Author: News Desk

IIT Bombay’s Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) has launched India’s first incubator-linked deep tech venture capital fund. Named the Y-Point Venture Capital Fund, it has a total corpus of ₹250 crore and aims to provide early-stage risk capital to India’s deep tech startups. The fund will invest in pre-seed and seed-stage companies emerging from IIT Bombay as well as other leading research institutions. The fund plans to support around 25 to 30 startups, with individual investments of up to ₹15 crore. It will focus on high-impact sectors including artificial intelligence, advanced computing, manufacturing, materials, space and defence technology, nuclear…

Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML) has signed an agreement with Dalmia Cement Limited to transport an additional 200 to 250 tonnes of refuse-derived fuel (RDF) daily to the company’s cement plant in Kadapa district, Andhra Pradesh, a move expected to ease pressure on landfills. BSWML reported that waste segregation at source has improved across the city, leading to increased collection of low-value plastic waste, also known as RDF. The improvement is credited to the agency’s extensive Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) programmes, which have raised public awareness and participation in waste segregation. Currently, Bengaluru generates and collects around 350…

She Power 2025, a women’s summit aimed at promoting financial independence, digital empowerment, and entrepreneurial ideas, will be held on December 18 at Hotel Renaissance in Kochi. The event will be inaugurated at 10 30 AM by the esteemed State Finance Minister K N Balagopal. The summit is designed to benefit women from all walks of life, including entrepreneurs, professionals, and homemakers. Expert-led sessions will cover financial management, career opportunities using artificial intelligence, cyber security, personal health, and business ventures that women can start. The event will run from 9 30 AM to 5 00 PM. “The goal of She…

Indian Railways has made tatkal ticket booking mandatory for selected trains to improve convenience for regular passengers and reduce misuse of the system. The initiative aims to give genuine travellers better access to high-demand tickets while enhancing transparency, security, and the overall passenger experience. The Southern Railway zone has introduced mandatory OTP verification for tatkal bookings on 30 originating trains. According to the zone, this step strengthens ticketing security at both PRS counters and online platforms, ensuring safer and more reliable services for passengers. The 30 trains with OTP verification connect key destinations such as Mysuru, Chennai Central, KSR Bengaluru,…

Satadru Dutta, born in Rishra, Hooghly district, West Bengal, began his career in finance and investment before moving into the world of sports promotion. Through his initiative, A Satadru Dutta Initiative (ASDI), he has organised visits by some of football’s biggest legends to India and neighbouring countries. ASDI has previously facilitated high-profile events, including Pele’s first visit to Kolkata in 38 years in 2015, where the Brazilian legend attended an Indian Super League match and the Subroto Cup final. The initiative has also brought Diego Maradona, Brazil’s 2002 World Cup-winning captain Cafu, and Argentina goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, part of the…

Rotoris, an engineering-focused analog watch startup, has raised $3 million in a seed funding round led by Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Vivek Anand Oberoi, Venture Catalysts, 100 Unicorns, and Tanmay Bhat. The round also saw participation from over 30 founders, including Varun Alagh (Mamaearth), Gaurav Khatri (Noise), Siddharth Dungarwal (Snitch), Nitin Jain (Of Business), Vishesh Khurana (Shiprocket), Chirag Taneja (GoKwik), Akash Gupta (Zypp), and Arjun Vaidya (Dr. Vaidya’s). Rotoris was co-founded by Aakash Anand, founder of Bella Vita Organic, along with serial entrepreneur Prerna Gupta and founding partners Anant Narula and Kunal Kapania. The startup is set to launch in January…

India and Brazil have reinforced their maritime and defence partnership by signing a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding focused on the maintenance of Scorpene-class submarines. The agreement highlights growing alignment between the two navies and defence industries amid broader strategic engagement in maritime domains. The MoU was signed by the Indian Navy, the Brazilian Navy, and Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited. It emphasizes sharing information on the maintenance and life-cycle support of Scorpene-class submarines and other naval platforms, marking a significant step in formalising technical cooperation between the two countries. The agreement was concluded during the official visit of Chief of Naval…

Jewellery retailer Joyalukkas has unveiled a ₹3,600 crore expansion plan to launch 40 new showrooms across India and overseas by the next financial year, increasing its total outlets from 190 to 230. Of the new stores, 15 will be located internationally, including in new markets such as New Zealand and Canada, said Joy Alukkas, the group’s Chairman and Managing Director. The expansion is part of the company’s structured growth strategy, with revenue expected to rise to ₹35,000 crore in FY26 from ₹30,000 crore in FY25. With the addition of new showrooms and increased international presence, turnover is projected to reach…

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with the top leadership of the UAE on Monday, holding discussions aimed at strengthening economic and defence ties. His visit followed the conclusion of the three-day Sir Bani Yas Forum 2025. In Abu Dhabi, he co-chaired the 16th India-UAE Joint Commission and the 5th Strategic Dialogue with HH Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the UAE. Jaishankar also met Vice President HH Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, describing the meeting as productive and focused on deepening cooperation in economic and defence sectors.…

Elon Musk became the first person ever to reach a net worth of $600 billion on Monday, Forbes reported, following news that his SpaceX company could go public with an $800 billion valuation. Musk, who had crossed the $500 billion mark in October, owns about 42% of SpaceX, which is expected to launch its IPO next year, Reuters reported last week. If the company goes public at that valuation, Musk’s wealth could rise by $168 billion, reaching roughly $677 billion as of noon ET on Monday, according to Forbes. His fortune has also benefited from a roughly 12% stake in…