Startup news and updates: daily roundup (July 16, 2022)

US tech major Maantic Inc expands India footprint

Maantic Inc, a US-based global IT solutions company, has announced the expansion of its business operations in India with the opening of a new state-of-the-art Offshore Development Center (ODC) in Kolkata, West Bengal. This is Maantic’s second offshore office in India after Pune.

The US tech major plans to make Kolkata the biggest talent hub for the company to service global clients. The IT major is already aggressively adding talent in the city and plans to hire 300 people from Kolkata by the end of 2023.

Maantic will also increase its Pune office employee strength to 370 from the current 120 tech experts by the end of 2023.

With a current global employee strength of more than 500 IT professionals, the California-based firm had registered a 12 percent YoY growth in the financial year 2021-22. On the back of rising demand and fast-tracked digital adoption, the IT firm expects to nearly double its growth by 20-22 percent in FY23. Maantic also aims at increasing its global employee strength to 1000 by end of 2023. 

Chetu opens third software delivery centre in India to house growing talent pool 

To accommodate the sustained growth of its global operations, custom software solutions provider Chetu has expanded its capabilities in India by opening up a new software development facility at its A-206 campus in Noida.

The facility is the company’s third software delivery centre in Sector 63 and adds 60,000 square feet of development space to accommodate over 900 members.

Garuda Aerospace in support of NDRF deploys surveillance and delivery drones to tackle flood situations in Gujarat and AP

Drone startup, Garuda Aerospace, has once again been given a chance to deploy surveillance and delivery drones amid the ongoing flood situations in Gujarat, Vadodara, Guntur and Andhra Pradesh. Drones are being used to deliver food and necessary medicines.

"After successful implementation of drones to support flood victims in Assam, NDRF has deployed two more Garuda Aerospace teams to tackle the flood situations in Vadodara, Gujarat and Guntur, Andhra Pradesh to support NDRF officials with surveillance and delivery drones," said Agnishwar Jayaprakash Founder and CEO of Garuda Aerospace.  

Garuda Aerospace has been a drone partner for NDRF since the COVID-19 pandemic. Drones were also used extensively in the Chamoli Glacier Burst Disaster last year in Uttarakhand. "Equipped with 300 drones and over 500 pilots with pan India presence, Garuda Aerospace can surpass any kind of emergency. The ongoing Series A fund raise of $30 million at a $250 million valuation has made the company strong. Former Indian cricket team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has recently invested in the start-up and has become the firm's Brand Ambassador as well,” concluded Agnishwar.

TECHIN signs up with West Pharma to launch the MedTech Research Center of Excellence

TECHIN, a startup-incubator Technology Innovation Foundation of IIT Palakkad, and West Pharmaceutical Services have signed a partnership to launch the MedTech Research Center of Excellence

The MedTech CoE will provide a collaborative platform in the medical technology sector for medical colleges, hospitals, and research centres to work on solutions focussed on patients' health and well-being needs. The centre will also assist selected startups to build next-generation products with incubation and acceleration support. 

Prof Sunil Kumar P B, Director IIT Palakkad, and Chairman of TECHIN said, “The need for innovating affordable and accessible medical technology for the Indian population is the driving force for this MedTech COE.” while, Dr. Rajan Khobragade in his keynote address emphasized on “The collaboration of technology and medical experts joining hands with the government to provide healthcare which has no adverse impact, is an improvement, is cost-effective and efficient.”