# Startup news and updates: daily roundup (October 28, 2026) — retained record

> Retained news record from news:india-yourstory.

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source: [news](https://highsignal.app/data/news) (news:india-yourstory)  published 2026-10-28 08:11 ingested 2026-10-29 03:04

[original source ↗](https://yourstory.com/2026/10/startup-news-and-updates-daily-roundup-october-28-2026)

## extract

From Jio Platforms making a strong debut on the National Stock Exchange on Wednesday with its shares gaining 21.3% over the issue price of Rs 1,119 apiece, to AI that can generate almost anything we ask for, here are the latest developments across sectors. Featured StoriesWhen content becomes infinite, what makes people pay attention? We are living in a world where content is no longer scarce. There is more news, more videos, more creators, and, AI that can generate almost anything we ask for. But this abundance brings a new challenge: when everyone is creating content, how do you get someone to stop scrolling, pay attention, and come back? On the sidelines of TechSparks 2026, Avinash Mudaliar, Co-founder and CEO of HT Media Labs and the creator of Saregama Carvaan; Deepit Purkayastha, Co-founder and CEO of Inshorts; and GSN Aditya, COO of Eloelo Group, came together for a discussion titled The Format Is the Product: When Content Becomes Infinite. Read more Latest NewsJio Platforms makes strong market debut, lists on NSE with a gain of 21.3% Jio Platforms made a strong debut on the National Stock Exchange on Wednesday with its shares gaining 21.3% over the issue price of Rs 1,119 apiece, resulting in a market capitalisation of Rs 12.5 lakh crore. The share opened at Rs 1,358 and reached an intraday high of Rs 1,374.50. It was trading at Rs 1,366.60 at 11:41 am with a market capitalisation of Rs 12,58,045.70 crore. Jio Platforms' Rs 30,213-crore IPO received an overwhelming response from investors. It was oversubscribed in less than two hours on opening day, and closed with a 22X oversubscription. Read more Funding News Healthy snack brand Troovy raises Rs 100 Cr in Series B round led by Fireside Ventures Troovy, a food and snacks brand, has raised Rs 100 crore in a Series B round of funding led by Fireside Ventures, with participation from Sharrp Ventures and other investors. The Gurugram-based brand will use the funding for R&D, expanding its manufacturing capacity, and scaling distribution across quick commerce and offline channels, as it looks to launch a wide range of products. Troovy was founded in 2023 by Mansi Baranwal and Aditya Mukherjee with the goal of providing nutritious food. Its portfolio spans categories such as snacks, sauces and spreads, and millet pasta. It says its vacuum-cooked potato chips have 10-12% oil and high protein, compared with 35-40% oil in mainstream chips. It also promises clean-label ketchups and seasonings without synthetic additives or preservatives. Read more Other NewsQwikBuild raises $2.3M in pre-seed funding, enters Japan through JV Bengaluru-based enterprise AI startup QwikBuild has raised $2.3 million in pre-seed funding from Globalway Inc, Blume Ventures, Marsshot, DeVC and angel investors, including Groww founder Lalit Keshre and Cure.fit founder Ankit Nagori. The company also announced a joint venture with publicly listed Japanese firm Globalway to enter Japan’s enterprise market. QwikBuild uses autonomous AI agents to build bespoke enterprise software in days, enabling businesses to automate workflows, modernise legacy systems and integrate applications with existing platforms such as SAP and Salesforce. The startup currently serves enterprises across India, the US and Singapore. PhonePe rebrands Indus Appstore, targets digital goods market with 200 million devices PhonePe has rebranded its homegrown app marketplace, Indus Appstore, as PhonePe Appstore, as it expands into digital goods and services. The platform is available on more than 200 million devices through original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnerships, with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana among its top markets. Alongside apps and games, users can access gift cards and digital top-ups, with gaming top-ups scheduled to launch first. PhonePe has also introduced phonepeappstore.com, a webstore for discovering and purchasing digital products through browsers. The platform aims to offer developers alternative distribution and monetisation opportunities through payments, advertising and digital sales. ixigo co-founder Rajnish Kumar launches Rs 1 crore fund to back IIT Kanpur startups ixigo co-founder and Group Co-CEO Rajnish Kumar has launched the Rs 1 crore Made in Fire Fund to support technology-led startups founded by graduating IIT Kanpur students. Beginning with the Class of 2026, the initiative will select 10 startups per batch, offering each Rs 10 lakh in non-dilutive prototype funding. Beyond capital, founders will receive mentorship from Kumar, ixigo’s leadership team and its wider entrepreneur network, alongside product reviews, go-to-market guidance, hiring support and investor introductions. The fund will prioritise founder conviction, customer understanding and execution over pitch decks, backing ventures across AI, SaaS, deep tech, mobility, healthcare and other technology sectors. CHOSEN Extends Series A with Backing from Wellbeing Nutrition Founders CHOSEN, India's first exposome-based dermocosmetic brand, has extended its Series A round with investment from Wellbeing Nutrition founders Avnish Chhabria and Saurabh Kapoor, joining Fireside Ventures, L'Oréal's BOLD, and Alkemi Growth Capital. The fresh capital will strengthen R&D, expand the formulation pipeline across topicals and nutraceuticals, and fund a dermatologist-led Centre of Excellence. Founded in 2020 by Dr Renita Rajan, the Chennai-based brand formulates melanin-rich Indian skin, targeting pigmentation, texture, contour and hair ageing. It offers over 50 products prescribed by more than 2,000 doctors, and raised a $5 million Series A in May 2026. Bellatrix Aerospace appoints Kiran U as CFO to drive growth and international expansion Bengaluru-based in-space mobility company Bellatrix Aerospace has appointed Kiran U as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead its financial strategy and support business expansion. A Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, Kiran brings over 17 years of experience across financial planning, treasury, capital raising, taxation, audit and investor relations. In his new role, he will focus on capital efficiency, funding diversification, financial discipline and operational scalability as the company pursues international opportunities and expands its commercial pipeline. Bellatrix Aerospace develops in-space propulsion technologies, including Arka Hall Effect Thrusters and Rudra Green Propulsion Systems, for satellite and space missions. PB Money secures SEBI licence to expand retail access to bonds PB Money, an investment platform strategically partnered with Paisabazaar, has received a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) licence as an Online Bond Platform Provider (OBPP). The licence allows the platform to manage the entire bond investment journey, covering investor onboarding, KYC, bond discovery, order placement, payments and post-investment servicing. Through its partnership with Paisabazaar, PB Money aims to reach a wider consumer base and simplify access to fixed-income products. Investors can compare bonds based on parameters such as yield, credit rating and investment amount, helping them evaluate options and diversify their portfolios." PhysicsWallah’s School of Startups partners with DPIIT to support 25,000 startups PhysicsWallah’s School of Startups (PW SoS) has partnered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under a two-year agreement to support 25,000 early-stage startups across India. The initiative will focus on entrepreneurs in Tier-II and Tier-III cities and rural areas, offering training, mentorship, incubation, seed funding and investor access. Programmes include PW UDYAMI, a 90-day online course with one year of mentorship, and a six-month DeepTech Accelerator. The partnership will also support prototype development, corporate pilot projects and growth-stage funding readiness, aiming to strengthen regional entrepreneurship and innovation. Read more Let’s Game Now raises Rs 30 Cr from Anand Mahindra and other investors Let’s Game Now, an Indian gaming and esports company, has closed a Rs 30 crore investment round backed by Anand Mahindra, Bestvantage Investments and a UAE-based family office. The company will use the funding to accelerate the development of the Indian Super Gaming League (ISGL), a franchise-based competition combining gaming, sports, entertainment and technology. The league has also received backing from actors Ranveer Singh and Abhishek Bachchan. Let’s Game Now claims a community of over 1.4 million members and has organised more than 2,000 events. Bestvantage Investments advised the company exclusively on the investment round. Oracle, Snowflake bring AI Data Cloud to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Oracle and Snowflake have announced that Snowflake AI Data Cloud will be available as a native, first-party service on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), expanding options for enterprises seeking to use their data for artificial intelligence and analytics. Customers will be able to purchase, provision and consume the service directly through Oracle, with unified pricing and billing. They can also use Oracle Universal Credits, simplifying procurement and enabling them to draw on existing cloud commitments. The integration is designed to bring Snowflake’s analytics and AI capabilities closer to enterprise data held across Oracle services, including Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications, NetSuite and Oracle databases. HCLTech launches AI-powered nano GCC offering with AWS HCLTech has launched an AI-powered nano Global Capability Centre (GCC) offering built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), aimed at helping enterprises transition from AI experimentation to business outcomes. Part of its GCC 360 solution suite, the model combines HCLTech’s advisory expertise and AI platforms, including AI Force, with AWS infrastructure and agentic AI services. The offering targets established GCCs seeking AI-led transformation and mid-market companies looking to enter new geographies with lower risk. It focuses on compact, product-centric teams, AI-enabled workflows, autonomous IT operations, engineering, data analytics and intelligent business operations. BonV Aero completes high-altitude logistics drone trials Bhubaneswar-based uncrewed aerial systems manufacturer BonV Aero has completed fleet testing of its logistics drones across remote, high-altitude locations, demonstrating payload transport at elevations ranging from 10,500 to 16,500 feet. The trials involved carrying a 32-kg payload and evaluated the performance of heavy-payload unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in challenging operating conditions. The latest trials build on the company’s earlier achievement of lifting 30 kg to 19,024 feet at Umling La in Ladakh in 2023. It has also supplied 45 heavy-payload UAVs to the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Vashi Integrated Solutions plans 22 solar marts across 10 states Vashi Integrated Solutions plans to establish 22 Vashi Mart outlets across 10 states by FY 2026-27 to improve access to solar equipment and installation essentials for rooftop solar installers. The initiative aims to address procurement challenges, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, by bringing inventory and technical support closer to project locations. The first phase will cover Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand and Odisha. The outlets will primarily serve residential rooftop solar installations, while also supporting smaller commercial and industrial projects. Freshworks acquires Israeli company Robusta Dev Freshworks, the Nasdaq listed SaaS company has acquired Israeli firm Robusta Dev Ltd for an undisclosed value. Robusta is a developer of an open source project monitoring platform. A statement from Freshworks said this acquisition strengthens its capabilities in the segments of incident management and IT operations. It further added it bridges the gap between deep diagnostic intelligence, IT service management, and modern incident orchestration powered by platforms like FireHydrant. "Our technology lets AI Agents do that effectively in large enterprise environments, where there are so many raw events that investigating each one individually would be exorbitant from a token cost perspective. We're incredibly excited to join Freshworks, which gives us the scale and platform to bring that experience to engineering teams everywhere, while keeping humans firmly in control of decisions that touch production," said Natan Yellin, co-founder and CEO of Robusta. Freshworks said the combined entity will bring its AI-powered incident intelligence capabilities into Freshservice workflows while deepening interoperability with incident response platforms like FireHydrant. The statement said the technology platform of Robusta is optimised for large scale production environments where it covers diagnosis, treatment and prevention. (The copy will be updated with the latest news through the day)

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From Jio Platforms making a strong debut on the National Stock Exchange on Wednesday with its shares gaining 21.3% over the issue price of Rs 1,119 apiece, to AI that can generate almost anything we ask for, here are the latest developments across sectors. Featured StoriesWhen content becomes infinite, what makes people pay attention? We are living in a world where content is no longer scarce. There is more news, more videos, more creators, and, AI that can generate almost anything we ask for. But this abundance brings a new challenge: when everyone is creating content, how do you get someone to stop scrolling, pay attention, and come back? On the sidelines of TechSparks 2026, Avinash Mudaliar, Co-founder and CEO of HT Media Labs and the creator of Saregama Carvaan; Deepit Purkayastha, Co-founder and CEO of Inshorts; and GSN Aditya, COO of Eloelo Group, came together for a discussion titled The Format Is the Product: When Content Becomes Infinite. Read more Latest NewsJio Platforms makes strong market debut, lists on NSE with a gain of 21.3% Jio Platforms made a strong debut on the National Stock Exchange on Wednesday with its shares gaining 21.3% over the issue price of Rs 1,119 apiece, resulting in a market capitalisation of Rs 12.5 lakh crore. The share opened at Rs 1,358 and reached an intraday high of Rs 1,374.50. It was trading at Rs 1,366.60 at 11:41 am with a market capitalisation of Rs 12,58,045.70 crore. Jio Platforms' Rs 30,213-crore IPO received an overwhelming response from investors. It was oversubscribed in less than two hours on opening day, and closed with a 22X oversubscription. Read more Funding News Healthy snack brand Troovy raises Rs 100 Cr in Series B round led by Fireside Ventures Troovy, a food and snacks brand, has raised Rs 100 crore in a Series B round of funding led by Fireside Ventures, with participation from Sharrp Ventures and other investors. The Gurugram-based brand will use the funding for R&D, expanding its manufacturing capacity, and scaling distribution across quick commerce and offline channels, as it looks to launch a wide range of products. Troovy was founded in 2023 by Mansi Baranwal and Aditya Mukherjee with the goal of providing nutritious food. Its portfolio spans categories such as snacks, sauces and spreads, and millet pasta. It says its vacuum-cooked potato chips have 10-12% oil and high protein, compared with 35-40% oil in mainstream chips. It also promises clean-label ketchups and seasonings without synthetic additives or preservatives. Read more Other NewsQwikBuild raises $2.3M in pre-seed funding, enters Japan through JV Bengaluru-based enterprise AI startup QwikBuild has raised $2.3 million in pre-seed funding from Globalway Inc, Blume Ventures, Marsshot, DeVC and angel investors, including Groww founder Lalit Keshre and Cure.fit founder Ankit Nagori. The company also announced a joint venture with publicly listed Japanese firm Globalway to enter Japan’s enterprise market. QwikBuild uses autonomous AI agents to build bespoke enterprise software in days, enabling businesses to automate workflows, modernise legacy systems and integrate applications with existing platforms such as SAP and Salesforce. The startup currently serves enterprises across India, the US and Singapore. PhonePe rebrands Indus Appstore, targets digital goods market with 200 million devices PhonePe has rebranded its homegrown app marketplace, Indus Appstore, as PhonePe Appstore, as it expands into digital goods and services. The platform is available on more than 200 million devices through original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partnerships, with Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Bihar, Karnataka and Telangana among its top markets. Alongside apps and games, users can access gift cards and digital top-ups, with gaming top-ups scheduled to launch first. PhonePe has also introduced phonepeappstore.com, a webstore for discovering and purchasing digital products through browsers. The platform aims to offer developers alternative distribution and monetisation opportunities through payments, advertising and digital sales. ixigo co-founder Rajnish Kumar launches Rs 1 crore fund to back IIT Kanpur startups ixigo co-founder and Group Co-CEO Rajnish Kumar has launched the Rs 1 crore Made in Fire Fund to support technology-led startups founded by graduating IIT Kanpur students. Beginning with the Class of 2026, the initiative will select 10 startups per batch, offering each Rs 10 lakh in non-dilutive prototype funding. Beyond capital, founders will receive mentorship from Kumar, ixigo’s leadership team and its wider entrepreneur network, alongside product reviews, go-to-market guidance, hiring support and investor introductions. The fund will prioritise founder conviction, customer understanding and execution over pitch decks, backing ventures across AI, SaaS, deep tech, mobility, healthcare and other technology sectors. CHOSEN Extends Series A with Backing from Wellbeing Nutrition Founders CHOSEN, India's first exposome-based dermocosmetic brand, has extended its Series A round with investment from Wellbeing Nutrition founders Avnish Chhabria and Saurabh Kapoor, joining Fireside Ventures, L'Oréal's BOLD, and Alkemi Growth Capital. The fresh capital will strengthen R&D, expand the formulation pipeline across topicals and nutraceuticals, and fund a dermatologist-led Centre of Excellence. Founded in 2020 by Dr Renita Rajan, the Chennai-based brand formulates melanin-rich Indian skin, targeting pigmentation, texture, contour and hair ageing. It offers over 50 products prescribed by more than 2,000 doctors, and raised a $5 million Series A in May 2026. Bellatrix Aerospace appoints Kiran U as CFO to drive growth and international expansion Bengaluru-based in-space mobility company Bellatrix Aerospace has appointed Kiran U as its Chief Financial Officer (CFO) to lead its financial strategy and support business expansion. A Chartered Accountant and Company Secretary, Kiran brings over 17 years of experience across financial planning, treasury, capital raising, taxation, audit and investor relations. In his new role, he will focus on capital efficiency, funding diversification, financial discipline and operational scalability as the company pursues international opportunities and expands its commercial pipeline. Bellatrix Aerospace develops in-space propulsion technologies, including Arka Hall Effect Thrusters and Rudra Green Propulsion Systems, for satellite and space missions. PB Money secures SEBI licence to expand retail access to bonds PB Money, an investment platform strategically partnered with Paisabazaar, has received a Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) licence as an Online Bond Platform Provider (OBPP). The licence allows the platform to manage the entire bond investment journey, covering investor onboarding, KYC, bond discovery, order placement, payments and post-investment servicing. Through its partnership with Paisabazaar, PB Money aims to reach a wider consumer base and simplify access to fixed-income products. Investors can compare bonds based on parameters such as yield, credit rating and investment amount, helping them evaluate options and diversify their portfolios." PhysicsWallah’s School of Startups partners with DPIIT to support 25,000 startups PhysicsWallah’s School of Startups (PW SoS) has partnered with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under a two-year agreement to support 25,000 early-stage startups across India. The initiative will focus on entrepreneurs in Tier-II and Tier-III cities and rural areas, offering training, mentorship, incubation, seed funding and investor access. Programmes include PW UDYAMI, a 90-day online course with one year of mentorship, and a six-month DeepTech Accelerator. The partnership will also support prototype development, corporate pilot projects and growth-stage funding readiness, aiming to strengthen regional entrepreneurship and innovation. Read more Let’s Game Now raises Rs 30 Cr from Anand Mahindra and other investors Let’s Game Now, an Indian gaming and esports company, has closed a Rs 30 crore investment round backed by Anand Mahindra, Bestvantage Investments and a UAE-based family office. The company will use the funding to accelerate the development of the Indian Super Gaming League (ISGL), a franchise-based competition combining gaming, sports, entertainment and technology. The league has also received backing from actors Ranveer Singh and Abhishek Bachchan. Let’s Game Now claims a community of over 1.4 million members and has organised more than 2,000 events. Bestvantage Investments advised the company exclusively on the investment round. Oracle, Snowflake bring AI Data Cloud to Oracle Cloud Infrastructure Oracle and Snowflake have announced that Snowflake AI Data Cloud will be available as a native, first-party service on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI), expanding options for enterprises seeking to use their data for artificial intelligence and analytics. Customers will be able to purchase, provision and consume the service directly through Oracle, with unified pricing and billing. They can also use Oracle Universal Credits, simplifying procurement and enabling them to draw on existing cloud commitments. The integration is designed to bring Snowflake’s analytics and AI capabilities closer to enterprise data held across Oracle services, including Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications, NetSuite and Oracle databases. HCLTech launches AI-powered nano GCC offering with AWS HCLTech has launched an AI-powered nano Global Capability Centre (GCC) offering built on Amazon Web Services (AWS), aimed at helping enterprises transition from AI experimentation to business outcomes. Part of its GCC 360 solution suite, the model combines HCLTech’s advisory expertise and AI platforms, including AI Force, with AWS infrastructure and agentic AI services. The offering targets established GCCs seeking AI-led transformation and mid-market companies looking to enter new geographies with lower risk. It focuses on compact, product-centric teams, AI-enabled workflows, autonomous IT operations, engineering, data analytics and intelligent business operations. BonV Aero completes high-altitude logistics drone trials Bhubaneswar-based uncrewed aerial systems manufacturer BonV Aero has completed fleet testing of its logistics drones across remote, high-altitude locations, demonstrating payload transport at elevations ranging from 10,500 to 16,500 feet. The trials involved carrying a 32-kg payload and evaluated the performance of heavy-payload unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in challenging operating conditions. The latest trials build on the company’s earlier achievement of lifting 30 kg to 19,024 feet at Umling La in Ladakh in 2023. It has also supplied 45 heavy-payload UAVs to the Indian Army’s Eastern Command. Vashi Integrated Solutions plans 22 solar marts across 10 states Vashi Integrated Solutions plans to establish 22 Vashi Mart outlets across 10 states by FY 2026-27 to improve access to solar equipment and installation essentials for rooftop solar installers. The initiative aims to address procurement challenges, particularly in Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets, by bringing inventory and technical support closer to project locations. The first phase will cover Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Uttarakhand and Odisha. The outlets will primarily serve residential rooftop solar installations, while also supporting smaller commercial and industrial projects. Freshworks acquires Israeli company Robusta Dev Freshworks, the Nasdaq listed SaaS company has acquired Israeli firm Robusta Dev Ltd for an undisclosed value. Robusta is a developer of an open source project monitoring platform. A statement from Freshworks said this acquisition strengthens its capabilities in the segments of incident management and IT operations. It further added it bri
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