Author: Arabian Media staff

Pine Labs has appointed Sameer Kamath as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) as the Indian fintech firm prepares for a public listing.Kamath, previously Group CFO at Avendus Capital, will be responsible for the company’s global finance strategy, accounting, and investor relations. Kamath held leadership roles at Motilal Oswal prior to his stint at Avendus.“I am thrilled to be joining a technology-first organisation like Pine Labs at such a pivotal moment in their journey,” Kamath said in a statement Thursday. “Looking forward to working with Amrish and the rest of the leadership team to build on the momentum and strengthen…

BharatPe reported its first annual profit in the year ended March 31. In FY25, the fintech company posted an adjusted profit before tax of Rs 6 crore compared with a loss of Rs 342 crore a year earlier.Revenue rose to Rs 1,734 crore, while EBITDA, excluding employee stock option costs, turned to a Rs 141 crore surplus from a Rs 209 crore deficit the year earlier. EBITDA is the earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation. “Becoming PBT positive marks more than just a financial milestone; it signals a successful turnaround. We’re no longer just scaling, we’re growing responsibly, with…

Beauty brand RENÉE Cosmetics has raised $30 million in a Series C funding round, valuing the company at $200 million. The round was led by Playbook, with participation from existing investors Evolvence India, Edelweiss, and Midas Partners. The round was a mix of primary and secondary capital. The Ahmedabad-based brand said the funds will be used to expand its product portfolio, scale omnichannel presence across Tier I and Tier II cities, strengthen marketing efforts, and enhance its tech stack.”The young consumer is increasingly seeking authenticity, inclusivity, and innovation in their choices. Renée is leading that growth, especially in Tier 2+…

When Nitish Kumar became the chief minister of Bihar in 2005, the eastern Indian state had just 384 kilometres of rural roads, power cuts that lasted most of the day, and crime syndicates that controlled highways. Kidnappings for ransom were so routine that anyone with means travelled with armed guards.”Law and order was not broken, it was missing,” says Sanjay Kumar Jha, a federal lawmaker who has served in Kumar’s cabinet for nearly two decades.Today, Bihar has more than 100,000 kilometres of rural roads and round-the-clock electricity in every village. By any administrative metric, it has gone from collapse to…

Automaker Bajaj Auto has warned that a sudden shortage of high‑rare‑earth (HRE) magnets is slicing its electric‑vehicle (EV) production in half, as China’s export curbs on the specialised components ripple through India’s automotive industry.“Non-availabilities had begun to compromise production in June itself, resulting in some shortfalls in deliveries to dealers in June; July has seen a 50% shortfall. While we expect production in August to be better than July, we may still see a shortfall of similar levels of 50% in this quarter in Chetak and about 25-30% or so in E-autos,” Executive Director Rakesh Sharma told analysts during the Q1…

For decades, China has reigned supreme in the global toy industry, producing nearly 70% of all toys sold worldwide. But as global dynamics shift, rising import tariffs, stricter quality standards, and the push toward ‘China plus one’ sourcing strategies, brands are looking for alternate supply bases. India, bolstered by policy support, expanding manufacturing capability, and cost advantages, is emerging as a serious contender.The Indian toy market, valued at $1.9 billion in 2024, is projected to grow at a 10% CAGR to reach $4.7 billion by 2033, according to the IMARC Group. On the export front, toy shipments from India surged…

IIT Bombay’s flagship entrepreneurship competition, Eureka! 2025, is back for its 28th edition — and it promises to be its most expansive yet.Organised by the Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) of IIT Bombay, Asia’s largest student-run entrepreneurship organisation, the competition opens doors to a transformative five-month journey for early-stage founders, culminating at the prestigious E-Summit in December 2025.With prizes worth Rs 2 crore, curated mentoring from over 300 startup experts, access to 50+ leading VC firms, and a chance to pitch at global platforms, Eureka! has emerged as the most coveted launchpad for India’s startup dreamers.The deadline to apply is August 10,…

Enterprise sales involve selling software subscriptions to large MNCs, where one needs to win over multiple departments—IT, finance, legal, and procurement, among others. While many early-stage startups develop products for enterprises, they often lack the expertise to sell or scale them effectively. The process can take weeks or even months, but the payoff is significantly higher.Enter Koot—founded by Sankara Srinivasan and M Nageshwari Sankara in 2023—which helps young SaaS and AI startups unlock their enterprise sales. “We show startups that there are multiple paths to the same goal and help them choose the right one based on their product, maturity, and…

India’s automotive market is undergoing a dramatic transformation, with electric vehicles (EVs) driving unprecedented growth in what is already one of the world’s largest mobility sectors, according to a report by Accel.The market, currently valued at $138 billion, is projected to nearly double to $260 billion by 2030. This explosive growth is primarily driven by EVs, which are expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21.8%, nearly three times faster than the modest 8% growth projected for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The electric revolution is most pronounced in India’s dominant vehicle segments: two- and three-wheelers. These…

Antfin (Netherlands) Holding B.V., a key shareholder in One97 Communications, the parent company of Paytm, has offloaded over 3.72 crore shares worth approximately Rs 3,980 crore in the company through bulk deals on the BSE on Tuesday. With this deal, Antfin has fully exited its stake in One97 Communications.The shares were picked up by global institutional investors, including Societe Generale and MY Asian Opportunities Master Fund LP.Stock exchange data shows that the stake sale by Antfin comprised two blocks of 1,86,43,863 shares each, priced at Rs 1,067.53 and Rs 1,067.63 apiece, respectively, valuing the total transaction at over Rs Rs…