From Dream11 pivoting to free-to-play games after India’s gaming ban to London-based Nothing raising $200 million at a $1.3 billion valuation, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.
Featured news
Almost a month after ban, online real-money gaming companies chart new course
India’s real-money gaming sector has scrambled to reinvent itself after the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, banned all stake-based games in August.
Dream11, once dependent on contest fees, lost about 95% of revenue but pivoted to free-to-play social games and personal finance, while avoiding layoffs.
Rival Mobile Premier League cut 60% of its India staff, shifting focus to overseas markets. WinZO moved into short-form video content with ZO TV and maintained jobs by redeploying staff. Zupee shed 170 employees but expanded into eSports and short-form content.
Head Digital Works challenged the ban legally. The abrupt ban erased billions in revenue and forced firms to pivot aggressively within weeks. Read more.
House of Bindu, started by an auto-rickshaw-driver-turned-entrepreneur, is now a Rs 570-crore FMCG brand
From launching Bindu Fizz Jeera Masala in 2002, Karnataka’s SG Corporates has grown into a Rs 570-crore FMCG brand under ‘House of Bindu.’
Founded by former auto driver Sathya Shankar and now led by his daughter Megha, the company sells beverages and snacks across 2.5 lakh outlets in South India.
It plans nationwide expansion, a Rs 1,000 crore revenue target by FY28, and an IPO. A new Rs 125-crore plant in Visakhapatnam will support scale, while ex-Marico, Britannia, and PepsiCo leaders strengthen operations. Read more.
This 83-year-old woman has spent 25 years helping prisoners find calm and purpose
Aruna Sareen, 83, has spent 25 years conducting yoga and rehabilitation sessions in Madhya Pradesh prisons through the Art of Living’s Prison Program.
Working with over 50,000 inmates, she has reduced violence, substance abuse, and self-harm while offering vocational training. Her efforts blend spiritual healing with practical skills, bringing dignity and hope to prisoners often forgotten by society. Read more.
Why human milk banks are critical to reduce infant mortality in India
India has 125 human milk banks, vital for premature and low-birth-weight babies. Badminton star Jwala Gutta’s recent donation has renewed awareness about the practice.
With national guidelines in place since 2017, milk banks are being scaled across hospitals to provide safe donor milk.
Experts stress expanding beyond urban centers to tackle India’s infant mortality rate of 25 per 1,000 births. Read more.
Latest news
Nothing raised $200M from Tiger Global, Nikhil Kamath and others
London-based consumer electronics startup Nothing has raised $200 million in a Series C round, valuing the company at $1.3 billion as it aims to expand from smartphones into a broader lineup of AI-driven devices.
The funding round was led by Tiger Global, with participation from GV, Highland Europe, EQT, Latitude, I2BF, Tapestry, Nikhil Kamath of Zerodha, and Qualcomm Ventures, the company said in a statement Tuesday.
According to the statement, Nothing crossed $1 billion in cumulative sales earlier this year, after shipping millions of devices and growing its revenue 150% in 2024. Read more.
Peak XV leads $48M investment in LA-based MarqVision
Peak XV Partners has led a $48 million Series B round in MarqVision, a Y Combinator-backed startup that uses AI to fight counterfeits and digital piracy.
The round also saw participation from Salesforce Ventures, Coral Capital, HSG (formerly Sequoia China), and Y Combinator partner emeritus Michael Seibel. Peak XV’s managing director Shailendra J Singh will join MarqVision’s board.
The deal marks one of Peak XV’s most visible moves in the US since its split from Sequoia Capital in June 2023, after the US-based investment giant divided its global operations, triggering the abrupt rebrand of its India and Southeast Asia unit into Peak XV Partners. Read more.
YC-backed Hyperbound raises $15M from Peak XV
YCombinator-backed Hyperbound on Tuesday raised $15 million in a Series A round led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA) in what will be the VC firm’s biggest bet in the US as it looks to widen its bets outside India, particularly in artificial intelligence.
The round also saw participation from Y Combinator, Snowflake Ventures, Roble Ventures, and Fellows Fund.
The San Francisco-based startup works on building AI tools and has built on its AI sales roleplays, creating the first scalable practice arena for sales teams. Read more.
Consumer electronics startup Indkal Technologies bags $20M funding
Consumer electronics company Indkal Technologies has secured $20 million in a Series B bridge funding round led by existing investors to support the growth of its brand, Wobble Displays.
The company will allocate the fresh capital for research and development, improvements in the sales and service network, and the expansion of Wobble Displays’ product portfolio, besides introducing new display categories, development of after-sales infrastructure, and marketing activities related to the brand.
Prior to this, the Bengaluru startup had raised $36 million in a Series A funding round in June last year. Read more.
Funding
BeyondSquare secures $4M from Avant Global for FinAlyzer
Bengaluru’s BeyondSquare Solutions raised $4 million in Series A funding from Japan’s Avant Global to expand its FinAlyzer platform.
The financial consolidation and reporting solution, already used by 100 enterprises across 45 countries, plans to scale in the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia. Funds will strengthen automation, compliance, and scalability.
Amaani raises $3M to launch Arab beauty brand AÏZA
Dubai-based Amaani has raised $3 million in seed funding from Peak XV’s Surge, marking the fund’s first consumer bet in MENA. Founded by ex-Sequoia India investor Shubham Poddar, Amaani’s debut brand AÏZA blends Arab heritage ingredients with global lab formulations.
Launched in May, the brand surpassed $2 million in annualised revenue within three months, fueled by demand in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Other news
CoinSwitch crosses 25M registered users
CoinSwitch has become the first Indian cryptocurrency exchange to surpass 2.5 crore registered users. Daily average spot trading volumes have grown 2.4 times in 2025, reinforcing its market leadership.
Founded in 2017, the platform emphasises compliance and transparency, holding ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification and FIU-IND registration.
CoinSwitch has raised $300 million from backers including Tiger Global, Coinbase Ventures, and Peak XV.
HDFC Life, upGrad launch insurance sector internship programme
HDFC Life has partnered with edtech platform upGrad to roll out a certification and internship programme for life insurance.
The “Insurance Fundamentals Program” includes a three-week online course followed by a four-month paid internship for up to 2,000 participants.
Aimed at students, graduates, and career switchers, the initiative seeks to boost employability in India’s BFSI sector, which added over 200,000 jobs in FY24.
MIC Electronics wins Rs 1.76 Cr Indian Railways contracts
MIC Electronics has secured contracts worth Rs 1.76 crore from Indian Railways to enhance passenger information and safety systems.
The Sambalpur Division awarded projects for eight stations under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme, while the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai commissioned LED emergency lighting for coaches. The projects are scheduled for completion within six to nine months.
Polygon Labs appoints John Egan as Chief Product Officer
Polygon Labs has named former Stripe Head of Crypto John Egan as its first Chief Product Officer. Egan, who also led product at Facebook’s Workplace, will oversee product strategy as Polygon expands its stablecoin payments ecosystem.
The blockchain network supports nearly $3 billion in stablecoins and has processed over $1 billion in tokenised real-world assets, including funds from BlackRock and Apollo.
Edited by Jyoti Narayan
