Author: Arabian Media staff

The Ministry of Defence is overhauling its procurement process to make it easier for startups to supply equipment and technology to the armed forces, Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said, outlining a plan to shorten contract approval timelines and create a dedicated purchase channel for young companies.Speaking at an event hosted by venture capital firm Accel, Singh—who previously served as the top bureaucrat at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)—said the revised Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) will include a “more ambitious” framework than existing schemes like iDEX, which funds prototyping but offers limited visibility on follow-on…

Once heavily reliant on foreign OEMs for critical systems such as avionics, propulsion modules, radar and targeting equipment, the country is now rapidly shifting towards self-reliance in high-value defence manufacturing. This transformation is powered by the government’s Positive Indigenisation Lists (PILs), which now span over 4,500+ components previously imported from abroad. These lists have opened the door for startups to replace foreign sub-systems with locally designed, IP-owned solutions that meet stringent defence-grade standards.The Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) programme is the other catalyst. By funding over 200 startups in partnership with the DRDO and Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs), iDEX…

TMRW, a house-of-brands ventures backed by Aditya Birla Group, has raised Rs 437 crore from US-based ServiceNow Ventures to tap into the investor’s agentic AI platform. “ServiceNow’s Agentic AI and automation capabilities to power TMRW’s tech platform,” Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Limited said in a press release. Meanwhile, TMRW has posted a 38% growth in revenue during the June quarter at Rs 197 crore, from Rs 143 crore last year. During the first quarter of FY26, its EBITDA margin deteriorated further and its losses widened by 36.95% to Rs 63 crore compared to a loss of Rs 46 in…

The Indian D2C market was worth roughly $12 billion in 2022 and is projected to exceed $60 billion by 2027 (a ~40% CAGR), according to KPMG. However, behind the frenetic growth, even successful digital-first brands are running into roadblocks that threaten sustainable scaling. Rising customer acquisition costs, overreliance on online marketplaces, and fragmented logistics networks are steadily eroding profitability.One of the biggest leakages is in the last-mile delivery chain. Brands lose margins every day to missed or delayed deliveries, fake non-delivery reports (NDRs) from courier partners, and basic address errors. Each failed delivery triggers a cascade of costs: extra logistics fees,…

Imagine this: It’s Monday morning. Your CEO walks in and asks, “Why did customer retention drop 15% despite a 30% increase in support staff?”What sounds like a simple question sets off a multi-day investigation. Data teams scramble to extract metrics across dashboards, correlate support tickets with churn trends, and trace hiring timelines. Hours are spent, productivity lost, and decisions delayed.This happens across enterprises every day. Despite advanced data infrastructure, we remain stuck in workflows designed for a pre-AI world. In a typical 500-person mid-sized enterprise, this leads to over 120,000 wasted hours annually—translating to $6 million in productivity losses and…

Travel-focused fintech platform Niyo has acquired Kanji Forex, one of India’s oldest money changers, to strengthen its position in the foreign exchange market. The company has also appointed veteran banker Amit Talwar as chief executive officer of its forex business, which will operate as Niyo Forex (Powered by Kanji Forex Pvt. Ltd.).The acquisition, executed through parent company Finnew Solutions, will enable Niyo to offer a full range of forex services—cash, cards, and outward remittances. The company plans to expand Kanji Forex’s branch network across India and pursue strategic B2B partnerships to increase market penetration.“At Niyo, we have been pioneers in…

Hello,The IPO waters are warm; step in.Jeweller brand Bluestone had a successful close to its initial public offering, with its issue oversubscribed by 2.7X. It defied trends as the demand was largely led by qualified institutional buyers, with their portion oversubscribed 4.28 times. Typically, the institutional participation peaks closer to the close of the offer.The interest in a public listing is growing. AI and analytics solutions provider Fractal has filed its DRHP with SEBI to raise up to Rs 4,900 crore through an IPO. The offer will include a fresh share issuance of Rs 1,279 crore, alongside an offer-for-sale from existing…

Small-town India is no longer the slow-paced cousin to the metros. With smartphones in hand and soaring aspirations, consumers in Bharat’s Tier II, III, and IV towns are embracing brands, fashion, and digital life like never before. Regional players with local insight are rising to meet this demand, proving that beyond the metros lies the future of India’s consumer story.As a first-generation retail entrepreneur, I still remember stepping into a newly opened store in a Tier III town in eastern Uttar Pradesh on a sweltering summer afternoon. I expected a modest crowd browsing for basic necessities. Instead, I was greeted…

Treebo Hospitality Ventures (THV) has had a journey marked by turning points—each one nudging the company toward resilience, innovation, and a growing share of India’s fragmented hospitality sector. The company began challenging industry norms early on. While most hotels relied heavily on OTAs (online travel agencies) for demand, Treebo invested in building its direct-to-consumer (D2C) channel.“Today, around 25–30% of Treebo’s business comes directly through our own website —significantly reducing third-party commissions, which has helped support profitability,” says Sidharth Gupta, Co-founder of THV. But that wasn’t always the case. At one point, Treebo was burning close to a million dollars a month. “We…

Electric vehicle maker Omega Seiki Mobility (OSM) on Wednesday launched its first international EV assembly plant in Dubai’s Jafza. It is investing $25 million over the next five years to scale the plant. According to the company, the international plant will help the company’s plans to expand its global footprint and also meet rising local demand for low-emission transport. This plant has been strategically positioned to serve export markets across the Middle East and Africa. The plant will assemble OSM’s range of electric two and three-wheeler vehicles as well as handle storage and distribution of auto components and spare parts.…