PhysicsWallah gets ready for the bourses; Inside Paytm’s AI Soundbox plans

Hello,

Namaskara Bengaluru! The day we have all been waiting for is finally here!

YourStory is back with its boldest edition of TechSparks 2025! This year, the 16th edition of India’s largest startup-tech event has one and only one agenda on the list: ‘India 2030: Powered by AI’.  

The theme is more than just a slogan—it represents a conviction that a nation of over one and a half billion people can harness intelligence and innovation to accelerate growth, build sustainability, scale enterprises, and address society’s most pressing challenges.

Over the next three days at Taj Yeshwantpur, ambition will meet ability, invention will shake hands with investment, and innovators will breathe life into ideas. Here are 10 things you can do at TechSparks 2025!

On Day 1, we have Mukesh Bansal of Nutrix AI; Priyank Kharge, Hon’ble Minister of Electronics, IT, BT, and Rural Development and Panchayat Raj, Government of Karnataka; Manu Jain, India CEO of G42; and Rajan Anandan, Managing Director at Peak XV and Surge, and many more! 

With keynote addresses, fireside chats, and panel discussions, the stage is set for some of the sharpest minds in AI, climate tech, consumer innovation, and digital infrastructure to decode what lies ahead.  

Are you ready to usher in the next era of tech innovation, feat. AI? 

We sure are looking forward to it! See you at TechSparks 2025!

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• PhysicsWallah gets ready for the bourses
• Inside Paytm’s AI Soundbox plans
• Breaking barriers in menstrual health

Here’s your trivia for today: What product was originally manufactured by communications giant Nokia?

IPO

PhysicsWallah gets ready for the bourses

Edtech unicorn PhysicsWallah (PW) has filed its red herring prospectus (RHP) for an IPO worth Rs 3,480 crore. The issue will open on November 11 for subscription and close on November 13.

The company, viewed as an edtech torchbearer that can restore the industry's reputation after bruising years dominated by BYJU'S' troubles, plans to start trading its shares on the stock exchange on November 18.

Growth test: 

• The anchor investor bidding date is November 10, and the company will finalise the allotment on November 14.
• The proposed IPO includes a fresh issue of equity shares worth Rs 3,100 crore and an offer-for-sale of shares aggregating up to Rs 380 crore, with promoters Alakh Pandey and Prateek Boob (Maheshwari) partially offloading their stake.
• In FY25, PW reported operating revenue of Rs 2,886.6 crore, almost 49% higher than the year before. It also generated Rs 506.9 crore in operating cash flow and posted an adjusted operating profit of Rs 432 crore, giving it a margin of nearly 15%.

Funding Alert

Startup: MoEngage

Amount: $100M

Round: Series F

Startup: Lighthouse Canton

Amount: $40M

Round: External funding

Startup: Spacewood

Amount: Rs 300 Cr

Round: Equity

Fintech

Inside Paytm’s AI Soundbox plans

Paytm’s Soundbox strategy has become central to its merchant payments business, which forms the core of its operations. As of September 2025, the company had 13.7 million merchant device subscriptions, up 2.5 million from the previous year.

Now, Paytm is betting that the humble device behind that voice can evolve from a simple payment alert tool into an intelligent business assistant.

Innovations:

• The company's payment-related revenue (which includes device subscription fees and transaction processing margins) grew 25% YoY to Rs 1,223 crore in the September quarter. Net payment revenue jumped 28% to Rs 594 crore. Paytm credits the new device addition for the growth.
• The most striking evolution in Paytm's hardware strategy has been its approach to device lifecycle management. It has built an entire infrastructure around collecting inactive devices, refurbishing them, and redeploying them to new merchants.
• Paytm’s next evolution is the AI Soundbox, launched in pilot this quarter. The new version can deliver real-time insights on payments, customer behaviour, and sales performance, effectively acting as a miniature data terminal for small merchants.

Women’s Health

Breaking barriers in menstrual health

For millions of women and girls in India, menstruation still remains taboo. The lack of access to affordable products, hygiene facilities, and awareness of menstrual health can negatively affect their health, education, and economic opportunities.

To combat this, a number of organisations are designing sustainable menstrual products, leading community initiatives to spread awareness, and working towards changing mindsets on menstrual health.

News & updates

• Logistics: Delhivery slipped into the red in Q2 FY26, posting a net loss of Rs 50.4 crore, driven by the one-time integration costs of Rs 90 crore related to its recent acquisition of Ecom Express. Further, its CFO and Key Managerial Personnel, Amit Agarwal, has resigned from his position, citing personal reasons.
• Ban: The NCLAT set aside CCI’s five-year ban on Meta-owned WhatsApp sharing user data with other Meta entities for advertising, noting that "the rationale for the...ban was missing altogether". However, it upheld the $25.4 million fine that the CCI had imposed, saying Meta abused its dominance by imposing unfair conditions.
• Shutdown: The French government is initiating proceedings to suspend the online platform of Shein, after prosecutors said they were investigating the company over childlike sex dolls found on its website. The government's move was announced little more than an hour after Shein opened its first physical store in the world in Paris.

What product was originally manufactured by communications giant Nokia?

Answer: Paper.

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