Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (July 21, 2026)

YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors

Featured news

How Karunya Gunavathy is helping women in Tamil Nadu transition from bidi rolling to sustainable livelihoods

Growing up in Tamil Nadu's bidi belt, Karunya Gunavathy watched women sacrifice their health to earn a living. Today, through the Kottravai platform, she is helping them transition from bidi rolling to sustainable livelihoods, with a mission to create jobs for 10,000 women.

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Transition VC launches Rs 1,500 Cr Fund II

Transition VC, the Bengaluru-headquartered venture capital firm with a focus on the energy transition segment, has launched its second fund with a target corpus of Rs 1,500 crore. The VC firm plans to invest $2 million to $5 million each in over 20 engineering-led startups over four years, starting from the third quarter of the current fiscal.

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Funding news

Traveltech startup 30 Sundays raises Rs 61 Cr led by Bessemer Venture Partners

Gurugram-based tech-enabled holiday planning and booking platform 30 Sundays has raised Rs 61 crore in a Series A funding round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, with participation from existing investors Info Edge Ventures and Eximius Ventures.

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Suminter India Organics raises Rs 25 Cr debt from BlackSoil

Organic food ingredients company Suminter India Organics has raised Rs 25 crore in debt funding from BlackSoil Capital to strengthen working capital and support procurement during the peak harvest season. The company said the funding will help it source certified organic ingredients at scale while expanding engagement with its network of over 1 lakh smallholder farmers across India, the Philippines, and Africa.

Founded in 2004, Suminter operates an integrated farm-to-market platform covering sourcing, certification, processing, and global distribution of organic ingredients such as spices, cocoa, coconut products, and natural fibres. The company exports to leading food and ingredient brands across the United States, Europe, and other international markets while promoting regenerative farming and end-to-end traceability.

Zaggle to invest up to Rs 7.96 Cr in Unobanc

Spend management and SaaS fintech company Zaggle Prepaid Ocean Services will invest up to Rs 7.96 crore in cross-border payments firm Unobanc Private Limited, which operates under the moneyHOP brand. Following the investment, Zaggle will hold up to a 19.9% equity stake in the company.

The move is aimed at expanding Zaggle's payments ecosystem and strengthening its presence in cross-border payments, remittances, and foreign exchange services for enterprise and retail customers. Unobanc, a subsidiary of Hop Financial Solutions, provides technology infrastructure for digital cross-border payments and has received in-principle approval from the Reserve Bank of India for an Authorised Dealer Category-II licence to expand its forex and remittance offerings.

FireAI secures Rs 2.5 Cr from SucSEED Indovation Fund

Mumbai-based causal decision intelligence startup FireAI has raised Rs 2.5 crore from SucSEED Indovation Fund to accelerate its go-to-market strategy. The company will deploy 55% of the capital to expand its enterprise sales team and regional presence, while 35% will be invested in research and development to strengthen its AI platform. The remaining funds will support administrative operations and new office infrastructure.

FireAI's platform helps enterprises analyse complex business environments through anomaly detection, causal chain analysis, and conversational analytics in over 90 languages. The company said its technology enables business leaders to receive explainable, actionable insights by integrating directly with existing enterprise systems.

Khageshvara Aviation raises pre-seed funding

Deeptech startup Khageshvara Aviation Technology, which develops electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) cargo aircraft, has secured an undisclosed investment from Finvolve and India Accelerator as part of its ongoing pre-seed funding round. Existing investors including Rukam Capital, ACIC-VGU, and MIETY also participated.

The startup will use the funds to complete product development, accelerate field testing, build an interim cargo platform, and advance certification milestones. Founded in 2023, Khageshvara is developing indigenous cargo eVTOL aircraft with payload capacities ranging from 5 kg to 400 kg for defence logistics, emergency response, disaster relief, medical supply delivery, and remote connectivity in difficult terrains across India.

MS Dhoni invests in rooftop solar startup SolarSquare

Former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has invested in residential rooftop solar company SolarSquare through his family office, Midas Deals, as part of the startup's recently announced $53 million Series C funding round. Dhoni will also become the company's brand ambassador.

SolarSquare, which serves more than 50,000 homes across 29 cities, plans to use the capital to expand into 30-40 additional cities, strengthen its technology platform, enhance financing options and improve customer service.

The company provides end-to-end rooftop solar solutions, including consultation, installation, financing, and maintenance. The investment comes amid rising demand for residential rooftop solar driven by increasing electricity costs and greater consumer interest in clean energy.

Other news

IKEA to open second store in Delhi on July 30

IKEA India will open its second store in Delhi at DLF Avenue, Saket, on July 30, expanding its presence in the National Capital Region. Spread across 30,000 sq. ft., the store will offer nearly 3,000 products, with around 1,400 available for immediate takeaway, while customers can access IKEA's complete catalogue of over 6,900 products through its website, app and Shop by Phone service.

The company said the new outlet is designed to cater to households across South and Central Delhi with room displays and home furnishing solutions suited to urban lifestyles. Customers will also have access to planning, delivery, assembly, and installation services, along with an IKEA Café serving Swedish and local food.

Hyundai launches assistive technology startup programme

Hyundai Motor India Foundation, in partnership with AssisTech Foundation, has launched Samarth UnnATi, a startup scale-up programme to support assistive technology innovations in India. The initiative aims to help high-potential startups developing solutions for persons with disabilities through mentorship, capacity building, investor access, and ecosystem partnerships.

Hyundai's foundation has earmarked grant support of ₹75 lakh to facilitate market access and deployment of assistive technology products. The programme will also strengthen collaboration with disability welfare institutions and other stakeholders to promote wider adoption of accessible technologies. Hyundai said the initiative seeks to bridge the gap between innovation and accessibility while enabling startups to scale solutions that improve inclusion and independence for persons with disabilities.

NatWest, IIT Delhi launch fintech innovation programme

NatWest Group has partnered with IIT Delhi's Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer to launch the NatWest FinTech Frontier Program, an initiative aimed at accelerating innovation in banking technologies. The programme features separate tracks for researchers and startups, offering opportunities to develop and pilot solutions using NatWest's enterprise banking capabilities and real-world data. Selected participants will gain access to paid pilot projects and commercialisation opportunities in the UK banking market.

The collaboration will focus on artificial intelligence, intelligent automation, cybersecurity, digital trust, next-generation banking products, and quantum computing. NatWest said the initiative will strengthen collaboration between academia, startups, and industry to develop cutting-edge financial technology solutions.

Salesforce, REVA University launch AI-powered student platform

Salesforce has partnered with REVA University to launch REVAion, an AI-powered digital engagement platform aimed at enhancing the student experience from admissions to graduation. Built using Agentforce for Education, Agentforce for Marketing and Agentforce 360, the platform delivers personalised services across admissions, academics and campus operations. The initiative is part of REVA University's four-year digital transformation programme.

Salesforce said the collaboration also strengthens the university's Salesforce Centre of Excellence, which has trained more than 2,000 students in Salesforce technologies through specialised courses and faculty development programmes. The platform is designed to improve student engagement while equipping graduates with industry-relevant digital and AI skills.

Hitachi, GlobalLogic open smart building innovation hub in Noida

Hitachi Ltd., Hitachi Lift India and GlobalLogic have launched the BuilMirai Experience Centre at GlobalLogic's headquarters in Noida to showcase next-generation smart building technologies. The facility will serve as an innovation and customer engagement hub for Hitachi's BuilMirai digital services platform, which combines AI, building data and domain expertise to improve energy efficiency, sustainability and operational performance.

The centre will also support collaboration between engineers, customers, and industry partners to develop intelligent building management solutions. GlobalLogic will lead digital engineering efforts, while Hitachi Lift India will provide local operational expertise. Hitachi said insights generated through the centre will help accelerate the global deployment of its smart building solutions.

IndiaMART InterMESH reports 11% revenue growth in Q1 FY27

IndiaMART InterMESH reported consolidated revenue from operations of ₹414 crore for the quarter ended June 30, 2026, an increase of 11% from the corresponding period last year. Customer collections rose 8% year-on-year to ₹463 crore, while deferred revenue grew 16% to ₹2,014 crore. Net profit for the quarter stood at ₹172 crore, with cash flow from operations of ₹163 crore. The company ended the quarter with cash and investments of ₹3,553 crore. Standalone revenue increased 9% to ₹376 crore, while subsidiary Busy Infotech contributed revenue of ₹36 crore during the reporting period.

Ping Identity launches India data centre

Ping Identity has launched its India data centre capability, hosted on Google Cloud's Mumbai region, to help enterprises host identity workloads locally and comply with evolving data residency and privacy requirements. The company said the facility will reduce application latency, strengthen governance over digital identities, and support secure cloud identity adoption.

The deployment also enables organisations to improve consent management, access controls, and auditability while supporting AI applications and AI agents.

Ping Identity has an engineering centre in Bengaluru employing around 300 people. It said the data centre launch reflects its long-term investment in India's fast-growing digital economy and its commitment to supporting customers with locally hosted identity infrastructure.

Wipro Consumer Care to acquire Philippines personal care firm

Wipro Consumer Care International has signed a definitive agreement to acquire 100% of Philippines personal care company S Brands Consumer Care Inc. The acquisition, Wipro's 16th globally and second in the Philippines, strengthens its presence in Southeast Asia.

S Brands owns a portfolio of well-known products including KERATINplus hair treatment, AlcoPlus hygiene products, DeoPlus powder deodorants, Empress hair care, and Fiona Cologne. Wipro said the acquisition expands its personal care portfolio and reinforces its strategy of combining organic growth with acquisitions across Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. The company currently operates in over 60 markets and continues to build a portfolio of consumer brands.

CarDekho launches AI-powered employee engagement platform

CarDekho Group has launched Amber, an AI-powered employee listening platform designed to replace traditional annual engagement surveys with continuous, confidential feedback. The platform interacts with employees through channels such as WhatsApp and email during key milestones including onboarding, promotions and exits.

Amber uses artificial intelligence to analyse employee sentiment, identify recurring themes and flag emerging workplace issues in real time. Managers receive team-level insights, while HR leaders gain a live view of workforce engagement linked to retention, wellbeing and performance metrics. CarDekho said the platform reflects its AI-first strategy by extending AI beyond customer services to improve employee experience and organisational decision-making.

NetApp acquires AI infrastructure startup DataPelago

NetApp has acquired California-based AI data infrastructure company DataPelago to strengthen its enterprise AI capabilities. The acquisition brings DataPelago's GPU-accelerated data processing technology into NetApp's portfolio, enabling organisations to process data directly at the storage layer instead of transferring it to separate compute clusters.

According to NetApp, the technology can reduce infrastructure costs by up to 80% while delivering up to ten times faster performance for AI and analytics workloads. DataPelago's platform also eliminates the need for duplicate data copies, a major bottleneck in enterprise AI deployment. NetApp said the acquisition will help enterprises accelerate AI adoption while improving efficiency, scalability and data governance.

The Card Company launches premium prepaid metal card

The Card Company has launched what it claims to be India's first premium prepaid metal card powered by RuPay. Designed to make premium card benefits more accessible, the prepaid card does not require income-based eligibility or underwriting. Customers who complete KYC can activate a wallet and order the physical metal card by choosing a preferred feature plan.

The card offers benefits including global airport lounge access, complimentary buffet meals at select five-star hotels, buy-one-get-one coffee offers, and rewards in the form of gold coins redeemable as digital gold. The company said the product combines premium experiences with the flexibility of a prepaid payment instrument, targeting consumers seeking high-end lifestyle benefits without conventional credit card requirements.

GrowthX enters managed office space business

Commercial real estate advisory firm GrowthX has entered the managed office space segment with the launch of GO Office Workspaces. The company will invest over ₹8.6 crore to establish its first centre at Delphi Tower in Noida in partnership with ORD Group. Spread across 72,000 sq. ft., the facility will offer nearly 1,200 seats for enterprises, startups, multinational companies and global capability centres (GCCs). GrowthX plans to build a managed office portfolio of around 500,000 sq. ft. across the National Capital Region over the next 12-18 months before expanding to other metropolitan cities. The facility will feature enterprise suites, flexible workspaces and smart office infrastructure.

Mygate launches AI assistant for housing societies

Community management platform Mygate has launched MIRA (Mygate Intelligent Response Assistant), an AI-powered solution designed to automate financial and administrative tasks for resident welfare associations and housing societies. The platform can extract information from vendor invoices, reconcile payments, analyse transactions, monitor collections, and identify overdue accounts, significantly reducing manual work.

According to Mygate, pilot deployments showed treasurers and accountants reduced time spent on routine financial processes by up to 70%. Built into the Mygate platform, MIRA also enables committee members to obtain instant financial insights through natural language queries. The company said the solution aims to improve operational efficiency and financial transparency across residential communities.

Accenture appoints Pradeep Prabhala to lead India market

Accenture has appointed Pradeep Prabhala as the head of its India Market Unit, effective September 1, 2026. In his new role, Prabhala will work with clients to accelerate growth through data and artificial intelligence while supporting global organisations in establishing GCCs in India. He joins Accenture from McKinsey & Company, where he led the consumer sector in India and agriculture across Asia.

Prabhala has over two decades of experience in AI, enterprise transformation, supply chain, mergers and acquisitions, and sustainability. Accenture said the appointment reflects its continued investment in India as a strategic growth market and innovation hub.

IndiaMART's BUSY launches AI-powered MSME accounting platform

Busy Infotech, a subsidiary of IndiaMART, has launched BUSY Magic, an AI-powered accounting and business management platform for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs). The solution integrates accounting, billing, inventory, GST compliance and business reporting through a simplified interface designed for first-time software users and growing businesses.

BUSY Magic enables business owners to monitor sales, purchases, cash flow, receivables, payables, stock levels and e-invoices from a single dashboard. The company said the platform aims to help businesses transition from manual records and spreadsheets to connected digital workflows while reducing operational complexity through AI-driven automation and faster onboarding.

Deloitte India launches AI platform for SAP implementation

Deloitte India has introduced RapidAuto ConfigEngine (RACE), an agentic AI-powered platform that automates SAP S/4HANA Public Cloud configuration. The solution uses generative AI, specialised AI agents and Deloitte's proprietary SAP implementation assets to automate tasks ranging from capturing business requirements to configuring enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems.

Part of Deloitte India's INTEGRATE suite, the platform is designed to accelerate digital transformation by simplifying complex SAP implementations. RACE generates user stories, process blueprints, configuration plans and optimisation recommendations while helping organisations adopt fit-to-standard operating models. Deloitte said the platform enables faster, scalable and more efficient ERP deployments using AI-led automation.

GIFT City launches fintech startup acceleration programme

GIFT City has launched the Young Builders' Program under the GIFT International FinTech Innovation Hub in collaboration with the International Financial Services Centres Authority. The initiative aims to nurture the next generation of fintech startups by supporting entrepreneurs from ideation through commercialisation. Selected applicants will participate in a nationwide hackathon followed by an eight-week residential programme featuring mentorship from founders, investors, regulators and industry experts.

The top three startups will gain direct entry into the IFSCA FinTech Sandbox to test and validate their innovations in a regulated environment. GIFT City said the programme is intended to accelerate responsible fintech innovation and strengthen India's international financial services ecosystem.

Lawyered launches legal assistance plan for truck owners

Legal-tech platform Lawyered has introduced LOTS247 Sarathi, a digital roadside legal assistance plan for commercial vehicle driver-cum-owners. Priced at an introductory annual subscription of ₹999 per vehicle, the service combines legal assistance, compliance support and personal accident insurance. Subscribers receive 24x7 roadside legal support, telephonic legal advice, on-ground lawyer assistance during roadside incidents, challan resolution services, and compliance monitoring. The package also includes wallet credits worth Rs 1,100 that can be used towards challan-related convenience fees and select platform services.

Lawyered said the initiative aims to improve access to affordable legal protection and compliance services for India's commercial transport community.

Smarten Power sells 1.18 lakh units in Q1 FY27

Power backup and solar solutions company Smarten Power Systems sold around 1.18 lakh products during the first quarter of FY27, driven by strong demand for home UPS systems, solar power conditioning units, batteries and solar panels. The company attributed the growth to higher electricity consumption and elevated summer temperatures across northern India.

During the quarter, Smarten commissioned a 5,200 sq. ft. warehouse in Gurugram to strengthen its logistics network and added 32 new distributors across nine states. It also expanded its product portfolio with the launch of the HELIX 1100-1250 MPPT-based solar PCU series and two new battery models.

UPES Runway launches AI-focused startup pitching initiative

UPES Runway, the startup incubator of UPES, has launched the New Delhi leg of The Pitch 3.0, an initiative to identify and support AI-native and AI-driven startups across India. Seven shortlisted startups presented their ideas before investors and mentors after being selected from over 20 applications.

The startups span sectors including fintech, edtech, quantum computing, disaster management, image recognition, and deeptech. UPES plans to support 10 startups this year with funding of up to Rs 25 lakh, while exceptional AI-led ventures could receive up to Rs 50 lakh. The next edition of The Pitch 3.0 will be held in Bengaluru in September, targeting startups from southern and western India.

IIM Mumbai launches executive MBA in wealth management

The Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Mumbai has introduced a one-year executive MBA in wealth management in collaboration with Neo Wealth and Asset Management. Designed for working professionals in financial services, the weekend programme covers portfolio management, taxation, estate planning, behavioural finance and risk assessment.

The institute said the curriculum combines academic learning with practical industry insights through faculty-led sessions and practitioner interactions.

Alongside the programme, IIM Mumbai and Neo Wealth have signed an MoU to promote digital learning through masterclasses, research publications, case studies and industry content. The institute said the initiative aims to address the growing demand for specialised professionals in India's expanding wealth management industry.

Enlight Metals launches AI procurement platform

Enlight Metals has launched a Multi-AI Agent Procurement Platform to automate procurement and supply chain operations for manufacturing and steel companies. The company said the platform enables specialised AI agents to collaborate across procurement, logistics, inventory, finance, sales and customer support, helping businesses reduce manual processes and improve operational efficiency.

Designed for industrial enterprises, the platform delivers real-time information, automates workflows and supports faster decision-making by integrating multiple business functions. Enlight Metals said many manufacturers continue to rely on fragmented communication systems, resulting in delays and inefficiencies. The AI-powered platform aims to improve visibility across supply chains while enabling enterprises to make faster, data-driven procurement decisions.

Matrix Geo Solutions wins Central Railway contract

Matrix Geo Solutions Ltd. has received a letter of acceptance from Central Railway for conducting precision track geometry surveys covering more than 300 kilometres of railway lines. The project will use advanced geospatial technologies to assess and improve railway track alignment, supporting safer and more efficient train operations at speeds of up to 160 kmph.

The company said the technology will help identify alignment issues before they become safety risks, enabling timely maintenance and reducing long-term operational costs. The project is also expected to improve passenger comfort, strengthen railway asset management and support more effective maintenance planning across the rail network.