Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (February 6, 2026)
YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Friday, February 6, 2026.
From the government's efforts in incubating deeptech startups in the country to Dassault's executives' focus on private capital and policy in building startups, today’s roundup captures key shifts shaping business and innovation.
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In Erode’s hills, a solar mill is helping tribal farmers reclaim millet
In hilly regions in Tamil Nadu where electricity is scarce, and millets have long been grown only for survival, a solar-powered mill is reshaping how tribal farmers earn from their crops.
On most days, sunlight is the only reliable power source in Kunri, a small tribal village near Kadambur in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district. In the hilly landscape close to the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, electricity has long been patchy or doesn’t exist at all. For generations, tribal families consumed mostly millets, which grew well on these terrains, but never had a chance to make a livelihood out of these crops.
A Rs 23.5-lakh solar-powered millet processing centre, launched in December in Kunri, is changing how tribal farmers engage with their harvests. Designed and set up by Oscar Solar Pump, the unit has a metal container fitted with solar panels and machines that clean, destone, dry, and mill ragi and thinai. This has allowed the farmers to process millets locally instead of travelling long distances or selling raw grain at distress prices.
DPDzero aims to fix India's debt collection industry
In 2019, Ananth Shroff was travelling abroad when he missed a credit card payment. Unable to reach him, the bank contacted his family and threatened legal action.The experience planted the seed for DPDzero.
Shroff (CEO) and Ranjith B R. (CTO) saw an opportunity to build a unified platform where lenders could integrate their systems, send borrower data, and receive recoveries without managing multiple collection agencies.
DPDzero uses AI to help banks and lenders in India recover unpaid loans more efficiently, replacing outdated collection methods with automated reminders and personalised repayment plans for borrowers.
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Private capital, not just policy, will decide India’s startup future, say Dassault top execs
Dassault Systèmes executives Suchit Jain and Abhishek Bali say India’s hardware startup boom is real, but long-term success will depend on stronger private investment, deeper industry links, and wider access to design tools and mentoring.
Dassault’s global startup programmes mainly support young companies building physical products, from electric vehicles to space technology and robotics, by giving them access to design and testing software, along with mentoring and industry connections.
Bali stressed that Dassault does not take equity in these programmes. “These are zero-equity programmes. We don’t (take equity); the IP (intellectual property) is theirs,” he said. Instead, the company hopes that, as startups grow, they will continue as customers.
Tribe Stays signs pact with CCI India to scale operations to 10,000 beds
Tribe Stays, a premium hospitality brand, has signed a Mmemorandum of understanding with the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) India to expand its enterprise and institutional housing operations.
The company aims to scale its capacity to over 10,000 beds over the next two years through this partnership, with an initial focus on the Delhi NCR region before expanding to other states.
Under the agreement, CCI India will act as a strategic partner to facilitate access to corporate clients, universities, and government organisations for workforce and student accommodation mandates.
Tribe Stays operates managed hospitality properties including student housing and coliving spaces.
Zappfresh enters frozen food segment with new brand Meevaa Foods
Zappfresh, a fresh food brand, has entered the frozen vegetarian snacks category with the launch of Meevaa Foods.
The company plans to invest Rs. 10 crore over the next two to three years to scale its frozen food operations and expand its product portfolio.
The new range, comprising 12 products including samosas and momos, will be available in Delhi NCR, followed by Mumbai and Bengaluru.
Zappfresh said the products are manufactured in export-certified facilities and are currently shipped to the United States, Canada, and Saudi Arabia. The company expects international trade to account for 15-20% of its frozen food volumes.
Mamaearth appoints actress Sreeleela as brand ambassador for hair-care range
Mamaearth, a personal care brand, has appointed actress Sreeleela as the brand ambassador for its hair-care products.
The company has launched a new campaign featuring Sreeleela and actor Shantanu Maheshwari to promote its Rosemary Anti-Hair Fall Shampoo.
Mamaearth said the association with Sreeleela aims to strengthen its connection with younger consumers. The campaign will be rolled out across digital and social media platforms.
Edited by Swetha Kannan