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Inside Magic Bus India Foundation’s Rural Livelihood Programme

Magic Bus India Foundation's Rural Livelihood Programme is designed to help women from economically vulnerable rural households build sustainable livelihoods through entrepreneurship, self-employment, or wage opportunities. Working through a "saturation model," the organisation focuses on selected low-income blocks, partnering with gram panchayats and local stakeholders to identify and enrol women from Below Poverty Line (BPL) families. Participants are assessed for both socio-economic vulnerability and entrepreneurial potential before being introduced to livelihood opportunities based on local market demand. 

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Funding news

Fixxly raises $5.5M in  seed round

Fixxly, a quick commerce startup focused on the building materials sector, has raised $5.5 million in a seed funding round led by Accel, Fireside Ventures, and Lightspeed India Partners.

The fresh capital will be used to strengthen the company's technology platform and scale operations ahead of its commercial launch on September 1. Fixxly will debut in Bengaluru before expanding to other cities.

Founded in 2026 by Shezan Bhojani and Sachith Varma, Fixxly is building a digital procurement platform for the construction and interiors ecosystem. It aims to enable contractors, tradespeople, interior designers, and homeowners to source building materials on demand, with deliveries targeted in about 30 minutes.

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Revspot raises $4.8M Series A round

Revspot, an AI-native platform that automates qualified pipeline generation for high-ticket B2C businesses, has raised $4.8 million in a Series A funding round co-led by Inflexor Ventures and Info Edge Ventures.

The round also saw participation from Pentathlon Ventures and Silicon Road Ventures as new institutional investors, along with continued backing from existing investor Titan Capital.

The startup will use the fresh capital to strengthen its product and engineering teams in India, enhance its buyer intelligence and AI-powered lead qualification infrastructure, expand into new high-ticket B2C sectors, and grow its presence in select international markets.

Founded in 2024 by Darshan Subash, Chirag Wadhera, and Varun Garg, Revspot combines AI-driven lead generation and lead qualification into a single platform. 

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Other news

IIT Madras partners with FaME TN

IIT Madras has partnered with the Bureau for Facilitating MSMEs of Tamil Nadu (FaMe TN), a state government agency, to accelerate digital transformation, artificial intelligence (AI) adoption, and capability building across the state's micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSME) ecosystem.

The initiative will be led by IIT Madras' Center of Tech Excellence with support from a CSR grant by Walmart Global Tech. It aims to digitally empower MSMEs in manufacturing, retail, and allied sectors through technology adoption and capacity-building initiatives.

As part of the collaboration, the partners will develop a State-level MSME Digital Readiness and Adoption Index to assess the digital maturity of enterprises across Tamil Nadu. The programme will also support AI, digital transformation, and Industry 4.0 adoption through digital readiness assessments, training programmes, technology demonstrations, and implementation support.

Emeritus appoints Sachin Mohan as Head of University Partnerships

Global edtech company Emeritus, part of Eruditus, has appointed Sachin Mohan as Head of University Partnerships–India, effective July 2026, as it looks to strengthen collaborations with higher education institutions in one of its key growth markets.

Mohan brings over 15 years of experience in strategic partnerships, business development, P&L management, and enterprise sales across the technology, higher education, and digital sectors in India, Southeast Asia, Australia, the UK, and the US. Most recently, he led global university partnerships at Great Learning, where he worked with leading institutions on executive education, certificate, and degree programmes, while also scaling the company's study abroad business in India. He has previously held leadership roles at Capillary Technologies and Genpact Headstrong Capital Markets.

In his new role, Mohan will lead Emeritus' university partnership strategy in India, working with premier institutions to develop and scale executive education programmes that combine academic excellence with industry relevance.

Data Science Wizards launches AI partnership model for enterprise AI adoption

Data Science Wizards (DSW), the company behind the DSW UnifyAI OS enterprise AI operating system, has launched the DSW AI Partnership Model, a new engagement framework aimed at helping enterprises scale artificial intelligence beyond isolated pilot projects.

The trust-led, long-term framework is designed to help organisations identify high-impact AI use cases, establish governance and technology architecture, deploy AI into production, and continuously optimise outcomes. Built around shared accountability and enterprise ownership, the model seeks to enable businesses to embed AI as a governed, scalable, and sustainable capability rather than a series of fragmented initiatives.

According to the company, the partnership model focuses on delivering measurable business value while helping enterprises build long-term AI capabilities across their operations.

ASMS, ProClime partner to develop biochar-based soil solutions for sustainable agriculture

Avio Smart Market Stack Limited (ASMS) has signed a strategic memorandum of understanding (MoU) with ProClime Services Private Limited to jointly develop and commercialise biochar-based soil enhancement solutions aimed at improving agricultural productivity while supporting India's climate goals.

The partnership combines ASMS' rural distribution network, agricultural expertise, and formulation capabilities with ProClime's expertise in biochar production and carbon project development. Together, the companies will develop scientifically validated biochar-integrated fertiliser formulations designed to improve soil fertility, enhance water retention, boost crop yields, and enable long-term carbon sequestration.

As part of the collaboration, the partners will undertake research, laboratory analysis proposed at IIT Roorkee, field trials, and agronomic validation across multiple crop varieties, soil types, and agro-climatic conditions. They will also evaluate biochar derived from sustainable feedstocks—including bamboo, lantana, senna, pine needles, and agricultural residues—to identify optimal formulations for commercial deployment.

Healthfab signs MoU with Andhra Pradesh govt

FemCare brand Healthfab has announced the signing of an MoU with the Andhra Pradesh Govt to acquire 2 acres of land in Kuppam, Chittoor District to launch its second manufacturing plant for a range of period care panties. The Company plans to invest Rs 15 crore in the unit with an aim to generate over 700 direct and indirect employment.

The expenditure will be spread across factory infrastructure, advanced manufacturing equipment, modern technology, quality assurance infrastructure and workforce development

The proposed manufacturing plant will house Healthfab's vertically integrated manufacturing facility, including production units, quality testing, warehousing, research & development and administrative infrastructure.

With a monthly capacity of over 4 lakh period care panties, the company also plans to design and manufacture reusable period panties, disposable period panties, and other products currently in the pipeline.

CureMeAbroad expands global medical tourism network

Medical tourism startup CureMeAbroad has signed strategic MoUs with Thailand-based Asia Cosmetics and Mexico's Dr. Brenda's Clinic to expand its international healthcare network. The partnerships strengthen the company's presence in two leading medical tourism destinations and improve access for patients from the US, UK, Germany, Australia and GCC countries. Under the agreements, international patients will receive end-to-end support covering treatment planning, travel coordination and post-treatment care. The collaborations also establish a structured framework for patient referrals, quality standards and care coordination, aimed at improving transparency and trust. CureMeAbroad said the expansion comes amid rising global demand for affordable, high-quality cosmetic procedures and will further strengthen its network of verified international healthcare providers.

FNP crosses Rs 1,000 crore revenue, eyes IPO by 2028

Celebrations and gifting platform FNP has crossed Rs 1,000 crore in revenue and is targeting an initial public offering by the end of calendar year 2028, subject to regulatory approvals and market conditions. The company aims to achieve around Rs 1,400 crore in revenue in FY27 and scale to Rs 2,200-2,400 crore before listing. FNP also reported an EBITDA margin of about 3% in FY26, reflecting improved operational efficiency while continuing investments in growth. The company is strengthening its fulfilment network through dark stores, company-operated outlets, central kitchens and cake fulfilment centres to improve delivery speed and customer experience. FNP began by organising India's fragmented flower market before expanding into omnichannel gifting services.

The Standard strengthens India leadership team

US-based insurance and investment company The Standard has announced key leadership appointments for its India operations as it expands strategic capabilities in the country. Operating through centres in Bengaluru and Pune, The Standard India plays a critical role in the company's global technology, digital transformation and operations strategy. The appointments include Atul Agrawal as Head of Technology, Manishekaran Amalasekharan as Head of Finance, Neeti Khanka as Head of Human Resources, Sanjay Pathak as Chief of Staff and India Site Operations Lead, Aditya Pal Singh as Head of Talent Acquisition, Santosh Varier as Head of Administration, and Neeta Sharma as Head of Communications. The company said the appointments will support its long-term growth plans in India.

Ather rolls out AI-powered Pothole+ Alerts

Ather Energy has started rolling out its Pothole+ Alerts feature for Gen 2 and newer scooters, including the 450 Apex, 450X, and Rizta Z. The feature alerts riders to potholes, broken roads, uneven surfaces, and speed breakers ahead using road intelligence generated from data collected by Ather's connected scooter fleet. CEO Tarun Mehta said the technology has been under development for nearly nine years, with the company's growing connected fleet making large-scale road intelligence possible. Alerts are displayed on the scooter dashboard and can also be heard through the Ather Halo smart helmet or compatible Bluetooth headsets. The feature aims to improve rider awareness and road safety through software-driven innovation.

Atlassian adds AI assistant support to Trello

Atlassian has expanded Trello to support the Model Context Protocol (MCP), enabling AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Cursor to manage tasks directly within the platform. Users can create boards, organise cards, update checklists and summarise work using natural language without coding. The feature is available to both free and paid Trello users. Atlassian said users simply need to authorise access by pasting a single URL into a compatible AI assistant before issuing commands. The expansion builds on Atlassian's MCP ecosystem, which has crossed one million monthly active users. The company said the integration will simplify project management by allowing AI assistants to perform actions directly inside Trello.

HPE hosts Code Wars 2026 in Bengaluru

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) organised its annual Code Wars 2026 competition at its Mahadevapura campus in Bengaluru, bringing together over 300 students from Classes 9 to 12. Participants from Bengaluru, Mysore, Mangaluru, Chennai and Kotagiri competed in coding challenges using C, C++, Java and Python. The event featured more than 20 programming problems designed to test analytical thinking and problem-solving skills while encouraging collaboration and innovation. HPE said Code Wars has become one of India's largest school-level coding competitions and aims to bridge classroom learning with practical application. Winners received advanced technology toolkits and national recognition, while all participants were awarded certificates, prizes and goodies worth Rs 1.5 lakh collectively.

Cloud.in earns AWS Premier Tier status

Hostin Services' cloud transformation business Cloud.in has achieved AWS Premier Tier Services Partner status, the highest level in the AWS Partner Network. The designation recognises partners with strong technical expertise, proven customer success and advanced capabilities in designing, migrating, modernising and managing workloads on Amazon Web Services. Founded in 1999, Hostin Services has over 27 years of experience in enterprise technology infrastructure and has been an AWS Partner since 2014. The company said the recognition reflects its investments in cloud capabilities, certifications and operational excellence. Cloud.in helps enterprises accelerate digital transformation while improving security, governance, resilience, and business agility through AWS-based cloud solutions.

Lemonn posts over 800% revenue growth

Stock broking platform Lemonn, part of the PeepalCo Group, reported more than 800% year-on-year growth in revenue from operations to Rs 8.97 crore in May 2026. Retail trading activity also surged, with order volumes increasing more than ninefold to 27.71 lakh and active traders rising more than fivefold to 24,309. The company said investors from Tier 3 cities accounted for 42.8% of retail orders, followed by Tier 2 cities at 36.7%, highlighting growing participation beyond major urban centres. Since launching in 2024, Lemonn has expanded its offerings across mutual funds, IPO investments and futures and options trading. The company attributed the growth to continuous product innovation and rising adoption among retail investors.

L Catterton appoints Chetan Naik as Managing Director

Global consumer-focused investment firm L Catterton has appointed Chetan Naik as Managing Director to strengthen its India operations. Based in Mumbai, Naik will work with India Executive Chairman Sanjiv Mehta, Partner Vikram Kumaraswamy and the firm's global leadership team to expand its investment platform in the country. Naik joins from 360 ONE Asset, where he led investments across consumer and consumer technology sectors, including beauty, fashion, food delivery, quick commerce and health. Bringing nearly two decades of private equity and venture growth experience, he has supported founders in building category-leading businesses and delivering successful exits. L Catterton said the appointment reinforces its long-term commitment to India's growing consumer market.

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