Panda’s Box secured ₹1.2 crore funding led by Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar on the reality show Shark Tank India

Panda’s Box ₹1.2 crore funding

After an impressive presentation on Shark Tank India, Panda’s Box has secured ₹1.2 crore in funding. It was the first investment round that was led by two of the most successful business figures in the country: Aman Gupta, the co-founder of boAt, and Namita Thapar, who is the Executive Director of Emcure Pharmaceuticals.

The capital inflow and enterprise advice of such high-profile Sharks is a milestone that the brand will be arriving at as it seeks to expand its operations and presence in the competitive market of early childhood education.

Primary objective and brand philosophy

The primary objective behind this new capital inflow is the intensive growth of the startup channels of distribution. Panda’s Box will also expand its reach to customers beyond its current scope by enhancing its presence both online and offline nationwide. The brand plans to distribute its unique products to a wider audience of conscious parents who are becoming more in need of digital entertainment alternatives through the diversification of its distribution network.

The funds are also to be used in the deployment of speeding up the product development, as well as the digital presence of the company brands, so that the message about the screen-free and culturally based learning can be felt by the families around the country. The following strategic roadmap will help change the brand name into a household name in the early learning space rather than that of a niche player.

Panda’s Box was founded by Sukriti and Rajat Mendiratta in 2022 as a pursuit of a personal desire to offer young children tender and meaningful learning opportunities. The startup is dealing exclusively with the early learning segment, which targets one of the most important developmental phases in children between zero and six years of age.

The main idea of the brand philosophy is the promise to be screen-free in its work, which responds to the increasing worry of contemporary parents about the excessive exposure to digital resources and their possible negative effects on early development. With its emphasis on practical, experiential learning, Panda’s Box will provide a relaxed and concentrated setting that will allow children to learn about their environment without all the noise of tablets and smartphones.

Product portfolio and operational efficiency

The range of products that Panda’s Box is involved with is characterized by the focus on cultural origins and sensual experiences. The incorporation of the traditional features, including the use of mantras and the culturally appropriate stories, ensures that children will not lose touch with their roots in a world that is growing increasingly global. These resources not only pass as toys but are created in a developmental aid form to promote meaningful play and enable the children to develop the necessary life-related skills using a grounded and thoughtful learning method.

Panda’s Box has been supported by strong market validation and financial performance, ensuring the success of Panda’s Box on Shark Tank India. Evidence of a high demand for its products has been witnessed in the company through the monthly run rate of about ₹1.5 crore even before the latest round of financing. Such an impressive traction indicates that there is a profound change in consumer behavior, whereby parents are more conscious of offline, tactile-based learning solutions compared to digital-first ones.

Such a run rate can be maintained over a comparatively brief time since its launch in 2022, which proves the efficiency of the startup’s work and the efficiency of its mainstream value proposal. This financial stability gave the Sharks a good ground to invest, as they could see the possibility of high-impact growth and national scalability.

Although the funding is an excellent stimulus, Panda’s Box is in a very competitive and saturated market. Some of the firms that the startup competes with include FirstCry, Smartivity, Play Shifu, Skillmatrics, and KLAY Preschools. All these competitors have a range of educational toys, activity kits, and early childhood learning solutions.

The uniqueness of Panda’s Box is its particular emphasis on the synthesis of screen-free requirements and cultural principles. By establishing such a niche, the brand targets a particular group of conscious parents in search of beyond the entertainment of their children. It is believed that the marketing and operational leverage will be there owing to the strategic support of Aman Gupta and Namita Thapar, which will enable one to compete favorably with these industry veterans.

Conclusion

The success of the Panda’s Box story of turning a personal mission into a start-up financed by Shark Tank highlights the crucial role of thoughtful early childhood education in the modern world. The ₹1.2 crore investment is not only a source of financial aid but also a confirmation of the vision of the founders to have a screen-free, culturally enriched future for Indian children.

Since the company will use the funds to increase its distribution channels and enhance its product line, it is in the best position to spearhead the shift towards more experiential and grounded learning. Through its new mentors and a new focus on distribution and online expansion, Panda’s Box will potentially make it to millions of homes, so the first six years of life of a child will be full of meaningful and hands-on discovery.

Wakefit recorded an operating revenue of ₹421 crore and ₹32 crore profit in Q3 FY26

Wakefit ₹421 crore revenue

A Bengaluru-based home and sleep solutions giant, Wakefit, has been in a position to sustain its remarkable financial trend in the 3rd quarter of the 2025-26 financial year. In the quarter ending in December 2025, Wakefit made a massive operating revenue of ₹421 crore and ₹32 crore of profit. The financial performance shows the strength of the brand and how it has been able to become a profitable corporation despite making a high-profile entry into the market.

Scaling revenue and expansion

The ₹421 crore in revenue that was achieved in Q3 FY26 is a tribute to the strategic growth that Wakefit has made both on the digital platform and on the physical platform. Since it has already become a leader in the online sleep solutions segment, the company has been aggressively expanding its offline presence, which has played a significant role in the top-line performance in this quarter.

The product diversification that the brand has undergone, extending far beyond its signature mattresses to include furniture, home decor, and lighting products, has enabled it to tap into a bigger portion of the household budget. This is a diversified strategy, so the company is not dependent on a single product cycle, as it can tap into different touchpoints in the home-making process of a consumer.

The most notable feature of the Q3 results is probably the net profit of ₹32 crore. This amount can be seen as a massive reversal and stabilization of the bottom line of the company, as opposed to the last fiscal year, in which the company had experienced an increasing loss as a result of heavy outlay on expansion.

The fact that the profit generated was ₹32 crore of the revenue of ₹421 crore shows that the profit margin is healthy and cost has been managed well. It is also evident that the operational efficiency and disciplined marketing expense focus with Wakefit has paid off. Growth at all costs has transformed into a more sustainable, profit-driven approach in the company that is especially crucial in keeping the investors confident with the company amid the post-IPO environment.

Strategic marketing and operational efficiency

Further analysis of the financial statement indicates that the company was able to sustain a high growth rate, but at the same time, it was able to control its expenditure. Cost of materials and manufacturing has remained the major cost drivers of Wakefit and usually comprises a substantial percentage of the total cost.

Increases in the logistics of its supply chain and optimization of its manufacturing plant in Hosur have contributed to the preservation of gross margins. Employee benefit costs and administrative overheads of the company have been minimized. The vertically integrated model, which has given Wakefit control over the whole production process from delivery, has enabled it to overcome the effects of the increasing cost of raw materials that have been experienced by the entire furniture industry.

The third quarter that encompasses the key Indian festivals like Diwali and the high-decibel Big Billion Days sale events on the major e-commerce platforms, contributed significantly to meeting the ₹421 crore revenue target. Strategic marketing campaigns by Wakefit at this time were intensive on building brand recall and the right to sleep message, which cut across an extensive demographic.

As compared to earlier years when the marketing burn was significantly high, the quarterly budget was streamlined, with funds directed to high-conversion channels and using the existing customer base to repeat purchases. The availability of the brand in the quick commerce and third-party marketplaces also gave the required velocity to drive high volumes through the seasonal peak.

Conclusion

The Q3 FY26 results of Wakefit are an evident measure of the maturity of the brand and its capability to balance its scale and profitability. The revenue of ₹421 crore and a profit of ₹32 crore mean the company has broken the code of the omnichannel retail model in India.

Wakefit has been able to not only survive in a competitive market by focusing on quality, transparency, and consumer-centric innovation but also become a successful, profit-driven leader. As the brand enters the last quarter of the fiscal year, it is expected that it will continue to ride on this momentum even as it proceeds to innovate in the rapidly emerging home solutions market.

Healthtech startup CURAPOD secured ₹20 crore in its pre-Series A funding round led by V3 Ventures, 3i Partners, and Ideaspring Capital

CURAPOD ₹20 crore funding

CURAPOD, an innovative startup in the pain management sector in the Indian healthtech ecosystem, has been on a massive turning point after it secured ₹20 crore (approximately $2.2 million) in its pre-Series A funding round. The funding round was led by a group of well-known venture capital firms, such as V3 Ventures, 3i Partners, and Ideaspring Capital. CURAPOD is backed by Litemed.

This is a strategic investment that will drive the company to its next level of growth and expansion in terms of technological perfection and major market coverage of its niche health solutions.

Investor landscape and vision

The involvement of V3 Ventures, 3i Partners, and Ideaspring Capital in this round demonstrates a high level of trust in the business model of CURAPOD and the capacity of the company to revolutionize the old-fashioned business in the field of pain management. Through acquiring funds through such a diverse and experienced group of investors, the startup can acquire a lot more than capital.

It gains a network of strategic partners who are conversant with the intricacies of scaling medical technology. The investment is an affirmation of what the company has done in addressing the musculoskeletal problems, which is a popular issue all over the world. Being a startup supported by Litemed, CURAPOD is in a strong position to capitalize on the experience in the industry whilst finding its own identity as a digital and physical health recovery leader.

In 2022, CURAPOD was launched by entrepreneurial minds Sri Velliyur and Surya Maguluri with a specific purpose of offering effective pain management options that do not involve drugs. The founders found there was a significant market opportunity in the wearable devices that could be used to provide consistent relief to musculoskeletal conditions without necessarily subjecting the patient to invasive surgeries or excessively relying on medicine.

They focused on designing a product that is medically effective and at the same time fits perfectly into the lives of its users. The startup will target one of the most prevalent sources of physical discomfort by concentrating on the musculoskeletal health of all people with chronic or activity-related pain, so as to positively affect the overall quality of life of a person.

Manufacturing capabilities and technological advancement

A significant part of the new ₹20 crore of the raised funds is to be allocated towards maximizing research and development. The medical devices industry is a competitive field where constant innovation is a prerequisite to keep abreast with the market. CURAPOD would apply these funds to the further development of the main device, which would make it at the edge of non-invasive therapy.

The company is laying a lot of emphasis on its friend application. The idea is to build a more connected online experience in which the app is one of the key resources that users use to control their therapies, monitor their progress, and get personal insights on their progression towards recovery. Such hardware and software synergy is one of the components of the brand strategy to deliver a holistic pain management ecosystem.

In addition to technological advancement, the capital will play a critical role in expanding the production capacity of the company. CURAPOD intends to substantially reinforce its direct-to-consumer. Through expanding its online platforms and internal sales processes, CURAPOD will target customers directly by delivering them original products and an enhanced brand experience. The transition towards a more D2C approach will likely enhance the efficiency of the operations of the company and enable it to respond to consumer feedback more swiftly.

Besides its online and direct sales activities, CURAPOD is seeking to increase its presence in the form of physical collaboration. The company has a go-to-market strategy that incorporates the establishment of good relationships with gyms, physiotherapy centres, and sports medicine networks. Such partnerships would be strategic since the CURAPOD device would be located in the locations where people who need pain relief and recovery would be most likely to be.

With the help of professional physiotherapists and fitness experts, the startup will be able to show the clinical usefulness of its wearable technology in a professional environment, which will help to gain trust among prospective users. Such partnerships will play a crucial role as a brand touchpoint and will assist in making CURAPOD a part and parcel of the larger wellness and rehabilitation market in India.

Conclusion

The pre-Series A financially successful round of ₹20 crore is the start of a long-term growth of CURAPOD. The startup currently has the capability, with the help of V3 Ventures, 3i Partners, and Ideaspring Capital, to translate its innovative vision on pain management into a scalable reality.

Through prioritizing R&D, scale of its production, and penetrating its business by working D2C and with institutions, CURAPOD will transform the way musculoskeletal pain is managed in the modern age. As the company keeps changing, it still holds firmly to the original precepts of the company, of offering non-invasive, wearable items that allow individuals to lead a pain-free life.

Truth & Hair secured ₹2.5 crore in a funding round from Varun Alagh on the reality show Shark Tank India

Truth & Hair ₹2.5 crore funding

Truth & Hair raised ₹2.5 crores during a funding round on the reality show Shark Tank India. The investment was led by Varun Alagh, the co-founder of Honasa Consumer. The funding is a decisive moment in the history of Truth & Hair because it is time to rebrand the hair care market in India and focus on changing its traditional cleansing products into a more specialized hair makeup and styling-first model. The transaction underscores an increasing investor interest in niche and science-based beauty products that appeal to the varied demands of the Indian consumer in the modern era.

Brand philosophy and valuation

Truth and Hair is a domestic beauty brand founded by qualified trichologist Saumya Alagh and Shailesh Singh, who believed that there were underserved groups in the domestic beauty market. Truth and Hair has established itself in the hair beauty and styling market, unlike most of its competitors, who are overly concentrated on mass-market shampoos and conditioners.

The philosophy of the brand is based on the idea of the skinification of hair, when the scalp is considered as carefully and scientifically as the skin of the face. The founders focus on the health of the scalp and formulations that improve texture to offer solutions that are pleasing to the eye and essential to the overall health of hair over the long-term.

The launch of the brand on the Shark Tank India platform demonstrated the exclusive product line of the brand, catering to different hair textures, such as straight, wavy, and curly ones. One of the strongest things about their presentation was the launch of their own line of hair mascara, a root touch-up product that lies between traditional care and makeup.

This product also reflects the idea that the company is willing to provide fast, efficient, and stylish ways of styling hair, even in the hectic schedule of the modern consumer. The startup uses a texture-first approach, which means that each product is specifically designed based on the biological needs of the user and the type of hair, and does not provide a generic product that fits all hair types.

The process of raising the ₹2.5 crore investment was really rigorous in terms of the valuation of the company and the potential in the market. The founders had a starting ask of 2.5% equity in the tank with ₹1 crore, which put the company at a high value of ₹40 crore. In the pitch, the sharks examined the financial performance of the brand, which had an impressive growth pattern.

Truth & Hair recorded a revenue of ₹56 lakh in the 2024-25 financial year, and has already generated substantial year-to-date sales of ₹1.28 crore by the time of the recording. This scaled quickly, with a lean two-member research and development team, an outsourced manufacturing model, and was a high-quality proof of concept.

As the sharks identified the opportunity of the niche styling segment, which was estimated to be ₹600 crore in the larger ₹8,500 crore hair care market, the valuation was one of the issues of concern. A deal was reached after several rounds of negotiations with Varun Alagh, who bid ₹2.5 crores against a 25% ownership in the company.

The valuation of the company through this deal was realigned at ₹10 crore, and this was a more realistic analysis of the company at the current stage, but gave it the much-needed capital to pursue aggressive growth. The collaboration with Varun Alagh is considered to be especially strategic, as he has a lot of experience in creating and growing digital-first consumer brands in India.

Visibility and utilization of fund

Truth and Hair has a detailed roadmap to its subsequent growth with the injection of new capital. One of the prosperous aspects will be developing its product line and adding more scalp-first products and high-tech styling products. The brand will also allocate significant resources to research and development to sustain its competitive advantage in the hair beauty sector, which is still not well developed in India.

The capital will be used to intensify the marketing campaigns of the brand and increase its distribution base in retail outlets. Through the improved representation in the key online marketplaces and, possibly, by entering offline interactions, the startup is expected to target a broader audience of families and personal customers who are becoming more focused on finding a specialized solution to grooming.

Other than product development, the founders are also determined to educate the consumer. They will take the opportunity to educate about the diversity of hair texture and the significance of scalp health. The “Shark Tank effect” has already started to occur, and the brand actually had a boom in traffic and revenue to its webpage after the broadcast.

This increased exposure, in addition to the mentorship and distribution capabilities of Varun Alagh, will allow Truth and Hair to become a force in the niche hair styling industry. The brand is a reminder of how problem-solving products can lead to success in a saturated retail market, as the brand keeps innovating.

Conclusion

The fact that Truth and Hair got successfully capitalized in Shark Tank India is a major victory of innovation-based beauty start-ups in India. The ₹2.5 crore investment by Varun Alagh not only supplies the funds required to scale but also confirms the vision of the founders of a personalized approach to hair styling that is more scientific.

Truth and Hair is effectively positioning itself in a new category by targeting the crossover of hair health and beauty makeup that appeals to the changing tastes of the Indian consumer. With its new product lines and its extension into the market, the Truth & Hair company is bound to revolutionize the way Indians treat and treat their hair, no longer maintaining it as a simple, but complex and texture-rich style.

How AI Is Transforming Digital Marketing and SEO Performance

AI in digital marketing

Listen to me, AI has become an integral part of digital marketing. It is becoming evident every day. AI has emerged as a transformative force that reshapes how businesses engage with their audience, analyze data, and optimize their strategy. 

One can say that AI and digital marketing have officially become inseparable. Stats reveal that 80% of digital marketing agencies have integrated AI into digital marketing workflows.

Before, what used to take a full marketing team and weeks of time to complete can now be done in hours. The surprising element is that it can be done with better targeting, smarter insights, and a more personalized experience.

The truth is that most people miss that AI is not only speeding up digital marketing, but it is also changing what success looks like. Along with this, today, search is evolving into AI-powered answer engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. These platforms are designed in a way that users get direct answers instead of clicking multiple blue links.

For industries like legal services, the competition is very high. Strategies like SEO for lawyers and local SEO for lawyers in Houston, TX, are no longer just about keywords and backlinks. They’re now more about visibility across AI answer engines.In this article, let’s dig in and understand how AI is transforming the world of digital marketing.

What AI Means in Digital Marketing

AI in digital marketing means using technologies such as machine learning and language processing to automate and improve marketing performance.

Instead of relying on manual research, marketers can now use AI to analyze large amounts of data and predict what people are more likely to do next. It can analyze clicks and dwell time and determine optimal content. 

This greatly helps marketers to make smarter decisions. 

Today, AI supports almost every part of marketing. It can help you in 

  • Generating content ideas
  • Test multiple versions of copy.
  • Automate email campaigns. 

AI can also improve performance tracking by spotting patterns in campaign data and suggesting changes in real time.

The biggest shift is how AI is changing digital visibility. As mentioned before, search is no longer limited to just links. AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity are slowly becoming part of people’s daily lives. This means the goal has shifted from getting seen in SERPs to getting visible in AI-generated answers.

AI in SEO

While we’re discussing digital marketing, the topic of SEO is inevitable. AI has taken over SEO too. SEO was about ranking pages on Google. But AI is changing how people search for things on the internet.

I hope you probably know what SEO is, but if you still wonder about it. SEO is the process of getting traffic from organic search results in search engines like Google. The primary goal is to improve your site’s position in search results pages (SERPs) for more people to discover. 

Statistics say the first organic result in SERPs has an average click-through rate of 27.6% compared to the second one, which has 15.8%.

For competitive niches like SEO for lawyers, AI is becoming a major advantage. It helps law firms and agencies to

  • Identify high-intent keywords.
  • Analyze competitor strategies and
  • Create content that matches what clients actually search for. 

AI is changing the workflow behind SEO.

Traditional SEO focuses on targeting a single keyword per page. But today, successful SEO strategies are built around topical authority.

For example, a law firm targeting local SEO for lawyers in Houston, TX, should not only optimize for that phrase. It should cover supporting topics like:

  • Google Business Profile optimization
  • Houston legal directories 
  • Practice area pages for Houston-specific searches.

The Risk of AI in Digital Marketing and SEO

We can all agree that AI is powerful, but it’s not risk-free. Many brands are already seeing performance drops due to poor AI usage.

Below are some risks you need to be aware of.

Writing Generic Content

The biggest mistake marketers make in using AI is mass-producing blog posts. This may look good, but it has no real value. Search engines are filtering out content that is repetitive and unoriginal.

For law firms, this is a bit more serious issue because generic content can reduce the trust that people have in you. 

AI Hallucinations

AI tools can produce incorrect facts. All the information you get from AI responses is not 100% true. 

So, if you own a law firm and write blogs using AI that has inaccurate legal information, it can harm trust and create ethical risks.

That’s why fact-checking is always recommended when AI is involved.

Over Automation

This might sound like a huge risk because it is. Just imagine when everything becomes automated; then every brand will start to sound identical. Their ads, emails, and content will all be written by similar AI tools. 

This leads to a situation where AI content is everywhere, and an original voice becomes a competitive advantage.

Best Practices

Remember, the best approach is not “AI replaces humans.” It’s “AI speeds up the process.”

A good AI-driven workflow looks like this:

  • Use AI for researching topics.
  • Use them to generate drafts and outlines.
  • Use humans for expertise, legal accuracy, and tone.
  • Track results beyond rankings: visibility, calls, and leads.

A firm that invests in local SEO for lawyers in Houston, TX, with an AI-assisted strategy and human expertise can often outperform competitors who follow outdated SEO methods.

Conclusion

AI is transforming digital marketing and SEO performance by making campaigns smarter. It also helps you to produce content faster. AI is changing how search works by pushing users towards the concept of direct answers rather than traditional browsing.

As aforementioned, for competitive industries like legal services, the impact of AI is even bigger. SEO for lawyers is no longer just about ranking.

It has become evident that only the firms and brands that combine AI with human expertise will outshine in today’s digital landscape.

AI is not the shortcut.

It’s the multiplier.

Key Takeaways

  • AI has been used mostly everywhere, including in digital marketing.
  • AI in digital marketing means using technologies to make the process of marketing easier. 
  • For highly competitive niches like SEO for lawyers, AI is becoming a game-changer.
  • The biggest mistake to avoid is using AI to write bulk blog posts.
  • Instead, use AI for researching topics, generating drafts, and tracking results.

YOLO Flea to Star Night: SPECTRA 2026 Lights Up Birla Global University Campus

SPECTRA 2026 Birla Global University

February 09th, 2026 | Bhubaneswar: Birla Global University (BGU), Bhubaneswar, successfully organised SPECTRA 2026, its Annual Inter-School Cultural and Academic Fest, bringing together students from diverse schools and institutions in a vibrant celebration of academic excellence, creativity, and cultural expression.

The three-day fest commenced with the inauguration of the much-anticipated YOLO Flea, which emerged as a major attraction, drawing an overwhelming response from students and visitors. Under the guidance of the Cultural Committee, the students of the university showcased remarkable efficiency in planning and execution, as the campus remained abuzz throughout the event with parallel academic competitions, cultural showcases, and inter-college main-stage performances organised across multiple venues.

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Lopamudra Nayak, Chairperson, Cultural Committee, Birla Global University, said, “SPECTRA is a reflection of our commitment to holistic education, where academic excellence goes hand in hand with creativity, cultural expression, and experiential learning. The fest serves as a vibrant platform for cultural blending, bringing together diverse traditions, ideas, and talents, and fostering a spirit of unity and shared celebration among the youth.”

The flagship school-level academic events included Case Com (Management), B-Quiz (Commerce), Unfiltered (Communication), Voice of the World Economy (Economics), Campus Carnage (Applied Sciences), and Robomania (Technology & Engineering). These competitions encouraged analytical thinking, creativity, and interdisciplinary collaboration among participants.

Adding to the festive fervour, inter-college main-stage events such as Solo Dance, Group Dance, Solo Singing, Nukkad Natak, and Ramp Walk enthralled audiences and provided a vibrant platform for students to showcase their cultural talent.

A key highlight of SPECTRA 2026 was the DJ Night held on 5 February 2026, featuring DJ Tushar, which transformed the campus into a lively musical arena. The high-energy event witnessed enthusiastic student participation, with pulsating music and dynamic lighting creating an immersive experience.

The celebrations reached their crescendo with a spectacular Star Night, featuring renowned Bollywood playback singer Nikhita Gandhi. Her soulful renditions of popular Bollywood numbers captivated the audience and created an atmosphere of celebration, melody, and collective joy.

SPECTRA 2026 concluded on a high note, reaffirming Birla Global University’s commitment to fostering academic excellence, creativity, cultural enrichment, and holistic student development through inclusive and engaging campus initiatives.

About Birla Global University (BGU):-

Birla Global University (BGU), Bhubaneswar, is a premier multidisciplinary university promoted by the renowned BK Birla Group. Known for its strong academic foundation, industry-oriented curriculum, and focus on holistic education, BGU is committed to nurturing future-ready professionals and responsible leaders. Spread across a modern, state-of-the-art campus in Bhubaneswar, the university offers a vibrant learning ecosystem supported by contemporary infrastructure, advanced laboratories, and technology-enabled classrooms.

Birla Global University places a strong emphasis on innovation, research, entrepreneurship, and experiential learning. Through industry collaborations, hackathons, live projects, and incubation-driven initiatives, the university actively bridges the gap between academia and real-world applications. BGU encourages interdisciplinary learning and promotes the use of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and digital platforms across its academic programmes.

The university offers a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate, doctoral, and executive education programmes across disciplines including Management, Engineering & Technology, Commerce, Economics, Law, Media Studies, and Applied Sciences. With a strong focus on skill development, leadership training, and ethical values, Birla Global University aims to contribute meaningfully to nation-building and the evolving global knowledge economy.

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Bose-funded Noise witnesses 24% revenue decline to ₹1,048 crore in FY25

Noise ₹1,048 crore revenue

The Indian wearables market is already at a stage of major recalibration, which is reflected clearly in the recent financial announcements made by the Gurugram-based lifestyle brand Noise. In the fiscal year ending in March 2025, the noise funded by Bose recorded a significant decrease of 24% in its operating revenue, which stood at ₹1,048 crore. This is compared to a figure of ₹1,384 crore in the previous fiscal year, which is a season of consolidation as the brand suffers through the declining market demand of smart watches and wireless audio devices in the nation.

Although this top-line contraction has occurred, the strategic move of the company towards cost optimization and efficiency has enabled it to achieve some financial resilience in the highly competitive and dynamic retail environment.

Decline in Noise’s operating scale and cost-cutting strategy

The drop in the operating scale of Noise is an indication of a transition to the aggressive expansion period that the brand experienced several years ago. Noise was founded by Amit and Gaurav Khatri in 2014. Noise has been a strong competitor in the consumer electronics arena, characterized by the use of e-commerce in selling smartwatches, wireless earphones, and speakers. In FY25, these wearable and audio products were still the main source of revenue for this company.

As the operating income decreased substantially, the firm also recorded approximately ₹17 crore non-operating income, which comprised interest on current investments. This added the total revenue during the fiscal year to ₹1,066 crore. The decline in revenue is largely explained by macro market factors such as the declining consumer expenditure on discretionary electronics and the end of several major product lines.

Noise responded to the decreased revenue by undertaking a strict cost reduction plan, which reduced its overall spending by almost 25%, down to ₹1,067 crore in FY25, a decrease from its previous spending of ₹1,417 crore in FY24. The largest share of this spending was going into the purchase of materials, which took up about 68% of the total cost structure.

This is a procurement expense of ₹725 crore, which is equivalent to a 23% year-on-year fall, which would be quite close to the operating scale reduction. The tightening of the supply chain and more conservative inventory management allowed the brand to alleviate some of the pressure of unsold inventory of the brand, which has recently been the bane of many participants in the Indian wearable industry.

The marketing and advertising, which were a key driver behind the swift rise of the brand, were also transformed drastically. Noise reduced its marketing expenditure by 37%, reducing it to ₹180 crore in FY25. This action implies a shift toward a sustainable and focused brand presence as opposed to high-burn customer acquisition.

There was a decrease of 12% in the cost of employee benefits, amounting to ₹71 crore, which will include approximately ₹6.5 crore in the costs of Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). Legal fees, freight, and warranty claims were other overheads that added to the overall amount of expenditure, as there was a corporate-level effort to streamline the operations and improve unit economics.

Profitability metrics and market context

The FY25 bottom line of Noise makes an intriguing narrative of peripheral recovery by extra financial considerations. Noise has registered a small profit of ₹3.2 crore in the fiscal year despite the scale-down in operations. A deferred tax gain of ₹47 crore contributed significantly to this turnaround in profitability. The operational losses would have been even worse without this accounting adjustment.

The company was able to maintain an EBITDA positive and had a balance in EBITDA of ₹18 crore at a margin of 1.67%. The Return on Capital Employed (ROCE) was 7.31%, which means that the growth has reduced, but the business is still viable. On a unit basis, the economics indicated that the Noise had to spend 1.02% to receive every rupee of operating revenue in the fiscal year, and there was some imbalance that the brand will have to rectify to remain sustainable in the long run without the need to depend on the windfalls associated with taxes.

The financial performance of Noise cannot be discussed separately from the industry patterns that have been presented by such researchers in the market as IDC. In mid-2024, the Indian wearables market recorded the first-ever quarter decline by 10% reduction in unit shipments. This recession was precipitated by a mixture of lower product development and overstocking in the retail system.

The key competitors, such as boAt and Fire-Boltt, have been experiencing identical headwinds, with some experiencing even steeper volume decreases in shipments. It is on this basis that the strategic support of the international audio giant Bose has served as a pillar of critical support to Noise. Firstly, Bose had invested $10 million in the brand and recently decided to invest another $20 million, an indication that it has long-term confidence in how the brand can survive the current storm in the market and come out as a more efficient entity.

Conclusion

FY25 has been an adaptation period of Noise, when the company consciously retreated and shifted to the realm of operational discipline. The drop in revenues to 24% to ₹1,048 crore is indicative of the nature of the wearables industry in India, which is currently in a maturity phase and is performing badly.

The low profit of ₹3.2 crore was mostly supported by deferred tax gains, but the good EBITDA indicates that the main business still has the power to be competitive. With the brand still capitalizing on its alliance with Bose and tactics to overcome the problems of the new space in consumer electronics, its priorities of improving unit economics will be the final aspect that will dictate its success in the Indian retail ecosystem.

Healthcare startup Preventify secured ₹2 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by PedalStart

Preventify ₹2 Crore Funding

Kerala-based healthcare startup Preventify recently raised ₹2 crores in a pre-seed funding round led by the operator-led accelerator PedalStart. This new strategic funding is an important milestone for the company as it aims to enhance its healthcare delivery model and increase its physical presence in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities with low population density. The notable group of strategic angel investors also took part in the round, including Viren Shetty, the Executive Vice Chairman of Narayana Health and Jatin Kakrani, the COO of Dezy, as well as founders of Supertails and Agrizy.

Primary objective and expansion plan

The primary objective of this funding is to leave behind the old episodic model of care and embrace the new model of integrated and continuous journey in healthcare. Preventify exists in a special niche of clinical protocol, modern technology, and long-term patient intervention. 

The startup has observed that even though access to basic medical services has already increased in smaller towns, standardized, evidence-based care has become a bottleneck. Through such financing, the company will develop its initial cluster of 10 clinics, which will form a recurrent and capital-efficient design that is intended to provide steady healthcare results.

A large percentage of the capital raised will be allocated to the physical and digital infrastructure of the brand. Preventify already has three clinics in Kerala and has already served in excess of 40,000 patients, which indicates a strong localized demand of high quality primary care.

The growth strategy will entail the creation of a strong care ecosystem through the recruitment of qualified clinicians, educated nurses, and care coordinators. This humanistic philosophy is moderated by technological orientation since the startup is planning to combine its diagnostic and pharmacy processes to make sure that all the medical history of a patient can be retrieved and taken into action at a single point.

The philosophy that the policy is designed on is that healthcare in smaller Indian towns has ceased to be an issue of access but is now a problem of consistency and continuity. To solve this, Preventify is creating protocol-based care pathways that decrease the difference in medical recommendations.

Standardizing these clinical procedures means that a patient placed under the care of the company in one clinic will receive the same high standard treatment evidence based treatment that he or she would receive at any other facility in the network. This is primarily about reliability, which would be core in developing a brand trust that can be scaled to the fragmented healthcare markets of “Bharat.”

Physigital approach and maintenance 

With the increasing number of lifestyle-related illnesses in India, such as diabetes, hypertension and respiratory diseases, Preventify is establishing itself as a leader in chronic disease management. Specifically, the financing will aid in the expansion of long-term structured management programs for these conditions.

The platform promotes a physigital approach, which means that in-clinic consultations and digital monitoring are combined instead of addressing health issues once they develop. This method will enable monitoring of the health parameters of a patient, which will provide timely responses to the interventions and improved chronic disease management in the long run.

To improve this model, the firm is expediting the process of developing managed care programs that are based on subscription. The programs are meant to offer patients a more predictable and affordable method of managing their health instead of expensive, single treatment of high cost emergency treatment.

Preventify assists patients in navigating their treatment plans, maintaining compliance with medications, and achieving healthier lifestyle patterns by engaging the patients in long-term collaboration through care coordinators. This prevention approach should minimize the total disease burden to society and establish a sustainable business model for the startup.

Conclusion

The ₹2 crore pre-seed round Preventify raised highlights the emergent investor interest in models in the healthcare sector, focusing on action and operational intensity rather than software games. Preventify is filling a huge whitespace in the healthcare economy of India by targeting Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets.

The involvement of experienced industry players such as Viren Shetty only confirms the clinical legitimacy of the startup and its ability to grow successfully. The experience that Preventify has been through is indicative of a larger maturation of the Indian healthtech industry, where the central focus is turning towards controlling the experience of care to make sure that the promise of quality healthcare can be delivered to every corner of the nation.

Global HealthX surpasses $15 million investment mark and unveils new healthcare startup cohort

Global HealthX $15 million investment

Global HealthX (GHX), the global innovation hub in the field of healthcare and life sciences, which is managed by the Global University Foundation, has officially surpassed the funding threshold of $15 million. The cumulative milestone is the sum of funds invested in the last two years in a diversified portfolio of healthcare startups, life sciences projects, and internally developed studios.

Primary focus and unveiling the latest startup cohort

Global HealthX has a distinctive model with three dimensions that incorporate a venture studio, a strategic investment fund, and a market- access accelerator. As the innovation and R&D arm of Global Institute of Research and Innovation (GIRI), the platform will aim at bridging structural gaps in the Indian healthcare environment.

The core areas of GHX are still the improvement of access, affordability, and continuity of care. The firm utilizes strong clinical experience and a large network of partner institutions to enable startups to overcome the intricacies of the medical market under the guidance of Dr. Ravindranath Kancherla, a revolutionary in Indian medicine and the founder of Global Hospitals.

Global HealthX has also launched its latest cohort as part of its continued dedication to developing breakthrough technologies. The five innovative startups that are based in this group are using advanced technology to solve critical medical challenges. TapHealth deals with AI-based chronic disease management and preventive care.

Wellytics is a creator of emergency response and healthcare operation solutions. Monitra Health is a company that deals with the most vital cardiac monitoring and diagnostics. Merry Health is an application involving Virtual Reality (VR) in immersive mental health therapy. 

Avika, the development of genomics-based precision medicine to customize care to individual patients. These startups are the convergence of Artificial Intelligence, data analytics, and specialized medical hardware, offering a solution that addresses anything in the range of diagnostic monitoring to chronic care.

Investment strategy and ambitious 2026 roadmap

The Hyderabad-based company will normally offer an early-stage capital of between $250,000 and $500,000 per firm. GHX is highly flexible when it comes to follow-on investments through pre-seed to Series A and beyond, based on the potential of impact and scale of the start-up.

In the future, Global HealthX has specified a roadmap to 2026. The company will roll out another $8-10 million within the following year. This capital is to fund 10 additional startups in the healthcare and life sciences industries, which will additionally strengthen the healthcare infrastructure of the country. GHX can transform nascent innovations into commercially viable products with the help not only of capital but also of direct access to hospitals, clinical advisors, and regulatory experts, which can serve Indian and global health systems.

Conclusion

The breakthrough of the $15 million investment mark is a major growth period for Global HealthX. GHX is striving to become the key pillar of medical entrepreneurship in India by integrating the dynamism of a venture studio with the clinical expertise of a university-affiliated foundation.

The introduction of its most recent generation, centred around AI and genomics, is an obvious transition to a future that is more technologically intensive and data-oriented as far as healthcare is concerned. With the platform set to spend close to $10 million more in 2026, its role in the construction of a more open and technologically advanced healthcare ecosystem will keep on growing.

Chaayos surpasses ₹300 crore revenue milestone in FY25 as EBITDA jumps 6.5 times

Chaayos ₹300 crore revenue milestone

One of the leading players in the Indian beverage and cafe industry has experienced a massive performance upsurge. The popular tea café chain Chaayos made a strong financial recovery in the financial year 2025 (FY25) after having recorded a relatively low growth in the previous financial years. The consolidated financial statements of the company, prepared with the Registrar of Companies has shown that Chaayos has passed the ₹300 crore revenue mark, and this is a major milestone in its ten years of operation to universalize the organized tea market in India.

EBITDA growth and losses reduction

This growth rate will be an increment with 25% growth in operations size as compared to the last fiscal year. The revenue of the company due to operations was ₹248.6 crore in FY24 and has increased to ₹310.6 crore in FY25. This revival is credited to a measured approach of growing its outlets and increased attention to its main product lines that helped the brand regain the sluggish growth it had experienced last year.

According to Chaayos, it increased its EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization) 6.5 times within the period. This is an exponential increase in the EBITDA that is a direct consequence of strict control procedures that have been adopted in terms of costs as well as enhanced efficiencies in its operations distributed throughout the network of over 200 outlets spread across Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

Besides the EBITDA surge, the company achieved a lot in enhancing its bottom line. Chaayos was also able to reduce its net losses by 53%, to ₹25.4 crore in FY25 compared to the ₹54 crore in FY24. The fact that it is capable of increasing revenue and at the same time reducing losses by over half implies that the brand is at an inflection point with its unit economics becoming more sustainable.

Expansion plans and expense management

Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma founded Chaayos in 2012. Chaayos has established itself on the principle of “Meri Wali Chai”, which gives the tea lovers a thousand options on how they want their tea to be. The company is currently looking to aggressively increase its physical presence with the new FY25 financial momentum. The management has developed a big goal of expanding its existing presence to at least 400 outlets by next year.

The company has been successful in registering positive EBITDA, and its burn rate is significantly lower, making it a favorable brand in the competitive D2C and retail cafe segments. Chaayos is using its brand equity to take a larger portion of the Indian consumer wallet by balancing the online deliveries against the offline dine-in experiences, which now make about an equal contribution to the business.

The sale of teas, snacks, and beverages remains the main engine of growth of Chaayos, as it represents the overwhelming majority of its revenue. The sale of manufactured goods (including freshly prepared tea and food) was more than 96% of the total revenue, which is approximately ₹300 crore. 

The rest of the operating revenue was reported to be from traded goods and services. The non-operating income of ₹19.1 crore was registered by the company, and its total income was pushed to ₹329.7 crore for the fiscal year.

At the expenditure level, Chaayos has shown a disciplined approach at the top of its largest cost centers. The cost of materials also increased by 26% to ₹96.32 crore, mostly in line with the growth in the sales volume, but other key expenses were held down. The reduction in benefits paid to employees was 3% to ₹78.65 crore, which means that staffing was optimized, and labor productivity was improved.

Other material expenses were depreciation and amortization of ₹51.8 crore and commissions, which increased by 21% to ₹31.3 crore. The overall cost to the firm increased by 9% to ₹355 crore, which is quite lower than the rate of its revenue growth.

Conclusion

The 2025 fiscal year has been a record year at Chaayos, with the company registering a reentry into the high-growth highway and a record boost in its profitability. The company has crossed the ₹300 crore revenue and has had a 6.5X increase in EBITDA, which is a testimony to the fact that a disciplined focus on premiumization and operational discipline can bring significant results even in a highly competitive market. As it gears up to expand to 400 outlets, the tea giant seems to be on a strong path of establishing itself as a lucrative market leader in the organized food and beverage market in India.

Pascal AI Partners with Kotak Mahindra AMC to Deploy Agentic AI research platform to enhance institutional investment research

Pascal AI Kotak Mahindra AMC partnership

An industry-first move strengthens research speed, coverage expansion and depth of insight across Kotak Mahindra AMC’s institutional investment processes

Mumbai, 9th February, 2026: Pascal AI announced the deployment of its agentic, context-driven AI research platform by Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Ltd. (KMAMC) to support and scale its institutional investment research workflows.

Vibhav Viswanathan, CEO and Co-Founder, Pascal AI, added “Kotak Mahindra AMC’s deployment demonstrates how institutional research can evolve with agentic systems that operate within the discipline, context and judgment of asset management teams. Our role is to deliver technology that supports investors by bringing speed, structure and depth to research workflows while keeping institutional control at the core.”

Nilesh Shah, MD, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, said “Investment research today is shaped by both the quality of insights and the speed at which they are generated. We are continuously looking for tools that help our investment teams strengthen conviction without compromising on governance or our philosophy. Pascal AI’s platform integrates with our research context while ensuring data sovereignty and security, enabling us to responsibly adopt advanced AI capabilities.”

This deployment reinforces Kotak Mahindra AMC’s commitment to strengthening its research processes with advanced tools that improve speed-to-insight, broaden coverage and deepen analytical rigor. The Pascal AI platform will operate within KMAMC’s secure infrastructure ensuring that proprietary data, investment frameworks and research judgement remain fully within the firm’s governance perimeter.

The system uses AI agents designed for institutional finance to automate and augment core analytical workflows. The objective is to create a systematic informational advantage by accelerating research turnaround time, identifying risks earlier and enriching investment decision-making while upholding the highest standards of data security and oversight.

The platform is powered by Pascal AI’s proprietary Context Graph that connects Kotak Mahindra AMC’s internal frameworks with real-time external information including regulatory filings, earnings transcripts and market updates. Deployed within a sovereign Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), the solution ensures all data stays within KMAMC’s secure environment. This engagement represents Pascal AI’s largest enterprise-scale implementation to date.

About Pascal AI:

Founded in 2024 by Vibhav Viswanathan and Mithun Madhusudan, Pascal AI is a vertical B2B AI platform built for institutional investors and decision-makers. The company develops context-driven AI research agents that automate complex analytical workflows including the analysis of regulatory filings, earnings transcripts, and alternative data while integrating seamlessly into existing institutional processes.

Pascal AI goes beyond dashboards and surface-level metrics to uncover narrative shifts, management credibility, and competitive dynamics that drive investment conviction. In September 2025, the company raised $3.1 million in a seed funding round led by Kalaari Capital. Built by investors, Pascal combines powerful automation with human judgment to deliver actionable insights in minutes instead of weeks, enabling institutions to operate at scale without compromising rigor, context, or control.

Visit: https://pascalailabs.com/

About Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Co. Ltd:

Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company Limited (KMAMC) – a wholly owned subsidiary of Kotak Mahindra Bank Limited (Kotak), is the Asset Manager for Kotak Mahindra Mutual Fund (KMF). KMAMC started operations in December 1998 and as of 31st December 2025, has over 79.43 Lakh unique folios in various schemes. KMF offers schemes catering to investors with varying risk – return profiles and was the first fund house in the country to launch a dedicated gilt scheme investing only in government securities. The company is present in 108 cities and has 120 branches as of 31st December 2025.

Visit: https://www.kotakmf.com/

For more information, contact:

Biswajit DashKotak Mahindra Group Biswajit.dash@kotak.com +91 9167044405Mahima Misra mahimamisraconsultancy@gmail.com   Abhishek Phadnis  Kotak Mahindra Group   abhishek.phadnis@kotak.com    +91 7720006427  Aishwarya Bane  The Good Edge  aishwarya@thegoodedge.com  +91 8976117221

Mutual Fund investments are subject to market risks, read all scheme related documents carefully.    

Adani Energy Solutions secured long-term funding led by major Japanese financial institutions for the 6,000 MW green energy corridor

Adani Energy Solutions green energy corridor funding

Adani Energy Solutions Limited (AESL) has formally secured long-term funding from a group of major Japanese banks. This investment capital is committed to the establishment of a flagship high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission project, which is planned to be a gigantic green evacuation corridor.

The project, according to the announcement of the company, will be significant in enhancing the flow of clean power throughout the northern parts of India, whereby renewable power produced in resource-abundant areas will be directed to the areas of high demand within the industrial and urban centres.

Development and funding round

Japanese banks MUFG Bank Ltd and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC) have led the funding. The project itself belongs to the broader scheme of AESL to develop a strong and future-ready transmission backbone that can sustain the grandiose decarbonization goals of India.

This project entails the creation of a ±800 kV HVDC green energy corridor with a colossal evacuation power of 6,000 MW. This transmission link will be around 950 kilometres long and will link Bhadla (Rajasthan), which is one of the largest solar power centres in the world, as well as Fatehpur (Uttar Pradesh), which is an important industrial and transport centre. The corridor will have the potential to evacuate sufficient renewable energy to serve an estimated 60 million households once it is operational, which will significantly lower the amount of carbon footprint of the northern power grid.

The project will be commissioned in 2029 and is supposed to be an important artery in the national grid. It solves one of the main problems of the energy transition, the effective transport of electricity between remote generation locations and the energy-proficient areas, by enabling the mass-scale integration of solar and wind energy. The focus of AESL is to build infrastructure that will not only address the demands at present, but that can be expanded in the future to renewable capacity.

Integration and ESG commitment

The use of the latest HVDC technology is one of the highlights of this 6,000 MW project. AESL has also collaborated with Hitachi Energy to assist in the provision of the sophisticated technical systems needed in the high-capacity link. The project will be implemented in partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) in a move that is in tandem with the government’s move as part of its Make in India program. This collaboration guarantees that the international technological skills are combined with the local production abilities that result in the development of the local industry and the creation of the global infrastructure.

The venture is within the clean energy ecosystem of Adani Group. The state of Rajasthan is a current generation centre of Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), which produces power and supplies it to other subsidiaries, one of which is Adani Electricity Mumbai Limited (AEML). The new corridor will also increase the capability of the group to control the whole value chain, which includes generation and transmission to retail distribution, to ensure a consistent and reliable supply of the green molecules to the grid.

The funding was increased under the AESL sustainable debt formula, which follows the Equator Principles and international Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles and regulations. The framework enables the participating lenders to categorise the facility as a Green Loan, which shows the direct role of the project in mitigating climate change. The international banking community (MMUFG and SMBC) is also willing to keep supporting the Adani Group, which proves that the world has continued to trust in the implementation capacity of the Adani Group and the policy framework on renewable energy in India.

To add more credence, AESL has recently been rated by Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) with a credit rating of BBB+ (Stable), which coincides with the sovereign rating of India. This investment-grade specification signifies how financially robust the company is and how capable of tapping into various sources of international capital at reasonable rates. According to Kandarp Patel, the CEO of AESL, this project is a landmark in the establishment of a sustainable energy system in the future that is being achieved by means of international cooperation.

Conclusion

The finalization of the Japanese funding of the 6,000 MW green energy corridor is a historic moment for Adani Energy Solutions and the power sector of India. The connection of the world-renowned solar-rich plains of Rajasthan with the industrial core of Uttar Pradesh through a 950 km HVDC connection is addressing an important element of the energy transition puzzle.

The high-technology improvements in the project, its compliance with the international environmental standards, and the support of the world-renowned financial institutions all create the indication of a stronger and more sustainable national grid. As the project is projected to reach its commissioning date in 2029, it will remain as a testament to the ability of cross-border partnerships to create a global shift towards clean energy.