Big news for Indian startups!

Happy Friday! The weekend is almost here but the news never stops! 💪🏼 Here we go: 𝟏. 𝐉𝐢𝐨, 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐥 𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 🛰️ In a move that's set to shake up India's telecom landscape, Reliance's Jio Platforms has secured the green light to launch its own satellites. This cosmic clearance paves the way for Jio's joint venture with Luxembourg's SES to beam high-speed internet from the heavens. But Jio isn't the only one with its eyes on the skies. Bharti Airtel, through its partnership with OneWeb, is also gearing up to enter the satellite broadband race. And with global tech titans like Amazon and Elon Musk's Starlink also eyeing the Indian market, the stage is set for a celestial showdown. The Stakes: - India's satellite broadband market projected to hit $1.9 billion by 2030 - Government pushing to boost connectivity, especially in remote areas - Increased competition expected to drive innovation and lower prices for consumers - Strategic significance as India aims to bolster its space industry and geopolitical clout For Jio, this regulatory nod is a major boost. With SES by its side, the company is well-positioned to tap into the projected growth and potentially dominate the market. But with Airtel and the global tech giants also in the mix, Jio will have to navigate a complex cosmic landscape to come out on top. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙅𝙞𝙤'𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚, 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝘼𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙖 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧. 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙙𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 $1.9 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 2030, 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙚𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙨𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨. 🛰️📡 Source: Reuters - https://tinyurl.com/34xt8h5s 𝟐. 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒 𝐅𝐢𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐨: 𝐀𝐥𝐚𝐤𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐲 𝐯/𝐬 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐓𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test (NEET) UG 2024 exam has been marred by controversy, with allegations of paper leaks, misconduct, and unfair means. Here's a concise overview of the key issues and developments: Key Issues - Grace Marks: 1563 students received grace marks due to alleged time loss, sparking concerns about fairness. - Increase in Toppers: 67 candidates achieved perfect scores, raising doubts about the exam's integrity. - Paper Leak Allegations: The NTA denied any evidence of a paper leak, but 13 persons were detained in Bihar on suspicion. NTA's Response - Press Conference: The NTA Secretary explained the normalisation formula and average marks, but failed to address concerns. - High Performing Committee: The NTA formed a committee to review allegations, but its findings are yet to be released. Alakh Pandey's Efforts - PIL in Supreme Court: Alakh Pandey, founder of PhysicsWallah, filed a PIL seeking a probe into the NEET UG 2024 exam controversy. - Legal Notice: Pandey plans to send a legal notice to the NTA to address concerns and irregularities in the exam results. In the latest development signalling a win for Alakh Pandey, NTA cancelled the grace marks awarded to 1,563 candidates and re-test has been offered. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙉𝙀𝙀𝙏 2024 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙠𝙝 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙮'𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙚𝙙𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙘𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨' 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙟𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙮𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨. 𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙮'𝙨 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚, 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙮. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙚𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙨𝙢. 📢🔍 Source: Business Standard - https://tinyurl.com/bddx8hvm 𝟑. 𝐄𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐌𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $𝟏𝟑𝐌 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐗𝐕, 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 Ethereal Machines manufactures advanced multi-axis computer numerical control (CNC) machines, which are used to produce precision engineering components in a fast and cost-effective manner. CNC technology allows for the automated control of machine tools like mills, lathes, and grinders using computer programming. This enables the creation of highly complex parts with sub-10 micron accuracy, which is critical for industries like aerospace, healthcare, and consumer electronics. Ethereal Machines' focus on developing India's domestic CNC capabilities is significant, as it aims to reduce the country's reliance on imported precision manufacturing equipment. By building advanced "Smart Factory" facilities, the startup is positioning itself to be a key driver of India's push for greater self-reliance and global competitiveness in the manufacturing sector. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨' $13𝙈 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝘼 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙪𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘽𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜-𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝘾𝙉𝘾 𝙢𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙀𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙈𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙝𝙪𝙗 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮'𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝘼𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨, 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙮𝙯𝙚 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙤𝙛 "𝙈𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖" 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙-𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙨. 🇮🇳🏭 Source: YourStory - https://tinyurl.com/5ex637js 𝟒. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐦’𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝟑.𝟎 - 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐢 𝐡𝐚𝐢 𝐭𝐨𝐡 𝐦𝐮𝐦𝐤𝐢𝐦 𝐡𝐚𝐢? The Modi government's third term is widely anticipated to be a boon for India's burgeoning startup ecosystem. The startup community has pinned high hopes on the new administration, expecting a slew of favorable policies and initiatives that could turbocharge entrepreneurial growth. The key expectations? - Angel tax removal: Startups and VCs hope the new government will repeal the controversial angel tax, which has stifled early-stage funding. - Funding boost: The government is expected to set up a ₹50,000 crore startup fund to provide a much-needed capital injection. - Expansion of incubator network: Plans to work with the private sector to expand incubators and link them to universities, fostering entrepreneurship. - Easing regulations: Simplifying compliance and making it easier for startups to operate, especially in new sectors. - Focus on manufacturing: The government is likely to prioritize startups in areas like defense, drones, EVs and clean energy to drive job creation. - Digital ecosystem support: Addressing challenges around interoperability, cybersecurity and the digital divide to empower fintechs and digital innovation. Overall, the startup community is cautiously optimistic that the Modi 3.0 government will usher in a more conducive policy environment and funding landscape to accelerate India's entrepreneurial growth and cement its position as a global startup hub. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮'𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝 𝙝𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙞 3.0 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜; 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙤𝙧 𝙗𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙠 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨. 𝘽𝙮 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙗𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙠𝙨, 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙜𝙖𝙥𝙨, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙛𝙧𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙖 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙚𝙧𝙖 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙟𝙤𝙗 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚𝙨, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙩 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙛 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙤𝙙𝙞 3.0'𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙚𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 🔥🇮🇳 𝟓. 𝐒𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐂𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐬 🚀 South Park Commons (SPC), the San Francisco-based early-stage VC firm, is setting up shop in the heart of India's tech scene: Bengaluru. And they're not coming alone. Flipkart co-founder Binny Bansal is joining forces with SPC as both an investor and mentor for their Indian odyssey. The Mission: - Back bold AI startups leveraging India's deep tech talent pool - Bring together a community of top technical minds to turn ideas into ventures - Support founders from the very beginning ("-1 to 0" philosophy) - Foster stronger ties between Indian and US startup ecosystems With Bansal's entrepreneurial acumen and xto10x experience, SPC is poised to identify and nurture India's most promising tech seedlings. Bengaluru, with its thriving startup scene and concentration of technical expertise, is the perfect soil for SPC's unique "community-driven" approach to venture building. But SPC's ambitions go beyond just writing checks. They aim to cultivate a rich cross-pollination of ideas and talent between India and the US, positioning India as a global tech powerhouse in the making. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙡'𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙭𝙩𝙤10𝙭 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙎𝙋𝘾 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙛𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙪𝙥𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨. 𝘼𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙑𝘾𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙨𝙪𝙞𝙩, 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙤-𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙢𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨. 𝙉𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙪𝙥 :) Source: YourStory - https://tinyurl.com/3w9b55ur 𝟔. 𝐁𝟐𝐁 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐠𝐬 $𝟓 𝐌𝐧 𝐅𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐱 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚, 𝐎𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 🏚️ The B2B home decor startup Trampoline has raised $5 million in seed funding from Matrix Partners India and WaterBridge Ventures, with additional venture debt from Alteria Capital. The funding will help Trampoline enhance its supply chain, accelerate new product development, and grow its team. Trampoline aims to democratize design-led home decor by offering a full-stack experience from design to delivery, providing small retailers access to tools typically available only to large retailers. The startup plans to leverage the 'China Plus One' strategy and cater to rising demand for handmade, design-focused products by building strong supply chains in India and Southeast Asia. The home decor market in India is projected to grow significantly, with the online segment expected to reach $5.4 billion by 2025. Trampoline is entering a crowded but promising space, competing with startups like Nestasia, The Purple Turtles, and Livspace, which recently achieved unicorn status. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚'𝙨 $5 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙗𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩, 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 $5.4 𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙮 2025. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣-𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙨, 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚, 𝙉𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙖, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙫𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖, 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚𝙨. 🇮🇳🏠 Source: Inc42 - https://tinyurl.com/87a5ttfk 𝟕. 𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐎𝐫 𝐍𝐨𝐭? 𝐏𝐚𝐲𝐭𝐦 𝐄𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐲𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 Paytm, the once-shining star of India's tech scene, is now facing a storm of allegations from its own employees. As the company navigates a rocky restructuring, workers claim they're being pressured to jump ship voluntarily, rather than being given the lifeboats of severance and promised bonuses. The Allegations: - HR team pressuring employees to resign voluntarily - Threats of disciplinary action, including "termination with cause", for those who refuse - Some employees report not receiving promised bonuses - Paytm denies allegations, claiming "fairness and transparency" Beneath the surface, this scandal is a symptom of a deeper malaise. As Paytm grapples with regulatory headwinds and investor pressure, it's resorting to cost-cutting measures that may save the bottom line in the short term, but could erode employee trust and morale in the long run. 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙋𝙖𝙮𝙩𝙢'𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙤𝙛𝙛𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙖 𝙨𝙮𝙢𝙥𝙩𝙤𝙢 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙚 – 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜-𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧. 𝘼𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙮𝙩𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙮 𝙖𝙛𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙩. 𝙃𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧, 𝙞𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙨𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡-𝙗𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙙𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙜𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙩𝙝. 𝘼𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙮 𝙣𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙘 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮, 𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙘𝙧𝙪𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙖𝙮𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙙𝙖𝙥𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. 📉💼 Source: Inc42 - https://tinyurl.com/ys353jw9 -- Well, that's the roundup for today, have a great Friday and weekend! 🍻

In a landmark deal, Silicon Valley powerhouse General Catalyst has acquired Venture Highway, a seed-stage investment firm with a track record of backing winners like Meesho and Mobile Premier League. The Deal: - Rare instance of consolidation in the Indian VC market - VH to be rebranded as General Catalyst India - GC plans to invest $500 million to $1 billion in India over the next three years - Acquisition driven by desire to build strong local team and tap into local LP network But the move also raises important questions. Will this trigger a wave of consolidation in the Indian VC market? Will other global firms follow suit and snap up local players to gain a foothold in the country? And how will this influx of foreign capital shape the trajectory of India's startup ecosystem? As the dust settles on this landmark deal, one thing is clear: India's startup scene is entering a new era, one where local innovation and global capital are increasingly intertwined.

Always long on India 🇮🇳 Image Credits: The Arc

We know what went down the drain (our money 😭) but what is good?

My first thought is that, inflation adjusted returns will soon become lucrative for investors as some amount of capital returns to VC Funds. Any other thoughts/differing PoVs?

What is Angel tax and what are the consequences for Indian startup’s as the valuation method may not be best for startups

Why did this happen? Slice already owns an NBFC license. What does this help them achieve? "to better serve their shared mission and reach more consumers who currently lack access to basic banking services"

As we bid farewell to the challenges of the past, let's delve into why 2024 is poised to be a game-changer for the Indian Startups! 🚀 In 2020, the world weathered the storm of COVID, followed by unprecedented quantitative easing. We then saw that in 2021 the bull run came soaring. Investors, fueled by the appetite for riskier assets led to a funding boom for startups as salaries soared. Fast forward to 2022, and the music is about to stop. The realization that the Fed would hike rates to curb inflation means that funding is about to dry up as big money will be invested away into debt/T-Bills. Though demand remained robust, the stock market felt the impact as JPow raised the interest rates. Late 2022 and 2023 saw the tech landscape experiencing layoffs, and startups facing significant headwinds. It’s a wonder if anyone raised this year. But here's the twist—2024 looks brighter. The stock markets have rebounded to all-time highs, signaling that things may be on the rise. Despite geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and Iraq, the macro outlook for India shines bright. For Indian Startups? VC Funding is still here to stay. So keep your heads down and keep building. From what I am hearing, it is set to make a roaring comeback. There is now significant rationality in the funding ecosystem leading to realistic valuations. However, this revival will come with a plot twist. Newer companies, fueled by fresh funding, are set to rise, while most of the lofty valuations of those who raised in 2021 are about to crash and burn. So buckle up folks. Let’s see where it takes us. What do you think? 🤔

- The angel tax, introduced in 2012 to curb money laundering through startup investments, has been scrapped as announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on July 23, 2024. - Angel Tax, under Section 56 (2) (vii b) of the Income Tax Act, taxed funds raised by startups from angel investors exceeding the fair market value of the company, often at around 31 percent. - Startups have long criticized the tax as impractical and excessively harsh, with many receiving tax notices years after raising funds, sometimes owing more in taxes and fees than the original investment. - Initially, the tax applied only to domestic investors but was later extended to foreign investors as well. Exemptions existed for DPIIT-registered startups, but only if certified by the Inter-Ministerial Board, a status achieved by less than 1 percent of registered startups. - The removal of the angel tax is expected to bring significant relief to startups and their investors, fostering a more favorable environment for innovation and growth in the startup ecosystem. Source: Moneycontrol