india

Accel doubles down on Sarla Aviation’s ambition to develop electric air taxis in India

Transportation /

Sarla Aviation launched one year ago with a pitch built for India’s congested streets. The electric air taxi startup, named after India’s first woman pilot, Sarla Thukral, would focus on aircraft that can carry more weight — even if that means shorter ranges.  “In India, a shorter range is fine, as long as you can […]

Accel doubles down on Sarla Aviation’s ambition to develop electric air taxis in India Read More »

Google-backed Pixxel launches India’s first private satellite constellation

Startups /

Pixxel, an Indian space tech startup, has successfully launched the first three hyperspectral satellites of its commercial constellation Firefly aboard a SpaceX rocket from California, marking a significant milestone for India’s growing space ambitions. India is home to around 300 space startups and has gained worldwide attention for recent developments, including the successful landing of

Google-backed Pixxel launches India’s first private satellite constellation Read More »

Groww, India’s biggest trading app, seeks $7B value in IPO

Fintech /

Groww, India’s largest retail stockbroker, is preparing to file for an IPO in 10 to 12 months, seeking a valuation between $6 billion and $8 billion, sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch. The Bengaluru-headquartered’s listing would be the first IPO by a digital trading platform in India. The targeted valuation is more than double

Groww, India’s biggest trading app, seeks $7B value in IPO Read More »

India’s payment push is cutting out Visa and Mastercard

Government & Policy /

As global regulators increase their scrutiny on Visa and Mastercard over merchant fees, India has chosen a different path: creating rival payment networks that are increasingly sidelining international card networks. The strategy builds on India’s Unified Payments Interface, known as UPI, a nine-year-old system that now processes more than 13 billion real-time transactions monthly, or

India’s payment push is cutting out Visa and Mastercard Read More »

Flipkart taps Dunzo founder to lead quick commerce push

Commerce /

Flipkart has hired Kabeer Biswas, co-founder of Indian delivery startup Dunzo, as the Walmart-owned e-commerce group expands its quick commerce business in the world’s most populous nation. Biswas will lead Flipkart’s quick commerce business, called Flipkart Minutes, a source familiar with the situation told TechCrunch. The move follows Flipkart engaging with Biswas over a potential

Flipkart taps Dunzo founder to lead quick commerce push Read More »

Microsoft backs its $3B AI push in India with public and private sector deals

AI /

Microsoft announced a sweeping series of artificial intelligence partnerships across India’s core sectors on Wednesday, a day after pledging to invest $3 billion in the country over the next two years as it intensifies competition with rivals Google and Amazon. The tech giant’s chief executive Satya Nadella (pictured above) unveiled agreements with five major organizations

Microsoft backs its $3B AI push in India with public and private sector deals Read More »

Indian government websites are still redirecting users to scam sites

Security /

Some Indian government websites continue to allow the planting of scammy links on their official domains months after TechCrunch reported the issue. TechCrunch found more than 90 “gov.in” website links associated with Indian government departments — including the Indian Council of Agricultural Research and India Post, as well as state governments and councils of Haryana

Indian government websites are still redirecting users to scam sites Read More »

South Park Commons is raising $40M for an India-specific fund

Venture /

South Park Commons, a Silicon Valley collective of engineers, founders, and researchers, is raising an India-specific fund over six months after entering the South Asian market in June, according to a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) last week. The exact size of the fund is yet to be determined, though the

South Park Commons is raising $40M for an India-specific fund Read More »

Microsoft to invest $3 billion into cloud and AI push in India

AI /

Microsoft plans to invest $3 billion to expand capacity for its artificial intelligence and cloud Azure services in India and also upskill an additional 10 million people in the country with AI, the software giant’s chief executive said Tuesday. “The investments in infrastructure and skilling we are announcing today reaffirm our commitment to making India

Microsoft to invest $3 billion into cloud and AI push in India Read More »

Accel could raise billions for India, but it’s sticking to $650 million

Venture /

Accel has maintained its India fund size at $650 million for its eighth vehicle, even as other venture firms in the region are racing to raise increasingly larger pools of capital. The firm had ample opportunity to raise “multi-billion dollars,” said Shekhar Kirani, partner at Accel, in an interview with TechCrunch. But unlike peers who

Accel could raise billions for India, but it’s sticking to $650 million Read More »