Ajit Balakrishnan on keeping an eye on democratising finance in India.
Tata Sons' unlisted ventures, including Air India, Tata Digital, and Tata Electronics, reported combined net losses of approximately 25,568.8 crore in FY25, a 58.3 per cent increase from the previous year, despite Tata Sons itself remaining profitable for over a decade.
The venture capital/private equity industry needs to be encouraged as such investments create jobs and help establish companies in new sectors. There is also a strong case for incentives for investors in these funds, says Saurabh Srivastava, chairman of the Indian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association.
The first quarter of the calendar year 2007 is already over. There is no sign of the VC story slowing down. This is a good sign for all the entrepreneurs out there with an idea!
India's venture capital (VC) landscape saw a strategic shift during the first half (H1) of the calendar year (CY) 2024, with a notable increase in larger-sized investments. This was evident from a 45.3 per cent rise in disclosed funding value year-on-year, despite a 2.1 per cent drop in deal volume, according to GlobalData, a data analytics and consulting company.
Global financial institutions, including Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, have invested Rs 963 crore in One 97 Communications (Paytm's parent company) through open market transactions, acquiring a 1.34 per cent stake from SAIF Partners and Elevation Capital.
The 42-year-old, who has had stints at Microsoft, Facebook and Twitter, made the announcement of leaving his role as Senior Policy Advisor for Artificial Intelligence in a post on X on Saturday.
Banks are allowed to invest up to 10 per cent of the paid-up or unit capital in Category-I or Category-II Alternative Investment Funds
Fintech and venture capital firms such as Recur Club, Razorpay and Trifecta Capital have come to the aid of homegrown start-ups caught in the crossfire of the Silicon Valley Bank fiasco. Alternative funding platform Recur Club said it was allocating $15 million to all Indian founders affected by the crisis. It will not charge any platform fee for the same.
Venezuela's Interim President Delcy Rodriguez is in New Delhi on her sixth visit to India.
Former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi, who claims that there is no wrongdoing by him in the legal cases faced by him in India, has said that he was born with "a diamond spoon", has a kingsize lifestyle, travels everywhere and that "Rs 10-12 crore" may not last with him a week.
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has approved the acquisition of a stake in AI acceleration cloud provider Neysa Networks by Blackstone-backed private equity funds and other investors, following Neysa's announcement of a USD 1.2 billion capital raise.
India's share of total global venture capital (VC) funding fell to 2.9 per cent in calendar year 2023 (CY23) - the lowest since CY19 - reaching $7.3 billion as most startups struggled to raise money without compromising on their earlier valuations. Based on global data by CB Insights on VC funding, funding to Indian startups fell by nearly a third compared to CY22 when it hit $20.6 billion and accounted for 4.8 per cent of the global figure. While the data shows that the world had 71 new unicorns (21 in Asia), India contributed only two of them, as compared with CY22 when it had 22.
The past few years have seen the first cycle of mergers and acquisitions, exits, and track-records being created.
Bajaj Finserv announced a strategic initiative to invest up to Rs 2,000 crore in artificial intelligence and technology-led startups over the next five years, along with a collaboration with IIT-Bombay for joint research.
Fitch Ratings has warned that India's oil marketing companies (OMCs) could face significant credit pressure if crude oil prices remain elevated, leading to eroded earnings and increased working capital needs due to delayed fuel price pass-through.
Prudential plc has announced its acquisition of a 75 per cent stake in Bharti Life Insurance for approximately 3,500 crore, a strategic move to secure majority ownership in the Indian life insurance market. This acquisition necessitates Prudential reducing its holding in ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to below 10 per cent.
'We strongly believe that anyone with capability and a strong work ethic should have a chance at the top job.'
Former judge Giribala Singh, booked in connection with her daughter-in-law's death allegedly due to dowry harassment, claims Bhopal Police have not contacted her for her statement. This comes after the Madhya Pradesh High Court issued a notice to Singh regarding her anticipatory bail and the police issued a final notice for her to record her statement.
The IndiaAI Mission, under MeitY, has selected 10 Indian AI startups for its Global Acceleration Programme, aimed at fostering international growth and innovation.
Venture funding in India slowed in the third quarter (Q3) of 2025 amid geopolitical uncertainty, though exit activity surged to a seven-year high, according to Venture Pulse from KPMG Private Enterprise, a quarterly report tracking investment trends globally across major regions around the world.
Kolkata Knight Riders, owned by the Shah Rukh Khan family and Mehta Group, emerged as the most valuable franchise.
The government on Thusday said it is examining a proposal for setting up a venture capital fund to promote drug discovery in India.
The Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) has implemented a fast-track mechanism for Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), allowing scheme launches after 30 days of filing, aiming to reduce timelines and accelerate capital deployment.
'Large firms and their interests can dominate the narrative, even as smaller stakeholders and retail investors struggle to be heard.' 'Regulators therefore require deep subject-matter expertise to assess representations, recognise underlying incentives, incorporate the perspectives of less-visible stakeholders, and guard against bias or capture,' notes Ananth Narayan.
The government on Tuesday said it is considering forming a venture capital fund of Rs 2,000 crore (Rs 20 billion) to promote research and development (R&D) in the pharmaceutical sector.
OpenAI and Anthropic are not simply enabling new software capabilities, they are moving directly into enterprise execution, workflow ownership, and decision orchestration.
When it comes to raising funds, women entrepreneurs receive a disproportionately small share.
Sacred spots and soaring peaks: Bucket-listing across the heartland. Roopa Unnikrishnan and her father journey through the heart of India.
'We are targeting a 2.5x to 3x increase in valuation by FY31.'
Country's startups are carving a unique path by prioritising local, application-led innovation over the global pursuit of scale.
India is closely monitoring Sri Lanka's decision to offer foreign investors control of an airport near the China-controlled Hambantota port, as it could present a rare opening for Indian firms seeking strategic footholds in the Indian Ocean.
Tata Consultancy Services' (TCS) annual dividend payout declined to a four-year low of approximately 39,820 crore in FY26, marking its steepest decline in a decade and potentially adversely affecting Tata Sons' finances, which heavily rely on TCS's dividend income.
'We are staying away from making forward-looking statements on when we will reach 1 trillion, etc. But growth will be rapid; it's only a matter of time.'
A crucial Tata Trusts board meeting was unexpectedly postponed, highlighting internal conflicts over veto power, Tata Sons listing, and trustee eligibility, raising concerns about the stability of the $180 billion conglomerate.
Accel and Google's AI Futures Fund have announced the five startups selected for the 2026 Atoms AI Cohort, focusing on enterprise, voice, and industrial AI solutions, with each startup receiving significant investment and resources.
India is the only significant power that all parties trust, or at least do not distrust, notes former defence secretary Ajay Kumar.
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