Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (November 17, 2025)

From cooperative lending infrastructure to export-ready MSMEs and new insights on community dog management, YourStory brings the latest developments.

Featured stories

How Knight Fintech is connecting banks with underserved borrowers

India's financial sector has evolved rapidly over the past decade, driven by regulatory reforms and technology. In 2020, the Reserve Bank of India's co-lending guidelines enabled banks and NBFCs to collaborate formally. This opened up a new market opportunity, but the infrastructure to connect them didn't exist.

Kushal Rastogi, who built AI-driven trading systems at QuantMagnum Technologies and worked with funds like Empire Capital and Salus Alpha Capital, and Parthesh Shah, who brings financial services expertise from Bloomberg Singapore and Deloitte Consulting, saw the gap clearly. Banks had capital but limited reach, while NBFCs and fintechs had customers but lacked funds. Read more here.

Ronnie Screwvala’s upGrad joins BYJU’S insolvency race

Ronnie Screwvala-led upGrad has signalled its intention to join the pool of prospective bidders in the ongoing insolvency process of Think and Learn Pvt Ltd (TLPL), the parent company of BYJU’S.

“The only thing I can confirm is that we have filed an EOI (Expression of Interest) in the Think and Learn resolution and liquidation process, which covers all their assets. Beyond that, we are bound by confidentiality and cannot comment further at this stage,” Screwvala told YourStory, in response to queries. Read more here.

New export schemes open opportunity for MSMEs in textiles, recycling, and compliance tech

India’s small and medium enterprises have long been recognised as critical contributors to the country’s economic growth, employment generation, and export performance. MSMEs account for nearly 45% of total exports, supporting over 45 million jobs across export-oriented sectors.

Exports themselves contributed around 21% of India’s GDP in FY24‑25, playing a key role in maintaining foreign exchange reserves and ensuring macroeconomic stability. Over the years, these enterprises have faced challenges ranging from access to affordable credit to meeting global compliance standards and integrating with modern digital tools. Read more here.

Classroom to battlefield: Kalam Labs takes a defence tech pivot to the stratosphere

In the dorm rooms of BITS Pilani, where startups like Pixxel took flight, Ahmad Faraaz, Sashakt Tripathi, and Harshit Awasthi founded Kalam Labs in 2018. What began as a gamified edtech platform teaching children about space has now evolved into a deeptech enterprise redefining India’s defence capabilities. 

“We had a multiplayer game like a metaverse of the solar system, where kids joined as gaming characters to join ‘space instructors’ on a tour of the universe and learn space facts along the way,” recalls Faraaz. 

All looked well for the trio. The startup generated about Rs 2 crore in revenue in the first four months, was backed by Y Combinator and raised $2 million in funding. Read more here.

Why consistent ABC programmes matter for India’s community dog management

In many urban neighbourhoods, street dogs are everyday companions—familiar, often friendly, and even valued for deterring petty crime and controlling pests. But for others, especially around schools, hospitals and transport hubs, increasing bite reports and fears around rabies have made these same animals a cause for anxiety.

A new study by Esya Centre, a Delhi-based policy research think tank, shows that when sterilisation and vaccination programmes are implemented well, they can reduce both dog population growth and rabies risks. The findings cut through a confusing narrative shaped by rising bite numbers, patchy municipal responses and fragmented data. Read more here.

Funding news

Tribe Stays raises $2.8M seed round

Tribe Stays raised $2.8 million (Rs 24 crore) in a seed round co-led by Artha Venture Fund and Riverwalk Holdings, with participation from Kunal Khanna, Krishna Jain, and other HNIs and family offices.

The managed-hospitality company will use the funds to scale its three sub-brands—Tribe Student Accommodation, Tribe Commune, and Tribe Suites—and expand from its current 650 beds in Pune to 1,000 new beds this year, with a long-term target of 25,000 beds across Tier I and II cities.

Founder and CEO Yogesh Mehra said the investment validates Tribe’s vision to create premium, lifestyle-focused living for young consumers. Artha Venture Fund and Riverwalk Holdings noted the growing demand for organised, hospitality-led student and professional housing in India.

Latest news

Andhra Pradesh govt, Kings Infra to set up Rs 2,500 Cr aquaculture technology park

Kings Infra Ventures signed an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop a Rs 2,500 crore, 500-acre Integrated Aquaculture Technology Park near Srikakulam. The project is expected to create 1,500 direct and 10,000 indirect jobs, and enable annual direct exports of up to Rs 2,000 crore and indirect exports of up to Rs 20,000 crore from the third year onwards.

The state has appointed the Srikakulam District Collector to identify land parcels and fast-track approvals. Kings Infra will invest Rs 500 crore in core infrastructure, with the remaining Rs 2,000 crore projected through ancillary industries. The park will house hatcheries, indoor farming systems, processing units, and an AI-driven operations centre.

SuperYou posts Rs 150 Cr ARR in first year

SuperYou, the protein snacking brand co-founded by Ranveer Singh and Nikunj Biyani, has crossed Rs 150 crore in annual recurring revenue in its first year of operations. The brand has sold over 15 million units of its protein wafers and multigrain chips since launching in November 2024, it stated in a press release.

SuperYou introduced four product lines—protein wafers, multigrain chips, wafer minis and fermented yeast protein powders—and now retails through 4,500 offline stores as well as major ecommerce and quick commerce platforms.

The company plans to invest Rs 40–50 crore in R&D and aims to become a Rs 1,000 crore brand within the next two to three years. Singh said the brand’s mission is to make everyday protein “fun, accessible and for everyone.”

IIT Madras and IRFC launch India’s first Single-Cell Omics Translational Lab

IIT Madras and Indian Railways Finance Corporation (IRFC) have set up India’s first Single Cell Omics Translational (SCOT) Research Laboratory with a CSR grant of Rs 10.83 crore. The facility, housed in the Department of Medical Sciences and Technology, will support early diagnosis, drug screening and biomarker discovery across cancer, cardiovascular, infectious and metabolic diseases.

IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti said the lab strengthens India’s capabilities in “early diagnostics, targeted therapeutics and next-generation healthcare innovation.” IRFC Chairman and Managing Director Manoj Kumar Dubey said the initiative aims to drive research in diagnostics and precision medicine.

The lab will also function as a national training hub for clinicians, engineers and researchers in single-cell biology and translational medicine. The institute said the platform is intended to accelerate drug discovery and support personalised treatment strategies.

Swiggy partners with upGrad to offer higher-education access for delivery partners

Swiggy has signed an MoU with upGrad to provide delivery partners access to university-certified higher-education courses and professional certifications. 

The programme includes need-based scholarships and a soft-skills module called Career Udaan Pack. Saurav Goyal, Senior Vice President, said that the initiative aims to equip 6.9 lakh partners with “credible, sustainable career pathways.”

Swiggy’s delivery partners can take short or long online courses (from 2 weeks to 3 years) through upGrad’s online learning platform, and they can sign up directly in the Swiggy Partner app.  

Binance to accept BlackRock’s BUIDL as off-exchange collateral

Binance and Securitize said BlackRock’s tokenised fund BUIDL will now be accepted as off-exchange collateral for institutional trading on Binance. The exchange said this allows clients to meet internal risk controls while maintaining exposure to tokenised Treasuries.

The announcement follows Binance’s earlier move to support tokenised assets USCY and cUSDO. BUIDL is also launching a new share class on BNB Chain to expand access. “We’re continuing to bring regulated real-world assets on-chain,” said Carlos Domingo, Co-founder and CEO of Securitize.

Catherine Chen, Head of VIP & Institutional at Binance, said institutional clients are seeking “more interest-bearing stable assets they can hold as collateral.”

Euro Pratik Sales acquires 51% of URO Veneer World

Euro Pratik Sales Ltd has acquired a 51% stake in URO Veneer World for Rs 76.50 crore, including a Rs 10.20 crore capital infusion, marking its entry into the B2C segment.

The company said the acquisition gives it a direct consumer-facing platform and strengthens insights into design trends, margins, delivery speed and retail-level positioning.

“The acquisition of URO Veneer World marks a significant milestone in Euro Pratik’s growth journey,” said Pratik Singhvi, Chairman and Managing Director. URO Veneer World, founded in 1998 and based in Bengaluru, brings a large product portfolio and an influencer base of over 3,500 interior designers.

Euro Pratik, which holds over 16% share in the organised wall panel market, said the integration supports its plan to expand design-led surface solutions and deepen engagement with end users and professionals.

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