Category Archives: Business

Mirabilis Investment Trust Leads Rs 35 Crore Pre-Series C Funding for Women’s Wellness Brand NUA

Mumbai, Feb 6, 2025: Women’s wellness and hygiene brand Nua has raised Rs 35 crore in a pre series C round led by Mirabilis Investment Trust. The round also saw participation from distinguished investors including Samir Singh, EVP – Asia, Colgate Palmolive & Former Chair of Unilever SE Asia, Shuchi Kothari, Head of DSP Family Office and SRF Limited. The funds raised will be strategically deployed towards retail expansion and new product introductions across key channels such as marketplaces, quick commerce and offline retail. The Company has raised $21.5 million so far (including the current round) from leading investors including Lightbox VC (One of the earliest backers of Nua), Kae Capital, renowned actress Deepika Padukone and former Global President of Unilever, Vindi Banga.

Ravi Ramachandran, CEO & Co-founder, Nua says, “The past 12 months have been exceptional for Nua. Not only have we turned profitable but we have also grown over 2.5x in revenue. We reached an important milestone by becoming profitable in Q2, crossed Rs. 100 Cr net revenue ARR in Q3 and are now on track to reach Rs. 150 Cr net revenue ARR in the next quarter. The capital raised in the current round will accelerate our journey to achieving the growth milestones we have set for ourselves.”

Nua’s focus is on building a superlative and holistic experience for women with safe and high-quality products, engaging content and strong community have helped it differentiate in a large and growing space. This success has been driven by word-of-mouth and incredible customer loyalty. The Company will continue investing in new products, content and emerging channels to accelerate this momentum over the next 6-8 quarters, he adds.

Over the last 12 months, the company has added new product segments with a focus on comfort and toxic-free positioning – Extra Long Night Pads, Disposable period panties, menstrual cups and post-partum products. Nua’s products are available on their website and on various ecommerce platforms such as Zepto, Amazon, Flipkart and others.

Commenting on the fund raise, Srinivas Seshadri, Head of Investments at Mirabilis Investment Trust., says, “We look forward to a great journey with Nua in reshaping the menstrual health landscape in our country. The team has demonstrated exceptional growth and a clear path to sustained profitability, while serving a greater purpose—normalizing conversations around menstrual health, offering holistic solutions and empowering women with better choices. Nua’s broad product portfolio and strong presence across channels position it very well to serve a growing tribe of women seeking exceptional performance, value and convenience.”

RBI MPC February 2025 EXPECTATION – Signature Global (India) Ltd

Mr. Pradeep Aggarwal, Founder & Chairman, Signature Global (India) Ltd.

“A potential repo rate cut by the RBI in its upcoming MPC meeting could be a pivotal move in shaping India’s economic momentum, particularly as the Union Budget 2025 is expected to drive consumption and investment. In the real estate sector, such a policy shift could lead to more affordable home loans, improving housing affordability and stimulating demand—especially in the mid and premium segments.

Moreover, the recent 50-basis-point reduction in the Cash Reserve Ratio (CRR) has already injected significant liquidity into the banking system, setting the stage for improved credit flow. If complemented by a rate cut, this could accelerate capital deployment in infrastructure and urban development, further boosting real estate growth. Given India’s rapid urbanization and rising aspirations for homeownership, a proactive monetary policy can catalyze long-term economic resilience and sustained real estate expansion.”

Angel One Celebrates Major Milestone with 30 Million Clients

Mumbai, 6th February 2025 – Angel One Limited, a leading FinTech player, has achieved a significant milestone by surpassing 30 million clients, underscoring its strong growth momentum. In January 2025, the company’s client base expanded to 30.13 million, reflecting an impressive 47.5% YoY increase. Its average client funding book surged to ₹41.99 billion, while Unique Mutual Fund SIPs grew to 765.80 thousand, marking a 57.7% YoY rise. Furthermore, the market share for overall equity turnover, based on option premium, expanded to 19.7%, marking a 192 bps YoY expansion. This exceptional growth solidifies Angel One’s leadership in the industry, powered by cutting-edge technology, a customer-first approach and an unwavering commitment to driving innovation in financial services.

With a sharp focus on Gen Z and Millennials, Angel One continues to evolve and meet the expectations of digitally savvy investors. Its Super App delivers seamless and intuitive investing experience, offering personalized recommendations, advanced trading tools and real-time market insights. The company has also launched industry first innovative features such as:

• Online DIS (Paperless Stock Transfers): Enabling secure and hassle-free transactions.
• Trailing Stop Loss : Enhances risk management by auto-adjusting stop-loss to lock in profits and limit losses as the market moves.
• Such innovations, combined with advanced technology, have fueled Angel One’s growth across Tier 2, Tier 3 and beyond cities.

Commenting on this significant milestone, Mr. Dinesh Thakkar, Chairman & Managing Director, Angel One Limited, said,” Surpassing 30 million clients is an incredible milestone that showcases our passion for innovation and our commitment to addressing the evolving needs of our clients. With a strong leadership team, we continuously integrate advanced solutions to deliver a seamless and user-friendly experience. Our cutting-edge technology enables us to offer personalized financial journeys, positioning us as leaders in the FinTech space. I would like to thank all our partners and users for being an essential part of our journey!

Ofis Square Expands to Gurugram with 30,000 Square Feet of Co-Working Office Space

Gurugram, February 2025: Ofis Square, a pioneer in premium co-working and managed office solutions, proudly announces the launch of its second centre in Gurugram. Located just 100 meters from MG Road Metro Station and 15 minutes from IGI Airport, this new centre spans an impressive 30,000 square feet and sets a new benchmark for dynamic and innovative workspaces.

Strategically positioned in the heart of Gurugram, this A-grade work space is thoughtfully designed to cater to the needs of startups, freelancers, and enterprises alike. The facility accommodates over 520 desks, premium private cabins, and fully-equipped meeting and conference rooms, offering a vibrant ecosystem for professionals to collaborate, innovate, and thrive.

The centre integrates smart IoT-enabled systems, ergonomic interiors, and thoughtfully curated spaces to ensure an inspiring work environment. It boasts a seamless blend of functionality and creativity, redefining traditional office spaces to meet the evolving demands of modern professionals. Beyond work, it features an in-house café, a guest lounge, an outdoor terrace party area, and an entertainment zone to foster a harmonious balance between productivity and relaxation.

Bollywood actress Shraddha Kapoor, the Brand Ambassador of Ofis Square, embodies the creativity and forward-thinking ethos of the brand. Her association amplifies the brand’s commitment to providing vibrant and dynamic workplaces that inspire professionals to excel.

Mrs. Saroj Mittal, Founder of Ofis Square, shares her vision: “We are thrilled to unveil our second centre in Gurugram, a space that epitomizes the future of workspaces. This tower represents our commitment to redefining office environments by offering adaptable, functional, and inspiring solutions. Whether you are an ambitious entrepreneur, a growing team, or an established enterprise, this centre is designed to be a catalyst for ideas and innovation. With Shraddha Kapoor as our Brand Ambassador, we aim to infuse creativity and energy into every corner of our spaces.”

The strategic location ensures unparalleled accessibility for professionals and businesses. Just a short walk from MG Road Metro Station and in close proximity to key urban hubs, it provides an ideal base for professionals seeking convenience and connectivity in the bustling NCR region.

Mrs. Mittal further elaborates, “At Ofis Square, we are not just building offices; we are creating ecosystems that inspire collaboration and growth. Our second centre in Gurugram stands as a testament to our philosophy a space that integrates productivity and creativity seamlessly. From state-of-the-art conference rooms to rejuvenating leisure zones, every element is designed to elevate the work experience and support our clients’ diverse needs.”

NTT DATA Completes Acquisition of Niveus Solutions

LONDON – Feb 5, 2025 – NTT DATA, a global leader in digital business and IT services, has successfully closed its previously announced acquisition of Niveus Solutions, a premier cloud engineering company specializing in Google Cloud Platform (GCP) services. The acquisition accelerates NTT DATA’s position as a leading provider of GCP solutions and strengthens its capabilities to deliver transformative cloud services to global clients. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.

Niveus Solutions supports NTT DATA’s commitment to expanding its global Google Cloud Business Unit and enhances its Cloud and AI portfolio to help clients achieve their vision of an AI-led enterprise. The acquisition builds on NTT DATA’s recently expanded strategic partnership with Google Cloud which focuses on co-innovating data analytics and GenAI solutions for enterprise clients.

Niveus Solutions adds over 1,000 GCP engineering professionals to NTT DATA’s cloud services team with expertise in GCP native modernization, data analytics and AI, further bolstering NTT DATA’s capabilities. With a proven track record across industries such as financial services, manufacturing, automotive, retail and logistics, Niveus Solutions enhances NTT DATA’s capabilities to deliver scalable, secure and industry specific cloud solutions globally.

Josh Debuts DreamCall, Enabling Direct Live Voice Interactions Between Users and Broadcasters

Bengaluru, February 5, 2025: Josh, India’s fastest-growing short video platform, introduces DreamCall, an innovative live voice-based social feature that transforms how users connect and interact with broadcasters. This launch marks a significant milestone in Josh’s mission to build immersive social experiences for its diverse user base.

 DreamCall enables real-time voice conversations with broadcasters, allowing users to build authentic connections through personalised one-on-one interactions. The hosts create a comforting space for free-flowing conversations, from heartfelt stories and personal dreams to light-hearted banter and deep self-reflection. These interactions uplift, connect, and combat loneliness with warmth and understanding. With active broadcasters, the feature supports multiple languages and diverse interest categories, spanning astrology, fashion, fitness, entertainment, and lifestyle. It operates through Josh’s in-app currency system, Jems, offering a seamless pay-per-minute model that rewards broadcasters while providing value to users.

 Since its soft launch, DreamCall has achieved remarkable success, with over 350 active multilingual broadcasters, including 10% TTMK hosts, bringing their unique perspectives and expertise to the platform. The feature has already facilitated over 75,000 successful calls, totaling over 2,000 hours of calling, with an impressive 25% repeat caller rate. Supporting these conversations is a comprehensive quality monitoring system that ensures all interactions remain safe and enjoyable. Additionally, the platform features a gifting mechanism allowing users to send virtual gifts during calls, creating more rewarding and memorable experiences for broadcasters and users.

 Sunder Venketraman, Chief Business Officer – Content & Live Ecosystem, Josh, said, “DreamCall represents a significant leap forward in our mission to create immersive and meaningful social experiences for our users. By enabling real-time voice conversations, we cultivate authentic connections and provide a platform where users can engage in heartfelt and enriching interactions. The success of DreamCall, with its impressive engagement metrics and diverse range of broadcasters, underscores the value it brings to our community. We are committed to ensuring these interactions remain safe and enjoyable through our comprehensive quality monitoring system. Introducing the gifting mechanism further enhances the experience, making each interaction more memorable and rewarding. We’re excited to see how this feature will continue to enhance the Josh community.”

Kritrim Launches AI Lab for Frontier Research in India, Promises Rs 10,000 Crore Investment

Bengaluru, February 5, 2025: kritrim, India’s first AI unicorn, today announced the launch of kritrim AI Lab, the country’s first AI frontier research lab. This pioneering initiative is set to make AI research accessible, attract the best talent, and establish India as a global leader in open-source AI. As AI transforms industries worldwide, kritrim AI Lab takes a step towards creating state-of-the-art AI infrastructure, supporting the research and developer community, and building cutting-edge AI models tailored for Indic languages and real-world applications.

In line with building its growth roadmap, kritrim announced an investment of ₹2,000 Cr today (equity and debt) with a commitment of ₹10,000 Cr by next year. kritrim also strengthens its global collaborations, by announcing India’s first GB200 cluster deployment along with NVIDIA scheduled to go live by March 2025. kritrim aims to build India’s largest supercomputer in India by the end of the year.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder, kritrim said, “With kritrim, our vision is to develop AI for India and make it better for Indian languages, data scarcity and cultural context. While we are behind global benchmarks, we have made good progress in the last one year. With kritrim AI Lab, we hope that the entire Indian AI community collaborates to create a world-class Indian AI ecosystem.”

kritrim AI Lab champions open source AI and democratise AI innovation by fostering collaboration with academia, startups, and developers. It deploys state-of-the-art computing resources to accelerate AI capabilities. With its multilingual AI models that represent India’s diverse linguistic landscape, kritrim AI Lab ensures equitable access to AI across all Indian languages. By creating AI solutions optimised for scale and affordability, the research lab enables cost-efficient AI innovation and attracts top talent that pushes the boundaries of AI knowledge.

kritrim has open sourced new state-of-the art Indic AI models to enhance AI adoption in India:

kritrim AI Lab focuses on critical AI research domains essential for digital transformation and development of India’s first large-scale AI models, capable of competing globally. The multimodal Lab is aimed at building AI that understands and processes text, speech, and visuals across multiple languages. It also addresses India’s data scarcity challenge by digitising knowledge artefacts and creating high-quality datasets. Additionally, by incorporating AI for real-world scale, kritrim AI Lab ensures AI systems that are efficient and adaptable to India’s high-volume, resource-constrained environments.

To supercharge innovation in India, kritrim previously announced over 50 new services on kritrim cloud making it ready for most applications needed by Indian developers. The infrastructure services include Virtual Machines (VMs), cloud storage, state-of-the-art security measures for data protection and cutting-edge observability features for precise data monitoring. Additionally, the AI cloud services announced were AI Pods to enable low-cost access to best-in-class GPUs, AI studio for building compound AI applications, model catalogue with latest LLMs and vision models, and now code/low code training, finetuning, inference and model evaluation capabilities.

Samsung Fast-Tracks Galaxy S25 Series Deliveries for Indian Customers

Bengaluru, India – February 05, 2025: Samsung, India’s largest consumer electronics brand, today commenced early deliveries of its flagship Galaxy S25 series smartphones for customers who had pre-ordered the devices. Samsung is committed to bringing utmost delight to its customers by delivering its latest flagship smartphone to early bird customers, ahead of the official sale date of February 07, 2025.

Galaxy S25 is available in colours such as Icyblue, Silver Shadow, Navy and Mint. Galaxy S25+ is available in Navy and Silver Shadow while Galaxy S25 Ultra comes in Titanium Silverblue, Titanium Gray, Titanium Whitesilver and Titanium Black.

Consumers buying Galaxy S25 Ultra through Samsung.com will also get the option of choosing from three exclusive colours – Titanium Jadegreen, Titanium Jetblack & Titanium Pinkgold. Those buying Galaxy S25 and Galaxy S25+ from Samsung.com will also get the option of three exclusive colours – Blueblack, Coralred & Pinkgold.

Customers pre-ordering Galaxy S25 Ultra will get pre-order benefits worth INR 21000. This includes a storage upgrade worth INR 12000 wherein customers will be able to get 12GB 512GB variant at the price of the 12GB 256GB variant; along with an INR 9000 upgrade bonus.

Customers pre-ordering Galaxy S25+ will get benefits worth INR 12000 as they will get 12GB 512GB variant at the price of 12GB 256GB variant. Meanwhile, customers pre-ordering Galaxy S25 will get benefits worth INR 11000 as an upgrade bonus.

Galaxy S25 series changes the way users interact at every touchpoint by seamlessly integrating AI agents and multimodal capabilities. A first-of-its-kind customized Snapdragon® 8 Elite Mobile Platform for Galaxy chipset delivers greater on-device processing power for Galaxy AI and superior camera range and control with Galaxy’s next-gen ProVisual Engine.

Cashfree Payments Raises USD 53 Million/INR 450 Crore

Bangalore, February 5, 2024: Payments company Cashfree Payments, has raised USD 53 Million/INR 450 Crore in a funding round led by Korean digital entertainment giant, KRAFTON and existing investor Apis Growth Fund II, a private equity fund managed by Apis Partners Group (UK) Limited (“Apis Partners”). The capital will accelerate Cashfree’s payments offering and boost market outreach. This collaboration will also position Cashfree to leverage synergies with KRAFTON, fueling innovation and pioneering new solutions across multiple digital sectors.

Cashfree helps businesses collect payments online and make payouts. With an easy onboarding and integration process, and compatibility with popular merchant platforms like Shopify, Wix, WordPress, WooCommerce, WhatsApp, Cashfree enables businesses to start transactions within a day. It offers features like one-click checkout, abandoned cart recovery, and return prediction, helping businesses improve the payment experience, boost conversions and grow profitably. Cashfree connects directly with major payment networks, ensuring high success rates and reliability at scale, enabling large businesses to process 12,000 transactions per second during peak demand with ease. It has also introduced Embedded Payments, allowing platforms, ERPs, and SaaS businesses to integrate payments as a feature into their product with ease and in a compliant manner.

Akash Sinha, CEO & Co-Founder, Cashfree Payments, said, “We are excited to welcome KRAFTON as a strategic partner with continued support from our existing investors, Apis Growth Fund II and the team at Apis Partners. Our mission at Cashfree Payments has been to empower Indian businesses with the ability to transact in the digital economy with unparalleled security and efficiency. This investment will help us accelerate our key efforts – across cross-border and security innovations and international expansion – as we enter the next phase of our growth journey. Growing sustainably has been core to our identity and how we function at Cashfree Payments. We are focused on driving profitable growth as we scale. Our mission is clear: to create long-term value for our customers and lead innovation in the payments space, both in India and internationally.”

Among recent innovations, the company has built Secure ID, an identity verification stack with a comprehensive suite of APIs and KYC components, addressing the surge in fraud. SecureID enables fintechs and startups to build onboarding and KYC flows by intelligently minimising user inputs, thus reducing drop-offs, intelligently reading and verifying identity documents, and precisely detecting frauds and anomalies. SecureID has completed more than 1 billion identity and user verifications till date.

Sean Hyunil Sohn, CEO of KRAFTON India, said “India’s fintech industry is experiencing remarkable growth, and we believe Cashfree Payment’s dominant position in India can be replicated globally. As the media and entertainment sector and content consumption patterns in India continue to evolve, full-stack payment systems that specifically address the needs and requirements of the sector are crucial for enhancing user experience. The investment is part of KRAFTON’s ongoing efforts to support innovative solutions that drive growth and foster a dynamic startup ecosystem. We look forward to further strengthening this partnership and exploring future opportunities.”

Matteo Stefanel and Udayan Goyal, Co-Founders and Managing Partners at Apis Partners, commented: “As an industry leader with a history of pioneering innovations, Cashfree Payments’ proven track record continues to put it in a leadership position. We are excited to continue our support for its continued growth and success. Apis’ investment philosophy is that there should be no trade-off between returns for LPs and positive societal impact, and the investment in Cashfree is proving to be a perfect example of that.”

In FY25, Cashfree has seen merchant signups grow 130% as compared to previous years and anticipates robust revenue growth, driven by increased wallet share from existing customers and continued success in cross-selling to its broad client base. Cashfree currently processes $80 billion annually and works with 800,000 businesses, from internet startups to public enterprises.

Sayaji Pune Recognized as ‘Iconic Business Hotel’ by Times of India Group

Pune, India – Sayaji Pune, a distinguished 5-star business hotel, is thrilled to receive the prestigious ‘Iconic Business Hotel’ award from the Times of India Group, recognizing its excellence in business hospitality. This recognition highlights the hotel’s commitment to providing an exceptional blend of luxury, comfort, and functionality tailored to business travelers.

 Conveniently located off the Pune-Mumbai Highway, near major IT hubs Hinjewadi and Baner, Sayaji Pune is the preferred choice for corporate travellers. The hotel has established itself as a prime destination for professionals seeking convenience and world-class amenities.

 The hotel offers luxurious rooms with comfortable beds, high-speed internet, and spacious work desks, ensuring a seamless work-life balance. Business guests can also access state-of-the-art boardrooms, banquet halls, and event spaces for meetings and corporate gatherings.

 For wellness-focused travellers, Sayaji Pune features a fully equipped gym with expert trainers and an in-house spa for relaxation after a busy day.

 The hotel’s diverse culinary offerings include an extensive buffet catering to varied tastes, with options ranging from healthy selections to indulgent favourites at Portico. Guests can enjoy dining at Turque offering a delightful culinary experience in a luxurious setting. Dining spaces are designed for both quick bites and leisurely meals.