From Jupiter Money entering the insurance distribution segment to Airtel partnering with Perplexity to offer free AI-powered Pro subscription, YourStory brings today’s headlines that highlight significant developments across industries.
Here’s a roundup of key stories:
Featured news
Lost in translation: How NAAV AI wants to break language barriers in Indian publishing
A global bestseller in English hits the bookstores, quickly topping charts and flooding social media. But for millions of readers across India’s vast regional languages, the wait for translated copies begins, often stretching into several months or even years.
The problem isn’t new. Translation has remained slow, expensive, and labour-intensive for decades. While major publishers release hundreds of titles every year, making them accessible in regional languages like Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and others remains a persistent challenge. For renowned author and columnist Vikram Sampath, this wasn’t just a market observation.
“Being a published author myself, I felt a gap in this space: so much good-quality content is available in English…even from well-known authors. When it makes it to Indian languages, there’s often a long gestation period, and by then the buzz around the book gets lost,” Sampath tells YourStory.
B2B startup Fantail is tapping into Surat’s rich textile ecosystem
]When COVID-19 struck, garment factories and textile mills shut down temporarily due to lockdowns and labour shortages. It also gave the mill owners in Surat an opportunity to ideate and experiment. “There was synergy as the Surat ecosystem was beginning to realise that organised retail was going to be the future,” Ramya Iyer tells YourStory.
In 2023, she founded Surat-based fashion retail startup Fantail. The company works in the man-made fibre (MMF) sector, designing and manufacturing MMF fabrics such as viscose, nylon, and polyester for enterprise fashion retailers with an expertise in ethnic women’s wear.
Latest news
Lo! Foods nears Rs 100 Cr ARR, fuels next phase with $3.5M funding to drive Protein Chef
Less sugar, more protein—that’s what Bengaluru-based Lo! Foods is betting on as it nears Rs 100 crore in annual recurring revenue (ARR), driven by strong traction for its protein-focused brand Protein Chef through quick commerce platforms. The company has raised $3.5 million in a Series A round led by Rainmatter Health, an initiative by Zerodha, and Singapore-based Capital Code.
The round also saw participation from Mount Judy Ventures, Ice.VC, KPB Ventures, and existing family offices. “Protein Chef is our fastest-growing brand, and we believe we have only scratched the surface here. We think that this alone can be very large. In the next 6 months, it can be a 100 crore plus brand, and so right now the funding is to build out overall our infrastructure, our tech and our marketing to build out Protein Chef as a brand,” said Sudarshan Gangrade, Founder and CEO of Lo! Foods, in a conversation with YourStory.
Jupiter Money enters insurance distribution, gets IRDAI broker license
Jupiter Money, the digital-first personal finance platform, on Thursday said it has secured a direct insurance broker license from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), marking its official entry into the insurance distribution business. The approval enables the Mumbai startup to offer life and general insurance products directly through its app, in partnership with leading insurers.
The move is part of a broader effort to become a full-stack financial services provider, following its earlier regulatory clearances in 2023 for an NBFC and a prepaid instrument license. “Insurance is a critical layer in the financial journey, and it remains underserved and underutilised in India, especially by the younger generation. With this move, we are not just adding products, we are embedding peace of mind into how users save, spend, and invest,” said Rohit Kumar Pandey, President at Jupiter Money, in a statement.
Airtel partners with Perplexity to offer free AI-powered Pro subscription
Bharti Airtel has partnered with Perplexity, a leading AI-powered answer engine, to offer a complimentary 12-month subscription of Perplexity Pro to all its 360 million customers across mobile, Wi-Fi (FTTH and FWA), and DTH services.
This marks Perplexity’s first partnership with a telecom provider in India. Perplexity, founded in 2022, delivers real-time, citation-backed answers using advanced AI models, positioning itself as a credible alternative to traditional search engines. Its Pro version, priced at Rs 17,000 annually, unlocks enhanced features such as access to premium AI models like GPT-4.1 and Claude, deeper research capabilities, image generation, file uploads and analysis, and Perplexity Labs for ideation and project planning.
Smartworks Coworking shares trade at 7% premium following oversubscribed IPO
Gurugram-based Smartworks Coworking Spaces Ltd has made a successful market debut this week, with shares trading at a 7% premium following its initial public offering (IPO). The stock commenced trading at Rs 435 on the National Stock Exchange and Rs 436.1 on the Bombay Stock Exchange, compared to the issue price of Rs 407.
The public offering generated Rs 445 crore through the issuance of new shares, while existing stakeholders sold shares valued at Rs 137.6 crore through an offer for sale (OFS). The IPO was oversubscribed 13.92 times with total bids reaching approximately Rs 5,700 crore. This strong response was driven by both institutional and non-institutional investors.
Funding news
Parkobot raises seed funding led by Inflection Point Ventures
Parkobot has raised Rs 2.09 crore in a seed funding round led by Inflection Point Ventures, with additional participation from high-net-worth individuals (HNIs). The funds will be used to scale infrastructure, expand into new markets, enhance backend capabilities, and broaden its product offerings.
The startup enables users to monetise their unused private parking spaces on an hourly basis. The platform is powered by an IoT-enabled smart parking space barrier and offers real-time, location-based bookings via a mobile app.
Onetab.ai raises funding from Hyperscope Limited Fund and Singapore-based Elrise
AI startup Onetab.ai has raised an undisclosed amount in follow-on funding from Hyperscope Limited Fund and Singapore-based Elrise, building on its earlier $3.3 million seed round. The Bengaluru-based company is developing AI-driven solutions aimed at streamlining the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
The new capital will support the growth of Onetab’s flagship product — the Onetab AI Agent — a digital assistant designed to improve developer productivity. Using natural language prompts, the AI Agent helps developers manage tasks, write and test code, deploy updates, and collaborate more effectively.
GVFL leads Rs 15 Cr pre-Series A round in DCGPAC
Venture capital firm GVFL has led a Rs 15 crore pre-Series A funding round in DCG Tech Limited (operating as DCGPAC), a B2B platform offering tech-enabled packaging, warehouse solutions, and procurement services. GVFL invested Rs 10 crore, with participation from Auxano Capital and the company’s promoters.
Founded in 2005 by logistics industry veterans Suresh Bansal and Subhasish Chakraborty, DCGPAC serves over 60,000 customers — including MSMEs, ecommerce, and quick commerce brands — with more than 750 million packaging products delivered to date. The company operates eight fulfilment centres, six sales offices, and a Design and Innovation Centre, and also runs a subsidiary in Dubai.
Other news
Connect India merges with Faarms’ logistics arm to launch Bharat Supply
Connect India, backed by impact investor Aavishkaar Capital, has merged with the logistics division of agri-tech platform Faarms to create a new entity — Bharat Supply. Positioned as India’s largest logistics company dedicated to non-metro and rural markets, Bharat Supply spans 230 districts and reaches over 200,000 villages, covering nearly one-third of all villages in the country.
The combined firm will offer end-to-end logistics solutions, including last-mile delivery, seller pick-ups, sort centre operations, warehousing, and line haul services. Its clientele ranges from MSMEs and agri-enterprises to e-commerce companies and large corporations.
“This strategic consolidation is in line with our vision to create scalable, impact-led businesses with a deep presence in Bharat. With Bharat Supply, we are delivering not just logistics infrastructure but economic inclusion,” said Vineet Rai, Founder and Chairman, Aavishkaar Group.
Satish Sharma joins PhysicsWallah as Chief Marketing Officer
Edtech firm PhysicsWallah (PW) has appointed Satish Sharma as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). In this role, Satish will lead the company’s brand and marketing strategy.
With over two decades of experience across entrepreneurship and strategic marketing, Sharma brings deep expertise in building high-impact brand ecosystems. He previously co-founded Unyscape, a marketing and analytics firm catering to global clients, where he served as both COO and CMO. An IIT Varanasi graduate, Satish has also worked at IBM and Tata Steel in earlier roles focused on large-scale tech and operations initiatives.
“Satish brings with him a unique blend of strategic clarity and operational excellence. As we
prepare to enter the next chapter in our journey, his experience will be invaluable in our attempt
at building a differentiated and enduring brand that learners trust and love,” said
Alakh Pandey, Founder and CEO of PhysicsWallah.
This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.
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Edited by Jyoti Narayan
