upGrad buys Internshala; Fat salary packages distort engineering education

Hello,

Do you say “please” and “thank you” to ChatGPT?

Turns out that how we frame our questions and what words we use affect the final output of a chatbot. Apart from minding manners, here are a few tips on how to talk to ChatGPT. 

Meanwhile, ChatGPT maker OpenAI said it has appointed Arvind KC as its new chief people officer.

The Indian-origin executive joins the organisation as AI continues to change how businesses operate across the world. Arvind has previously worked at Google, Meta, Palantir, and Roblox. 

Speaking of appointments, Oyo Rooms’ parent PRISM has onboarded former capital markets regulator Ajay Tyagi as an Independent Director, adding heavyweight regulatory experience to its board at a time when company is planning its public foray.

Moving on, AI has brought a new phenomenon to the startup world: companies that scale so fast that they hit $100 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR) in mere months.  In comparison, startup founders, in 2024, were still celebrating hitting $10 million in ARR in three years–a milestone that is still significant, TechCrunch reports.

Lastly, YourStory took a deep dive into figuring out how 2025 reshaped India’s startup funding landscape. Download the report, here.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• upGrad buys Internshala
• Fat salary packages distort engineering education
• Women athletes who dominated headlines

Here’s your trivia for today: In what country would you find the active volcano "Popocatepetl"?

Edtech

upGrad buys Internshala

Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder and Chairman of higher education and upskilling platform upGrad, highlighted the “very big” fit, as he spoke about the edtech firm’s acquisition of Internshala, a Gurugram-based internship and job search platform.

Key takeaways:

• Internshala acquisition, which according to upGrad was a 90% stock-swap transaction, comes a month after the latter’s advanced deal talk to acquire Unacademy for $300–$400 million, was called off due to valuation disagreements.
• Founded by Sarvesh Agrawal, an IIT Madras alumnus, in 2010, Gurugram-based Internshala helps college students and freshers get a start to their careers.
• Internshala has dedicated over a decade to building what Screwvala calls a “base camp” for these learners, providing a platform that cements the relationship between education and employment.

<Funding Alert>

Startup: Home Essentials

Amount: Rs 70 Cr

Round: Pre-Series B

Startup: Wootzwork

Amount: $6.6M

Round: Series A 

Startup: Gut Clinic

Amount: $1M

Round: Seed

Education

Fat salary packages distort engineering education

Each year, news outlets carry articles on top packages for fresh engineering graduates. Over time, these salaries have become the standard for success.

Professor Sandeep Kumar Shukla, Director at IIIT Hyderabad says this obsession on high salaries may distort the country’s long-term prospects, as many of the brightest minds in the country continue to focus on higher salaries from foreign multinational corporations.

Key takeaways:

• The professor calls for a return to a swadeshi or service-orientated mindset that focuses on contributing to the grassroots economy rather than seeking the highest possible pay cheque from an investment bank.
• IIIT Hyderabad has tried to respond structurally by operating through research centres that connect students to labs and interdisciplinary teams early in their academic journey.
• The institute runs a product lab, an active Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and a compulsory two-semester value-education course aimed at broadening students’ perspectives beyond salary metrics.

Inspiration

Women athletes who dominated headlines

Indian women athletes have been making headlines across disciplines recently—from cricket and marathon running to para-athletics. Whether through record-breaking milestones, title-winning performances, or major national honours, these sportswomen are shaping the conversation around India’s sporting rise. HerStory brings you the stories of five such women athletes.

News & updates

• Autonomous cars: UK startup Wayve’s self-driving tech has attracted several investors in its latest $1.2 billion funding round, including three automakers, top venture and institutional firms, and returning backers Microsoft, Nvidia, and Uber. The startup was launched in 2017.
• Job cuts: UK-based iconic car maker Aston Martin is expected to slash its workforce by up to 20%, as it strives to recover from the impact of U.S. import tariffs and weak demand in China. The company said trimming the workforce of about 3,000 will deliver annualised savings of around 40 million pounds or about $54 million.

In what country would you find the active volcano "Popocatepetl"?

Answer: Mexico

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