Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (October 8, 2025)

From Amrut Distilleries taking Indian whisky to the world, to Claude AI maker Anthropic opening an office in Bengaluru, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors. 

Featured stories 

Why Amrut Distilleries thinks producing 6 million cases isn’t enough 

Founded in 1948 by JN Radhakrishna Rao Jagdale, Amrut Distilleries is the pioneer of India’s single malt whisky. With multiple awards under its belt, Amrut’s Fusion single malt whisky was ranked as the third finest whisky in the world by critic Jim Murray. 

77 years into the business, Amrut has stood the test of time in the fast-evolving alcobev market. It produces close to 50 variants of single malt whisky being sold across 58 countries, with Indian being a strong market, followed by the US and Europe. 

The Bengaluru-based company is currently producing about 1.4 million litres of single malt whisky annually and selling over 60 lakh cases a year. Despite the scale, the demand continues to outpace the supply. 

Read more here. 

PlaySuper is turning mobile gameplay into real-world rewards 

Gurugram-based startup PlaySuper is transforming mobile gaming in India by letting players convert in-game coins into real-world rewards through an embedded store built into games. Founded in April 2024 by Shouradeep Chakraborty, Upamanyu Chatterjee, and Abhir Das, PlaySuper has already onboarded over 3,000 brands, including Rare Rabbit, Mamaearth, Bombay Shaving Company, Renee Cosmetics, HUL, Unilever, Marico, Dabur, and Emami, among others. 

Since its launch, PlaySuper has grown its monthly revenue to about $350,000, and targets to reach $1 million in annual global revenue, onboarding 100,000 daily active users. 

Read more here.

Funding news 

Alfluence AI raises Rs 3 Cr 

Intelligence platform Affluence AI has raised Rs 3 crore in its pre-seed funding round led by Zeropearl VC. Kunal Shah, Founder and CEO of CRED, and Pravin Jadhav, Founder and CEO of Dhan, also participated in the round. 

Founded in 2023 by Sumit Sahu and Rishi Kumar, Affluence AI is now focused on accelerating its product roadmap and expanding into new markets. It aims to become a global category leader in affluent customer intelligence, setting a new benchmark for how wealth managers, luxury brands, real estate firms and automotive companies discover, understand and engage with affluent customers. 

NOW Accelerate invests in climate tech startup Newtral

Climate tech startup Newtral Technologies has secured funding from deeptech and deep science venture NOW under its Accelerate model. Newtral will be receiving $600,000 in capital, along with hands-on studio engagement to expand to key global markets, and build scalable revenue and business models. 

Founded in 2022 by Avi Chudasama and Anuraag Paul, Bengaluru-based Newtral helps enterprises automate ESG reporting, track value-chain (Scope 3) emissions, and drive decarbonation outcomes. It has over 100 clients across the pharma, real estate, and retail sectors. 

Pontaq secures Rs 10 Cr investment from Navyug Global 

Pontaq, a leading UK-India cross-border venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology investments, announced a Rs 10 crore investment from Navyug Global, an over Rs 3,000-crore diversified conglomerate with business interests spanning technology solutions, consumer and retail, infrastructure development, business consulting, and venture capital. With this fresh round of funding, the company plans to fund over 10 deeptech startups from the cleantech and fintech sectors.

PedalStart’s Hustler’s Mela 3.0 unlocks $550,000-plus in startup commitments 

PedalStart, an operator-led startup accelerator, has announced that its flagship event, Hustlers’ Mela 3.0, which unlocked over $550,000 in investor commitments for five high-potential startups backed by the PedalInvest Club.

The event witnessed participation from 250-plus investors, including venture capitalists, family offices, and ecosystem leaders, who engaged in transparent, outcome-driven discussions with emerging founders. Beyond capital, the focus was on long-term collaboration, knowledge exchange, and the collective effort to strengthen India’s startup investment landscape.

Other news 

Claude AI maker Anthropic to open office in Bengaluru 

Anthropic, the AI research firm behind Claude models, will open its Bengaluru office in early 2026. This will be its second office in the Asia-Pacific region, after Tokyo, and it is a part of its wider push into India. 

This move is intended to create a local team here that can build AI for India-specific uses and to strengthen ties with Indian enterprises, startups, and non-profit organisations. 

Dario Amodei, Co-founder and CEO of Anthropic, will be visiting India this week to discuss partnership opportunities and local initiatives. 

Read more here. 

Thunderplus signs MoU with Tata Motors to roll out EV charging stations 

Leading electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions provider Thunderplus has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Tata Motors to expand its charging infrastructure for electric small commercial vehicles (SCVs). This is aimed at making charging of e-commercial vehicles more accessible, convenient, and scalable for a broader customer base. 

Thunderplus plans to install 5,000 charging stations across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, West Bengal, Bihar, and Maharashtra. 

Zepto appoints new CHRO 

Quick commerce giant Zepto has appointed Sneha Arora as its Chief Human Resources Officer (CHRO). With over 15 years of experience, Sneha has earlier worked across ecommerce, fintech and technology sectors, including in companies like Myntra, Simpl, SAP, Flipkart, and Texas Instruments. 

MakeMyTrip partners with Google Cloud

Online travel company MakeMyTrip has partnered with Google Cloud to enhance its Myra platform, making bespoke travel planning and booking more intuitive and accessible. 

Using Google Cloud’s AI capabilities, MakeMyTrip will be creating and refining personalised itineraries based on travellers’ preferences and requirements, drawing on reviews, maps, and other grounded sources of information, with greater accuracy and efficiency than current chatbot-based planners. 

QubeHealth-Pay partners with Volt Money 

Healthcare payments platform QubeHealth-Pay (Qube) has partnered with Volt Money, a platform that allows individuals to borrow money instantly against their mutual fund investments. The partnership will enable Qube users to access instant liquidity for medical expenses by borrowing against their MF savings, without redeeming their investments. 

Gnani.ai launches AI-generated digital human 

Voice-first Agentic AI platform Gnani.ai unveiled a self-cloning digital human at the Global Fintech Fest 2025 in Mumbai. The avatar is created from a single approved source video and a short voice reference, and is built on Gnani HumanOS. 

The digital human delivers real-time, expressive avatars with lifelike lip sync, micro-expressions, and gaze. It is interactive, multilingual and adaptable so enterprises can engage customers at scale while maintaining a human touch. 

India Accelerator launches Surat Centre to incubate startups 

India Accelerator (IA), a multi-stage fund-led accelerator and co-working space provider, is launching its new startup centre in Surat, Gujarat. The 10,000 sq ft facility offers a 280-seat coworking space designed to serve startups, MSMEs, and enterprises with flexible, collaborative workspaces and access to IA’s mentor and investor network. 

With this launch, India Accelerator aims to incubate 50-60 startups annually, offering access to structured programmes, funding opportunities and nationwide exposure. 

Flipkart partners with Pine Labs to unveil Flipkart Bharat Yatra Card 

Global fintech platform Pine Labs has collaborated with ecommerce giant Flipkart to unveil a digital prepaid card—Flipkart Bharat Yatra Card.

The card is launched with the aim of empowering public transport commuters to experience a seamless digital payment experience while travelling in buses, metros, and other mass transit networks where National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) is enabled as a mode of payment. The card is expected to reduce queues at payment and kiosk counters, cut down recharge-related delays, and improve transit time for commuters. 

Nasara subsidiary Fusebox Games, All3Media International to launch new mobile game 

Nazara subsidiary FuseBox Games and All3Media International have launched a new interactive game for mobile players, The Traitors: Interactive Game. UK-based Fusebox Games has acquired worldwide interactive-game rights to IDTV’s smash-hit psychological reality competition format The Traitors. 

Neural Arc launches Helium AI 

Indian-origin entrepreneur Aniket Tapre, Founder and CEO of Neural Arc, has launched Helium AI, a next-generation platform that simplifies how businesses and professionals use artificial intelligence.

In a market crowded with separate tools for analytics, reports, and workflows, Helium AI brings everything together on one smart, easy-to-use platform. It acts as an intelligent assistant, helping users make quicker decisions, automate tasks, and drive growth more efficiently.

Aston Martin Formula One team visits Cognizant office in Hyderabad

Cognizant hosted Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team driver Lance Stroll and driver ambassador Pedro de la Rosa at its GAR campus in Hyderabad. The visit was part of 'Celebrating Cognizant', a six-month series of sporting and cultural activities designed to bring together Cognizant associates in a celebration of shared values and achievements.

As part of the day’s engagements, Lance and Pedro met with Cognizant’s leadership team and connected with the employees, offering insights into how Cognizant’s digital expertise drives innovation for the team, especially as the sport looks ahead to the 2026 regulations and beyond.

“Today’s celebration with Lance is a proud moment for our associates and a powerful reminder of how far we have come in shaping the future of the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team through innovation,” said Rajesh Varrier, President – Global Operations and Chairman & Managing Director, Cognizant India.

(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)