Bringing India’s forgotten games back to life; MobiKwik posts Rs 7.6 Cr net profit
Vinita’s unending fascination for traditional Indian games is the fuel that keeps Kreeda going. The Chennai-based organisation is dedicated to researching, documenting, and promoting the rich heritage of Indian games.
Hello,
The Indian AI startup ecosystem is getting a fresh boost. Google has selected 20 AI-powered startups for the 2026 Google Play Accelerator India, a three-month, equity-free programme that offers mentorship and technical support to help founders build, scale, and monetise AI-first apps. The cohort spans sectors including healthcare, education, fintech, agritech, and gaming.
Meanwhile, electric two-wheeler maker Ather Energy reduced its consolidated net loss by 71% to Rs 51 crore in Q1 FY27, compared with Rs 178 crore a year earlier. The company’s total income rose 87.2% YoY to Rs 1,260 crore, driven by higher non-vehicle revenue from software subscriptions, charging, accessories, spares, and services.
India’s deep-tech ambitions are also gaining momentum. Drone manufacturer ideaForge Technology has secured a letter of intent for up to Rs 151 crore in long-term debt financing under the Government of India's Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) scheme to develop YETI, a heavy-lift autonomous aerial platform designed for operations in extreme terrains and high-altitude environments.
In other news, China’s Alibaba has unveiled Qwen3.8-Max, its largest AI model yet with 2.4 trillion parameters, compared with domestic rival Moonshot AI's 2.8 trillion-parameter Kimi K3 launched last month. Chinese firms are racing to build more powerful open-weight AI models, with parameter count emerging as a closely watched measure of model scale, though it does not necessarily reflect performance.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Bringing India’s forgotten games back to life
- MobiKwik posts Rs 7.6 Cr net profit
Here’s your trivia for today: Which country’s flag features a sinking ship?
Women Entrepreneurs
Bringing India’s forgotten games back to life
What looks like an ordinary temple floor to most people is, for Vinita Sidhartha, a doorway into India's forgotten past. By tracing centuries-old game boards carved into stone, she is uncovering stories of the people who built, lived, and waited around these historic spaces—one discovery at a time.
Key takeaways:
- Vinita founded Kreeda in 2002 to research, document, revive, and make traditional Indian games accessible through thoughtfully designed, playable game sets.
- Her research takes her to temples, forts, and monuments across India, where she documents ancient game boards etched into stone, offering rare insights into the everyday lives of workers, pilgrims, and soldiers from centuries ago.
- Beyond selling games, Chennai-based Kreeda conducts workshops, exhibitions, and educational programmes that reconnect people across generations, proving that traditional games are living cultural heritage—not just museum artefacts.
Fintech
MobiKwik posts Rs 7.6 Cr net profit
Fintech company MobiKwik returned to profit in Q1 FY27, marking its third straight profitable quarter, driven by strong growth in digital payments, improved lending margins, and tighter cost controls.
Key takeaways:
- Reported a net profit of Rs 7.6 crore in Q1 FY27, compared to a Rs 42 crore loss a year ago, with EBITDA improving to Rs 15.8 crore.
- Achieved a record Rs 58,700 crore GMV (up 50% YoY), with a 2.3x increase in UPI transactions, 193 million users, and over 5 million merchants.
- Financial services gross profit rose 5.6x YoY, while direct costs fell 21%, reflecting better credit quality, stronger collections, and improved operating efficiency.
News & updates
- Gaming: Microsoft has raised Xbox console prices globally, citing higher memory and storage chip costs. The premium Xbox Series X with a disc drive will now sell for £670, up from £500 previously.
- Cloud: ArcelorMittal is expanding its partnership with Microsoft to modernise IT systems, strengthen cybersecurity, and reduce reliance on legacy technology using Azure and other Microsoft platforms.
Which country’s flag features a sinking ship?
Answer: Bermuda
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