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Tag: Inc42 Media

  • Justdial’s Q4 Results Show Margin Pressure as CFO Exits After Nearly 12 Years

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Justdial, a digital classifieds platform, reported a 37% year-over-year decline in net profit to ₹100 Cr for the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2025-26 (FY26). The company’s PAT also fell 18% sequentially from ₹118.1 Cr. Alongside the financial update, Justdial announced the departure of its chief financial officer (CFO) Abhishek Bansal, who had served in the role for nearly 12 years and would continue to serve until April 15, according to the company’s statement referenced by Inc42 Media.

    The quarterly numbers—operating revenue growth alongside expense growth—reflect the economics of operating a marketplace platform: digital classifieds businesses depend on repeatable revenue from listing and lead generation, and they face ongoing pressure to manage costs as they scale product and operations.

    Q4 FY26: Revenue Up, Profit Down

    In the quarter ended March, Justdial’s operating revenue increased 6% year-over-year (YoY) and 0.5% quarter-over-quarter (QoQ) to ₹307.2 Cr. The company also recorded other income of ₹48.6 Cr, bringing total income for the quarter to ₹355.9 Cr.

    At the same time, Justdial’s cost structure moved in the opposite direction. Total expenses rose 6% YoY and 3% QoQ to ₹231.2 Cr. The combination of modest QoQ revenue growth and faster QoQ expense growth explains the decline in the company’s bottom line: the net profit decline reflects the reported changes in revenue and expenses, though the report does not break down specific expense categories.

    The direction of the numbers suggests that Justdial’s Q4 economics faced pressure, even as top-line operating revenue continued to grow. Without detailed expense breakdowns, the specific drivers of cost increases cannot be determined from the available information.

    Sequential Pressure and Full-Year Context

    On a sequential basis, the company’s PAT dipped 18% from ₹118.1 Cr. That sequential decline is notable because operating revenue only increased 0.5% QoQ to ₹307.2 Cr. In other words, the company’s ability to translate incremental operating revenue into profit weakened quarter-over-quarter, consistent with expenses rising more quickly than revenue.

    For the full fiscal year FY26, Justdial reported that net profit slipped 15% YoY to ₹497 Cr. Operating revenue, however, increased 6% YoY to ₹1,213.9 Cr. This split—revenue growth with profit contraction—indicates that costs increased faster than revenue over the year, or margins compressed due to factors not detailed in the report.

    CFO Transition

    Alongside results, Justdial announced the departure of its CFO Abhishek Bansal after a nearly twelve-year tenure. The report states that Bansal joined Justdial in 2014 as VP for corporate strategy and later served as CFO. He resigned to pursue opportunities outside Justdial. Bansal explained: “This decision is based on personal career considerations, including my intention to take a short professional break and explore opportunities outside the company.”

    Bansal would continue to serve as Justdial’s CFO until April 15. The source does not include details on a replacement or interim arrangements.

    What to Watch Next

    Justdial’s Q4 outcomes highlight a pattern that technology investors and operators track in marketplace businesses: whether revenue growth keeps pace with cost growth, and whether sequential profitability improves as a platform matures.

    From the data provided, operating revenue growth continued in Q4—up 6% YoY and 0.5% QoQ—but profitability declined—net profit down 37% YoY to ₹100 Cr and PAT down 18% sequentially. Total expenses increased 6% YoY and 3% QoQ to ₹231.2 Cr. Observers may watch whether subsequent quarters show operating revenue accelerating faster than expenses, or whether the company can stabilize its cost base.

    The CFO transition also creates an operational variable. While the source does not specify a new CFO, it establishes that Bansal will remain in the role until April 15. Industry watchers typically monitor continuity in financial reporting cadence and any changes in how management frames cost and revenue drivers.

    Justdial’s full-year results—net profit down 15% YoY to ₹497 Cr with operating revenue up 6% YoY to ₹1,213.9 Cr—provide a baseline for assessing whether the company’s FY26 profitability contraction is a one-quarter issue or a longer trend. The data suggests that scaling a classifieds platform’s capabilities and reach may require tighter control of expense growth to preserve margins, particularly when revenue growth is moderate.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Startup India FoF 2.0 Expands Capital Pipeline to Deeptech and Manufacturing

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    India’s Startup India Fund of Funds (FoF) program is expanding its focus beyond its initial mandate. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) has notified Startup India FoF 2.0 with a ₹10,000 Cr corpus, effective April 13. According to Inc42 Media, the scheme now covers deeptech, micro VCs for early-stage startups, and tech-driven manufacturing. Prime Minister Narendra Modi approved the second edition in February, with disbursals to alternative investment funds (AIFs) planned across the 16th and 17th finance commission cycles.

    Expanded Segments and Capital Allocation Framework

    Startup India FoF 2.0 maintains the core “funds-of-funds” structure while expanding the types of startups eligible for funding. Rather than investing directly in startups, the scheme channels public capital into SEBI-registered AIFs, which then deploy capital into startups.

    According to Inc42 Media, the expanded segments include:

    • AIFs supporting deeptech startups developing novel solutions that address complex problems with longer R&D cycles and higher costs.
    • Micro VCs supporting early-stage startups in the early phases of developing their solutions.
    • AIFs supporting tech-driven manufacturing startups.
    • AIFs supporting sector and stage-agnostic startups.

    These categories address different stages and risk profiles. The deeptech segment targets R&D timelines and cost structures that may be difficult to match with shorter-duration funding models. The inclusion of tech-driven manufacturing suggests an intent to support startups where product development and commercialization depend on industrial processes. The sector and stage-agnostic category broadens the range of technology areas eligible for evaluation by AIFs.

    Implementation Structure and Governance

    The scheme operates through a structured governance model. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) will act as the implementing agency, with DPIIT also selecting an additional implementation agency.

    According to Inc42 Media, the process includes:

    • Proposal and due diligence: Implementing agencies will seek proposals from AIFs and conduct due diligence.
    • VCIC review: A DPIIT-constituted Venture Capital Investment Committee (VCIC), including industry representation and subject matter experts, will evaluate investment proposals. The notification states that “VCIC will consider AIFs managed by experienced professionals with proven track records for funding under the Scheme.”
    • Tranche-based investments: After selection, AIFs will evaluate startups for investments in tranches.
    • Mentoring requirements: AIFs are required to mentor and nurture startups before reducing their stakes.
    • Complementary funding: AIFs may raise funds from other investors besides the FoF to meet their target corpus, suggesting the scheme is intended to complement rather than replace private capital.

    Timeline and Historical Context

    Startup India FoF 1.0 was launched in 2016 under the Startup India action plan with an initial corpus of ₹10,000 Cr. The primary goal was to catalyze private investment into Indian startups.

    In a written reply before the Rajya Sabha in February, Minister of State for Commerce Jitin Prasada reported that AIFs supported under the scheme have invested ₹25,548 Cr in 1,371 startups across 29 states and union territories. These supported startups have generated over 2 lakh jobs. The source does not provide a breakdown by sector, technology type, or stage.

    Implementation Considerations

    FoF 2.0’s expansion toward deeptech and tech-driven manufacturing indicates a policy focus on addressing technology development constraints, particularly longer R&D cycles and higher costs. However, Inc42 Media does not provide performance metrics for the new segments or results from the April 13 launch.

    Several implementation details could influence whether the technology focus translates into investment behavior:

    • AIF selection criteria: The VCIC’s focus on AIFs with proven track records could favor teams with prior experience in deeptech or manufacturing commercialization cycles.
    • Tranche-based structure: Investments in tranches could align with staged technology milestones, though the notification does not specify milestone types.
    • Mentoring and support: AIF mentoring requirements could support complex technology projects, though the source does not define what “mentor and nurture” includes in practice.
    • Leverage of private capital: The permission for AIFs to raise additional funds could expand available capital for technology startups, though the source does not quantify expected additional capital.

    Source

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • BharatPe COO Shashvat Nakrani Transitions to Strategic Advisory Role

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    BharatPe, an Indian fintech unicorn, is undergoing another leadership transition as cofounder and COO Shashvat Nakrani steps away from his executive role. In a LinkedIn post cited by Inc42, Nakrani said he will transition into a strategic advisor role from May while continuing to serve as a director on BharatPe’s board. The move reflects how fintech companies manage leadership changes while maintaining governance continuity.

    From COO to Strategic Advisor: Operational Changes

    According to Inc42 Media, Nakrani will no longer be in daily operations. Instead, he plans to “explore new ideas and ventures” and will take on a non-executive capacity focused on areas including fundraising, IPO plans, mergers and acquisitions, and long-term strategy. Nakrani will continue to serve as a director on BharatPe’s board.

    For technology organizations, the distinction between executive and non-executive roles affects how leadership responsibilities are distributed. Changes in leadership structure can influence priorities around platform reliability, compliance, merchant onboarding workflows, and partnership cadence. BharatPe appears to be retaining strategic continuity through board-level involvement while changing the management layer that oversees day-to-day decisions.

    Leadership History and Governance Context

    Nakrani’s exit from daily operations occurs as BharatPe works to strengthen its business and governance after a series of leadership changes in recent years. Nakrani cofounded BharatPe with Bhavik Koladiya in 2018. Ashneer Grover, described by Inc42 as ex-Grofers CFO, joined as the startup’s third cofounder within the same year. Both Koladiya and Grover departed from BharatPe in 2022.

    Repeated leadership changes can influence how quickly an organization stabilizes its internal controls. The focus on “business and governance” suggests an effort to align technical systems—such as risk management processes and compliance workflows—with leadership accountability.

    Market Opportunity: Small Merchants in India

    Nakrani pointed to the market opportunity BharatPe addresses, noting that millions of small merchants in India still lack access to simple financial tools—a problem BharatPe “set out to solve.” This statement anchors the company’s mission in a specific user segment: small merchants who need straightforward financial capabilities.

    Building for small merchants typically requires systems that handle low-friction onboarding, understandable transaction flows, and operational resilience at scale. Leadership transitions can affect how engineering and product teams balance feature expansion against reliability and governance needs.

    Inc42 also notes that Nakrani “remains the largest individual shareholder in BharatPe” and intends to stay invested in the startup’s long-term journey. Shareholder alignment can influence which initiatives receive sustained support through uncertain market conditions—particularly in fintech, where product improvements depend on regulatory compliance, risk controls, and partner integrations.

    Strategic Focus in the Non-Executive Role

    In his non-executive role, Nakrani’s responsibilities include fundraising, IPO plans, mergers and acquisitions, and long-term strategy. This focus typically intersects with technology planning: funding rounds and IPO readiness often require stronger reporting discipline, auditability, and internal controls that can be implemented through product instrumentation and documentation.

    M&A activity in fintech frequently involves integrating systems—such as merchant data models, transaction processing logic, and customer support workflows—into a unified operational environment. By explicitly naming M&A within Nakrani’s advisory scope, the source suggests the company may be treating these strategic moves as part of its near-to-mid-term planning.

    Nakrani stated that the startup will continue to be led by its “existing management team and board,” which he said are “well placed to guide its future.” This structure separates governance continuity (board involvement) and strategic continuity (long-term advisory scope) from day-to-day execution, which can help reduce disruption during leadership transitions.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Ola Electric Shares Fall as Ather Energy Surges on Battery and Materials Strategy Shifts

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Stock movements tied to battery and materials strategy

    Ola Electric’s shares fell 7.79% to an intraday low of ₹37.71 on the BSE, while rival Ather Energy surged nearly 10% after announcing plans to reduce aluminum usage in its vehicles. The day’s stock moves reflected two technology-linked themes: battery manufacturing choices and materials engineering under volatile supply-chain conditions.

    Ola Electric’s battery format transition and capacity expansion

    Ola Electric announced that its in-house developed 46100 Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) cell is ready, marking a key step in its push toward vertical integration and cost-efficient EV manufacturing. The 46100 format is larger than the current NMC 4680 Bharat Cell, and this change is expected to improve scale and cost efficiency with diverse uses across mobility and energy storage.

    The new 46100 LFP cell is expected to be integrated in Ola Electric’s products from the coming quarter (Q2 FY27). This indicates that Ola’s near-term vehicle technology roadmap is being shaped by a battery form-factor transition, moving from the NMC 4680 Bharat Cell approach already in use to a larger LFP format intended for scaling.

    Capacity expansion is the other component of the strategy. Ola is ramping up its Gigafactory’s capacity to 6 GWh from 2.5 GWh, while vehicles integrated with the 4680 Bharat Cells are already on the road. These details indicate that Ola’s battery strategy encompasses both chemistry selection (LFP versus NMC) and manufacturing throughput and cell format readiness.

    Ola’s stock performance has been tied to operational indicators. Registrations improved in March, with registrations jumping over 150% month-on-month to 10,117 units from 3,973 units in February. Daily registrations crossed 1,000 units in the last week of March, and cumulative registrations surpassed the 1 million mark. The company had faced declining sales and share price over the past year.

    Market context: Broader decline amid geopolitical tensions

    Ola’s intraday decline occurred amid broader market weakness. The Nifty 50 fell over 2% to an intraday low of 23,555.6, and the BSE Sensex fell 2.16% to a low of 75,868.32. At 13:45 IST, Ola Electric was trading 6.97% lower at ₹38.05 on the BSE, with market capitalisation at 16,783 Cr (approximately $1.8 billion).

    The broader market downtrend followed stalled negotiations between the US and Iran. Supply-chain disruptions linked to geopolitical tensions can affect commodity and materials costs relevant to EV manufacturing.

    Ather Energy’s aluminum reduction strategy

    While Ola’s stock pulled back, Ather Energy continued to rise. The company surged 9.84% to touch an all-time high at ₹948.45 intraday, and at 13:45 it was trading over 8% higher at ₹932.90 versus the previous close of ₹863.45.

    The rally was attributed to improvements in the EV market outlook and a specific manufacturing materials strategy. Ather Energy announced plans to reduce its use of aluminum, which has become more expensive in recent weeks due to supply chain disruptions.

    Ather Energy aims to increase the intake of recycled aluminum while reducing overall aluminum usage. The company also plans to increase focus on family-oriented vehicles that are not necessarily performance-oriented. This shift in design priorities could alter how lightweighting and material selection are handled across vehicle segments.

    Ather expects a 15% reduction in engineering costs for each vehicle for its upcoming EL platform through these materials engineering decisions. This figure ties aluminum usage and recycled aluminum sourcing to downstream development and manufacturing cost structure.

    Implications for EV hardware planning

    Together, these developments indicate how EV hardware roadmaps are being shaped by both technical readiness and input-cost volatility. For Ola Electric, the readiness of the 46100 LFP cell format and its near-term integration target of Q2 FY27 are supported by a planned capacity ramp to 6 GWh. For Ather Energy, the technology lever is materials selection and reuse: increasing recycled aluminum intake and reducing total aluminum usage to address volatile commodity pricing.

    Material substitution strategies may become more common across EV platforms as companies respond to supply-chain volatility. Similarly, battery form-factor transitions like Ola’s move toward 46100 LFP could translate into measurable manufacturing efficiency gains once integration begins.

    Both companies’ reported updates connect technology decisions to business metrics. Ola’s March registration improvements and Ather’s market performance appear alongside hardware steps—battery cell readiness for Ola and an aluminum-cost engineering plan for Ather. This suggests that investor attention is increasingly focused on how engineering choices map to cost, manufacturing scale, and platform execution.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Cashfree Payments Appoints Ex-Visa Finance Head Sameer Gandhi as CFO

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Cashfree Payments, a fintech company offering payment gateway, payouts, and banking API solutions, has appointed Sameer Gandhi—formerly a finance leader at Visa—as its new chief financial officer (CFO). The move, reported by Inc42 Media, comes as Cashfree seeks to improve financial performance after a widening loss in FY25 and following an RBI penalty for payment-aggregator compliance issues.

    The Appointment

    In an official statement cited by Inc42 Media, Cashfree said Gandhi will anchor its financial strategy, enhance efficiency in financial operations and revenue planning, and help accelerate growth with the aim to become profitable in coming quarters. Cashfree’s current CFO, Vikas Guru, is expected to support the transition, though his last working day is yet to be determined.

    Gandhi previously led the finance department at Visa since 2017. According to the source, his background spans more than 25 years and includes roles at Vodafone, Citigroup, and CRISIL. Cashfree describes him as a chartered accountant.

    Regulatory Licenses and Operations

    Cashfree positions itself as a payments platform holding all three RBI payments licenses: payment aggregator (PA), cross-border (PA-CB), and prepaid payment instrument (PPI). According to the source, Cashfree claims this licensing coverage provides an edge over other players and has supported growth, particularly in cross-border payments.

    The source indicates that Cashfree processes over $80 billion in annual transactions and serves more than 1 million businesses. The company was founded in 2015 by Akash Sinha and Reeju Datta and serves clients including Zomato, CRED, and Delhivery.

    Financial Performance and Challenges

    Cashfree’s financial results show pressure. In FY25, its net loss rose 14% to ₹154.1 crore from ₹135 crore in the previous fiscal year. Its top line remained flat at around ₹640 crore. At the operating level, EBITDA loss increased to ₹131 crore from ₹109.5 crore in FY24, with margins slipping to -20% from -17%. Cashfree has not yet disclosed its financial position for FY26.

    Regulatory Penalty

    The CFO appointment comes at a time when Cashfree faces regulatory scrutiny. The company was recently penalized by the RBI for flouting payment aggregator norms. According to the source, during an inspection period between April 2024 and June 2025, Cashfree made certain non-permissible debits from its escrow account.

    Escrow handling is a core operational component in payment aggregator models, as it governs how funds are held and released according to permitted rules. The compliance finding indicates that Cashfree’s transaction settlement processes and escrow-account controls are areas regulators scrutinize.

    Funding and Backing

    Cashfree has raised over $90 million from investors including KRAFTON, Y Combinator, Smilegate Investment, and Musha Ventures, according to the source. The company is described as KRAFTON-backed.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • KreditBee’s lending stack: how a data-driven, no-branch credit model reached unicorn status

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    India’s 128th unicorn, KreditBee, entered the club after raising $280 million in a Series E round at a valuation of $1.5 billion, according to Inc42 Media in its profile of the lending startup. The timing is notable: the article places the deal against a broader funding slowdown, citing Inc42’s Q1 2026 report that total startup funding declined 26% year-over-year to $2.3 billion and that there was a “mega deal drought” during the quarter for deals of $100 million and above.

    While the funding environment provides context, the underlying story is technical: KreditBee’s approach centers on a fully digital, no-branch lending experience backed by a data-driven risk management system using AI and machine learning. The company also describes an emphasis on adversarial testing of its “risk engine,” a large-scale data pipeline drawn from consented sources, and AI-assisted customer engagement. For observers tracking fintech infrastructure, the profile suggests how underwriting, collections, and user decisioning can be treated as a single, continuously improving system.

    A funding moment shaped by a tougher capital cycle

    Inc42 Media frames KreditBee’s Series E as an outlier in a market where capital has tightened. In its Q1 report, Inc42 said total startup funding in India fell 26% YoY to $2.3 billion in Q1 2026, alongside a drought in “mega deals” (defined in the article as $100 million and above). The same piece also references “ongoing geopolitical tensions in West Asia,” contributing to a “grimmer” backdrop for startups.

    Against that backdrop, the article says KreditBee’s raise was oversubscribed, with more than 3X investor interest. Inc42 attributes this to investors’ belief that “disciplined, data-led lending” in “underpenetrated segments” can still attract capital even during downcycles. From a technology standpoint, that framing matters because it links capital confidence to operational metrics and model discipline—areas where fintech lenders differentiate more than they do in marketing alone.

    From checkout experiments to a digital underwriting stack

    The profile traces KreditBee’s technical thesis to the founders’ earlier attempts to embed lending into commerce. Madhusudan E, credited as cofounder and CEO, previously worked as a product manager at an ecommerce company. Between 2012 and 2014, he tried integrating lending into ecommerce checkout flows, described by Inc42 as an early version of BNPL. He said he encountered resistance because, at the time, “there were hardly any lenders in India who would lend money without seeing the borrower. There was a major trust deficit,” as quoted in the article.

    That trust deficit becomes the hinge for the product architecture described later: rather than relying on physical verification, KreditBee’s founders aimed to build a fully digital, data-driven lending stack. Inc42 contrasts this with legacy lenders constrained by “physical verification and rigid underwriting systems.” The profile states that in 2016 Madhusudan, along with Karthikeyan K and Vivek Veda, incorporated KreditBee. By 2017, the company obtained an NBFC licence under KrazeBeee Services.

    But the article emphasizes that the bigger bet was “philosophical”—challenging an offline lending playbook. That shift forced the company to build systems that could withstand abuse. Inc42 says the founders ran “controlled beta tests” with college students, describing this as “adversarial testing of the risk engine” to ensure the stack was “hackproof.” The reason for choosing college students is also technical in intent: the article says they “typically have time on their hands,” and that the testing was aimed at resilience rather than only predictive accuracy.

    KreditBee then launched in April 2018. Inc42 reports that the response was “immediate,” with the app going viral almost instantly, and that the company disbursed ₹3 crore in loans within the first month. By the founder’s account, within five months KreditBee reached ₹100 crore in activity while maintaining a tight approval rate of just 4%. Inc42 also notes that the company prioritized “risk filtration over aggressive expansion,” describing it as a pattern in its operating model.

    Underwriting at scale: data inputs, AI models, and repayment timing

    Inc42’s profile places KreditBee’s core technology in a “risk management system powered by data.” The article says the company aggregates data from around 150 sources, all shared with user consent, to build borrower profiles. Those profiles feed AI and machine learning models that determine “credit behaviour and repayment likelihood.”

    The profile describes a compounding loop: as more data flows into the system, underwriting becomes “sharper,” which improves portfolio performance. It also provides model throughput figures: KreditBee has underwritten 8 crore applications and disbursed loans to 1.8 crore borrowers using these models.

    On the collections side, the technology focus shifts from prediction to execution timing. Inc42 says around 93.5% of repayments are made on time, and that the figure increases to “nearly 99% within the next 30 days with follow-ups.” The company supports collections with an in-house team of 1,800 people, but Inc42 frames the emphasis as predicting risk rather than reacting to it.

    The profile also assigns an AI role to customer engagement. It says that in FY26, KreditBee handled around 70 lakh customer interactions with the help of AI-assisted systems, and that it is investing in AI chatbots aimed at helping users make more informed borrowing decisions. In the quoted language, Madhusudan says: “If you don’t invest in AI, you will lose out on the new Gen Z crowd.” The quote matters less as a demographic claim and more as a product direction: AI is being treated as a user-interface layer for borrowing workflows, not only as an underwriting engine.

    Platform distribution and the path to listing and banking

    Inc42 describes KreditBee’s product and distribution evolution alongside its underwriting model. It initially targeted students and later moved toward a scalable segment of salaried individuals, covering areas beyond tier I and II cities and towns. Today, the article says this cohort contributes nearly 70% of its user base.

    In terms of activity, KreditBee disburses around 30,000 loans every day, has served 18 million unique customers to date, and disbursed a cumulative 60 million loans. The average ticket size is reported as ₹60,000. The company’s unsecured focus is also explicit: Inc42 states that nearly 90% of its portfolio is unsecured lending, with secured products introduced only recently. While unsecured lending is described in the article as offering higher yields if underwriting remains robust, it also implicitly raises the importance of model discipline and data quality—areas the profile highlights repeatedly.

    Distribution is described in numbers and channels. Inc42 says the platform sees roughly 70,000 daily downloads, with nearly half driven by word of mouth and the rest through performance marketing. It also says partnerships with platforms including PhonePe, Paytm, Airtel, and Tata Digital enable KreditBee to embed into high-frequency consumer ecosystems.

    Looking forward, the article says KreditBee is preparing for a public listing, which “could happen as soon as the end of 2026” or spill over into early next year. It also reports that the company plans to raise up to ₹1,000 crore through a fresh issue, with an offer-for-sale (OFS) component not yet finalized, and that with bankers aboard it is likely to file its DRHP in the coming months.

    Beyond IPO mechanics, Inc42 describes a regulatory and infrastructure ambition: KreditBee plans to become a small finance bank in the next five years. The article notes this aligns with a broader fintech trend among lenders moving up the regulatory stack to access cheaper capital and expand product offerings. It also warns that the transition “won’t be easy,” citing stricter compliance, capital adequacy requirements, and operational complexity—factors that could reshape how the underwriting and risk management stack is governed.

    For technologists, the profile’s most concrete takeaway is that KreditBee treats lending as an end-to-end system: adversarial testing to harden the risk engine, consented multi-source data to power AI models, and AI-assisted customer interactions to support user decisioning. If those components continue to improve together—an outcome Inc42 frames as a “compounding advantage”—investors may see the technology as a durable capability rather than a short-term growth lever.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Indian “new-age” tech stocks surge as adtech, logistics, fintech and EV updates draw buying

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Indian equities rallied this week after a reported temporary ceasefire between the US, Israel and Iran improved market sentiment. Within that broader rebound, so-called “new-age” tech stocks added close to $10 billion in cumulative market capitalisation, ending the week at $129.09 billion, according to coverage from Inc42 Media published on 2026-04-11. The week’s stock moves also reflected a steady stream of operational updates across sectors—EV manufacturing technology, adtech tooling, e-commerce logistics, and insurance/fintech reporting—suggesting how product execution and platform capabilities can translate into investor demand.

    How the rally mapped onto “new-age” tech performance

    Inc42 Media’s weekly snapshot describes participation across a wide set of companies. It reported that 52 new-age tech companies rose in a range of 0.63% to over 44% during the week, with three notable exceptions: Swiggy (down 0.18%), Go Digit (down 0.36%) and Macobs Technologies, described as the parent of Menhood (down 2.32%).

    At the top of the list, Inc42 Media said Ola Electric emerged as the biggest gainer, with shares surging 44.27% to end the week at ₹40.9. It also cited fresh highs for Groww, Shadowfax, Ather Energy, Honasa Consumer and Lenskart.

    Beyond the “new-age” cohort, the article noted that larger companies including Nykaa, Delhivery, Meesho and Eternal ended the week “in the green.” While the piece does not quantify how much of the week’s gains came from broader market factors versus company-specific execution, the mix of winners across multiple tech-adjacent categories (consumer platforms, logistics, fintech/insurance, and EV) points to a market willing to price in technology roadmaps and near-term performance signals.

    Adtech and platform tooling: Mobavenue AI Tech joins the coverage

    Inc42 Media also highlighted a coverage expansion: starting this week, it included Mobavenue AI Tech, described as an adtech company based in Mumbai. The firm “provides businesses an AI-powered advertising and consumer growth platform,” and its shares gained 1.66% to end the week at ₹1,210.8.

    From a technology standpoint, the description matters because it frames the product as an operational layer for advertising and growth—an area where AI typically influences targeting, measurement, and optimization. The source does not provide technical details (such as model types, data sources, or deployment architecture), so any deeper inference would go beyond what is stated. Still, observers may watch whether investor attention to an AI adtech platform corresponds with tangible product milestones or performance updates in future reporting, given that the company was singled out both for its platform positioning and for its week’s share movement.

    EV manufacturing tech: Ola Electric’s LFP cell readiness and Gigafactory integration

    EV technology was a clear theme in the week’s stock story. Inc42 Media said Ola Electric’s shares jumped over 44% this week, after gaining close to 17% the prior week. It also connected the rally to earlier operational performance in the E2W (two-wheeler) market in March, including claims that daily orders in the last week of March exceeded 1,000 units and that registrations spiked 150% MoM to 10,117 units.

    But the article also attributes investor interest this week to updates on Ola Electric’s Gigafactory, specifically its battery technology roadmap. It reported that the company announced its LFP cell (Lithium-Iron-Phosphate) cell is ready for deployment. It further stated that the integration of its 46100 LFP cell—described as bigger than its current NMC cell—will begin from next quarter. The source includes a quote from a company spokesperson referencing “the readiness of our LFP 46100 cell” as a “pivotal moment” and tying it to “the strong progress at our Gigafactory” and “proven performance of our 4680 cells on the road.”

    Even without additional engineering specifics, the technology implication is straightforward: a battery cell readiness announcement and a stated integration timeline are concrete signals about manufacturing execution. For a sector where supply chain and production scaling often determine costs and throughput, a declared transition from one chemistry (NMC) to another (LFP) and the plan to integrate a specific form factor (46100) could be the kind of milestone market participants look for when assessing execution risk. The source does not quantify impact on unit economics or production capacity, so any effect on margins remains unaddressed in the article.

    Fintech and insurance reporting: Aye Finance and PolicyBazaar Insurance Brokers leadership change

    Fintech and insurance-adjacent companies also featured. Inc42 Media said Aye Finance reported a 27% YoY rise in AUM to ₹7,044 Cr in FY26, alongside “improvement in asset quality.” It reported that GNPA eased to 4.77% in Q4. While this is financial reporting rather than a product feature, it can still be read as a proxy for how risk models and underwriting processes are functioning—particularly in lending businesses where asset quality depends on the performance of credit decisioning systems.

    The article also reported that Tarun Mathur resigned as CEO and principal officer of PolicyBazaar Insurance Brokers, described as the insurance broking arm of PB Fintech, effective immediately. It said Sajja Praveen Chowdary will succeed him. The source does not connect the leadership change to any specific technology initiative, but for a platform-driven insurance broking business, leadership transitions can sometimes align with product and systems priorities (such as distribution tooling, underwriting workflow integration, or data-driven pricing). Any such linkage would be speculative beyond the article’s stated facts.

    Market macro and rates: RBI’s neutral stance and why it matters for tech stocks

    Inc42 Media attributed the broader rally to easing geopolitical risk, but it also included macroeconomic context from India’s central bank. It said a 15-day ceasefire in West Asia improved investor confidence, and that crude oil prices slipped below the $100 mark, easing inflation concerns and triggering a “strong rebound” across global markets. It also cited equity performance: Sensex and Nifty 50 gained close to 6% each, closing at 77,550.25 and 24,050.6, respectively.

    On policy, the article stated that the RBI’s Monetary Policy Committee maintained the repo rate at 5.25% and reiterated a “neutral stance.” It also reported that the RBI revised FY26 GDP growth to 7.6% and projected FY27 growth at 6.9%, while raising inflation projections to 4.6% for FY27. The source said elevated energy and commodity prices, plus supply shock due to disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz, would act as a drag on domestic production in 2026-27.

    It included a quote from Vinod Francis, CFO of South Indian Bank, saying the policy “provides much-needed stability,” that a “steady rate environment” supported by adequate liquidity should continue to support credit growth across retail and MSME segments, and that the policy strikes a “prudent balance” between growth support and inflation vigilance. For tech companies—especially those reliant on consumer demand and credit ecosystems—rates and liquidity conditions can influence both funding costs and customer acquisition dynamics. The article does not provide a direct causal model, but the inclusion of RBI’s stance suggests why investors may have been more willing to buy growth-oriented platforms during a period of improved sentiment.

    Overall, Inc42 Media’s week reads like a composite of market-wide tailwinds and sector-specific technical signals: AI platform positioning in adtech, battery cell readiness and manufacturing integration in EVs, and operational reporting in fintech and insurance. As the broader market steadies, investors may look for whether these technology milestones continue to produce measurable execution outcomes in subsequent quarters.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Ottonomy’s Contextual AI and Robots-as-a-Service Aim to Make Indoor-Outdoor Delivery Autonomy Practical

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Robotics startup Ottonomy is trying to make hyperlocal delivery—and more specialized indoor-outdoor logistics—run on autonomy that adapts to the context of where a robot is operating. In an interview with Inc42 Media, founder Ritukar Vijay described Ottonomy’s approach: pre-trained models to interpret environments, a reinforcement learning pipeline to govern movement and routing decisions in real time, and an orchestration platform that coordinates robots and other devices. Ottonomy also positions its business model as Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS), with pilots that convert into multi-year subscriptions.

    Contextual AI as the core autonomy layer

    Ottonomy’s robots are designed for hyperlocal indoor and outdoor delivery, where the operational constraints differ dramatically from one setting to another. The company’s differentiator, according to Vijay, is that the robots do not rely primarily on data-intensive perception models. Instead, they use what Ottonomy calls Contextual AI to identify and describe surroundings—whether that means a hospital corridor, a mall, or a public sidewalk—and then plan movement based on those contextual feeds.

    In Vijay’s description, once context is identified, a reinforcement learning pipeline governs behavior. The pipeline decides how the robot should move, yield, prioritize, or optimize routes in real time. The example given by Vijay is how the system learns to avoid a wheelchair or yield right-of-way based on feedback loops and operational efficiency metrics. The emphasis here is less on “perceiving everything with heavy models” and more on using pre-trained understanding to drive policy decisions that can vary by environment.

    The article from Inc42 Media also frames Ottonomy’s autonomy approach as “the entire operation is autonomous,” with Vijay describing the fundamental approach as being fully autonomous for its departments “right now,” rather than an autonomy layer that is limited to a narrow scenario.

    Hardware designed for indoor-outdoor logistics and modular payloads

    Ottonomy’s system is described as an integrated hardware-software stack aimed at indoor-outdoor logistics. The company operates with two primary robot SKUs: Autobot 2.0 and Autobot 3.0. Inc42 Media reports that the underlying technology is consistent across variants, while differentiation is based on form factor and deployment environment. Autobot 3.0 is designed with a narrower build to navigate tighter spaces like hospital elevators, while Autobot 2.0 is positioned for industrial environments.

    A key product detail is how Ottonomy avoids building entirely different robots for every use case. Instead, the company customizes compartment modules mounted on top of the robots. With 6–8 compartment configurations, the bots can be adapted for multiple-order last-mile deliveries—described as up to 8–10 deliveries in a single trip—as well as secure medical transport (including blood samples, chemo kits, and vaccines), warehouse and industrial material movement, and high-value payload delivery.

    Environmental robustness is another practical requirement Ottonomy claims to address. Vijay told Inc42 Media that the robots are designed to operate in varying weather conditions, with efficiency remaining intact. A deployment in Finland is cited: the temperature was minus-18 degrees Celsius at a chemical company moving goods between buildings, with the system “working absolutely fine” while running through snow until robots are not occluded with snow.

    Ottumn.ai fleet orchestration and Robots-as-a-Service pricing

    Ottonomy’s operational model includes software for coordinating fleets, not only autonomy inside a single robot. The company runs Ottumn.ai, described as a fleet management and orchestration platform that works not only with robots but also with drones, arms, smart mailboxes, elevators, access doors, and more. According to the Inc42 Media report, Ottumn.ai supports onboarding different robots, integrating APIs, and coordinating how devices work together rather than operating in silos.

    On the commercial side, Ottonomy does not sell robots directly in the described model. Instead, it operates on a Robots-as-a-Service (RaaS) approach. Enterprises can take robots on lease through a subscription, with pricing reported as around $999 per robot per month for 1–5-year contracts. Before signing a contract, customers choose a paid pilot lasting 1–3 months; the pilot then converts into long-term contracts. Ottonomy’s availability is listed as the US, UK, Europe, Australia, and India. Inc42 Media adds that the US has remained Ottonomy’s largest market, but it “failed to garner business” on its home turf in early years.

    Revenue is also tied to Ottumn.ai subscriptions. Inc42 Media reports that Ottumn.ai fees start from $100 to $800 per month per system. The company aims for $4.5 million in revenue for this year, described as a 4.5-fold jump from 2025. The report further states that around 60% of projected topline has already been secured from signed contracts, and that Ottonomy plans to penetrate deeper in the US market and expand its Ottumn.ai platform.

    Deployment path, partnerships, and data privacy constraints

    Ottonomy’s route to deployments illustrates how the company is positioning its technology around specific logistics workflows. Inc42 Media recounts that during early stages, the startup began building its first robot at a guest house in India during the Covid pandemic, with a test run in a basement and pilots booked with ecommerce companies. The first business came from the US: robots serving food and beverages at the Cincinnati International Airport. Vijay is quoted as saying, “Our first customer was interestingly an airport,” and he also noted that travel was among the most impacted industries during Covid.

    After pilots with companies including Walmart and other airports, Vijay concluded that unit economics did not fit the food delivery segment. Ottonomy then expanded focus to healthcare and warehouses. The report also cites a Hyderabad airport pilot and a partnership in India with drone delivery startup Skye Air Mobility and drone logistics company Arrive AI to facilitate last-mile delivery solutions.

    Privacy is another constraint shaping the product. The Inc42 Media report says Ottonomy does not store sensor or environmental data from customer locations; instead, it relies on behavioral learning derived from robot performance, “in compliance with the data protection laws laid out for companies doing business in India.” This is presented as part of Ottonomy’s data privacy approach as it builds its customer base in India.

    Ottonomy also reports intellectual property progress: 29 patents filed and 24 granted covering robotics, autonomy, and system design. On the scale-up plan, Inc42 Media states that Ottonomy has a fleet of 50 robots, claims orders for 500 more, and plans to deploy 200 robots this year with the rest placed in 2027.

    From an industry perspective, the combination of contextual autonomy and an orchestration layer could suggest a shift toward logistics systems that treat real-world variability—space constraints, mixed indoor-outdoor routes, and weather—as inputs to decision-making rather than edge cases. Observers may watch whether the RaaS model and pilot-to-contract conversion help adoption by reducing upfront risk, and whether the “contextual AI” approach proves effective across the specific settings Ottonomy targets, including airports, healthcare environments, warehouses, and loading-bay style workflows.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • India’s MeitY Extends Comments Deadline for Draft IT Rule Amendments—Tightening Platform Content Moderation Requirements

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Deadline Extended for Rule Amendment Feedback

    India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) has extended the deadline for public feedback on draft amendments to the Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code Rules, 2021. According to Inc42 Media, stakeholders can now submit comments on the proposed changes until April 29, after the draft was published on March 31 and the earlier comment window had been set to close on April 12. The draft revisions are designed to establish faster content moderation timelines once a platform has “actual knowledge” of unlawful content.

    Compliance Requirements and Content Takedown Timelines

    The draft amendments introduce operational compliance requirements that affect how platforms manage user-generated content. Inc42 Media reports that the proposed changes would require social media intermediaries—specifically naming Meta, Google, and X—to comply with a broader range of government-issued instruments.

    Issued under Section 87 of the IT Act, 2000, the draft expands the types of documents that can drive platform obligations. Inc42 Media lists the instruments as advisories, clarifications, orders, directions, standard operating procedures, and codes of practice connected to implementing the rules.

    A key operational requirement is the proposed stricter content moderation timeline. Inc42 Media states that platforms hosting content that could potentially facilitate “unlawful acts” must remove such material within three hours of gaining “actual knowledge.” The draft defines “actual knowledge” as arising either through a court order or via a reasoned written notice issued by an authorised government official.

    Safe-Harbour Protections and Compliance Risk

    Inc42 Media reports that failing to comply with the rules could result in intermediaries losing safe-harbour protections from liability for third-party content. This linkage between moderation timing and legal risk establishes the operational importance of how platforms interpret “actual knowledge” and how quickly they can act.

    The draft’s structure indicates that platforms may need processes to validate notice authenticity, capture the relevant scope of content, and route enforcement actions within the specified timeframe. The new obligations are time-bound and condition-driven.

    Digital Rights Organizations Raise Concerns

    The draft amendments have drawn criticism from digital rights organizations. Inc42 Media quotes the Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF), which stated that the rules “creates a sweeping power for MeitY to issue binding instruments which are not anchored in law such as clarifications, advisories, directions, SOPs, codes of practice, and guidelines that intermediaries must comply with as a condition of safe harbour under Section 79 of the IT Act.”

    This critique targets the governance model for moderation obligations. If compliance requirements can be driven by instruments that are not “anchored in law,” platforms may face ongoing changes to enforcement criteria and processes.

    Inc42 Media also reports that IFF argued the proposals came “at a time of fear and increased government directed censorship,” including concerns about online political speech. The technological implication is that moderation timelines and takedown obligations could affect how platforms treat user-generated speech categories.

    Parliamentary Debate on Platform Features and Potential Obligations

    Beyond the draft’s takedown and compliance framework, Inc42 Media reports a related debate involving social media features. Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey stated that the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Communications and Information Technology indicated that social media platforms like X should either remove the community notes feature or pay a “publisher’s tax.”

    Inc42 Media reports IFF’s response: it stated that “no Australian statute treats a ‘Community Notes’ style feature as converting a platform into a ‘publisher’ liable to any levy or tax.“

    From a technology perspective, the community notes discussion indicates how information systems inside platforms—such as user or crowd-sourced context features—can be interpreted by regulators in ways that affect platform obligations. The source does not confirm any rule changes tied to community notes specifically; it reports the MP’s claim and IFF’s rebuttal.

    Government Position and Ongoing Consultation

    Inc42 Media reports that electronics and IT secretary S Krishnan characterized the amendments as “purely clarificatory and procedural” and stated they do not expand the government’s authority over online content. He also indicated that oversight of news content online would shift to the MIB, which already regulates registered digital publishers, as user-generated news content becomes more common online.

    In a meeting that IFF founder and director Apar Gupta attended, Krishnan indicated that some changes are being made based on feedback, including greater definitional clarity around terms like “news” and “current affairs.” The source does not specify the exact wording changes, but indicates that the draft is not static during the consultation window.

    With the comment deadline now extended to April 29, stakeholders may focus on the draft’s operational definitions—particularly “actual knowledge”—and on how compliance instruments could affect moderation workflows.

    Source: Inc42 Media

  • Indian startups raise $360.5M in April as KreditBee leads funding week

    This article was generated by AI and cites original sources.

    Between April 6 and 10, 2026, 23 startups raised $360.5 million, according to Inc42 Media. This represents a 174% increase from the $131.5 million raised across 18 deals the previous week. Following a slower period in the first quarter of 2026, April’s early funding activity shows renewed capital deployment toward fintech and lending technology.

    Fintech leads the week

    The fintech segment ranked as the top funded startup segment this week, driven primarily by KreditBee’s $280 million funding round. GoSats also raised $5 million during the same period.

    Weekly funding breakdown

    Inc42 Media’s data shows two comparable periods. Between April 6 and 10, 23 startups raised $360.5 million. The previous week saw 18 deals totaling $131.5 million. The increase in both deal count and total capital suggests that larger funding rounds, particularly KreditBee’s $280 million, significantly influenced the week’s totals.

    Most active investors

    Inc42 Media identified IAN Group and Unicorn India Ventures as the most active startup investors during the week, each backing two startups.

    What this means for India’s startup funding

    The funding data suggests that capital deployment accelerated in early April following a slower first quarter. The concentration of funding in fintech, particularly through KreditBee’s large round, indicates investor interest in the lending technology sector. Whether this represents a sustained shift in investor appetite or a temporary surge tied to a single large deal remains to be seen in subsequent weeks.

    Source: Inc42 Media