb indicates that ChatGPT’s average daily visits have declined sharply over the past six weeks. Traffic fell by about 22%, with the seven-day average dropping from roughly 203 million visits to around 158 million by early January. In contrast, Google Gemini’s traffic remained relatively stable during the same period, clocking around 55–60 million daily visits. Market share gap continues to shrink The slowdown in…
Myntra has rolled out a zero-commission model for new Indian direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands joining its marketplace, as the fashion e-commerce platform looks to attract early-stage sellers aiming to scale online. The initiative is part of Myntra’s Rising Stars (MRS) programme and is targeted at homegrown fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands that currently sell primarily through their own websites or social media platforms. Lowering entry barriers for early-stage brands Myntra said the zero-commission structure is designed to help emerging brands reduce customer acquisition costs during their initial growth phase. Participating brands will be able to leverage Myntra’s demand-generation tools, logistics network…