From AI leaders outlining the next frontiers in AI development and India’s capacity to build indigenous AI solutions to Nykaa projecting mid-20% consolidated revenue growth for Q1 FY26, YourStory brings today’s headlines that highlight significant developments across industries.
Here’s a roundup of key stories:
Featured news
When machines dream of melodies: Can bytes ever recreate the genius of Beethoven?
Musical genius Ludwig van Beethoven was 44 years old when he gradually began to lose his hearing. However, that did not impede the German pianist’s creative spirit, and he went on to compose the iconic Symphony No. 9, a masterpiece that would be regarded as a shining example of classical music for centuries to come.
In addition to decades of hard work, his brilliance lay in his ability to imagine each instrumental layer without ever hearing them physically, capturing the music’s essence that lay in its building blocks. However, Symphony No. 10, one of Beethoven’s penultimate works, remains unfinished to date. All he left behind were a few handwritten notes and musical sketches. Ever since then, musicologists have pondered what it could have been.
But for Beethoven, who was suffering from the slow progression of deafness, composition meant pressing his ear against the piano’s wooden frame, desperately straining to catch even the faintest echo of sound through his failing hearing. But is AI capable of creating great music that emerged from such a struggle, and beyond the awe of what this technology achieved, can machines truly ever be creative?
This startup is helping ESL learners find their voice with AI
The inability to speak fluent English despite being highly educated is a common frustration shared by many students, job seekers, and professionals alike in India. While most edtech tools focus on teaching the language, four students from IIT-BHU spotted a deeper problem—fluency, not literacy, which was holding people back.
Determined to change that, Akshay Akash and his college mates Anesh Srivastav, Ankit Kumar Pandey, and Akshat Baranwal founded Stimuler in 2022. It is a voice-first AI tutor that replicates real phone conversations and offers feedback to help users speak English fluently. The Bengaluru-based startup is leveraging advanced speech analysis and AI-driven learning to transform how people learn and practice spoken English.
Latest news
Interesting times ahead for India as it innovates around Indic AI models, say tech leaders
Artificial intelligence is the “most transformative” technology of our lifetime—it’s powerful and exciting, concur renowned leaders from the field of technology. At a recent discussion in Bengaluru, AI leaders Srinivas Narayanan, VP of Engineering at OpenAI; Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer – Experiences & Devices at Microsoft; and Prof Balaram Ravindran, Head, Wadhwani School of Data Science & AI IIT Madras; shared their views on the current AI landscape and the road ahead for the technology in India.
“For a lot of us who’ve been in tech for a long time, we have not seen anything so powerful, and that’s quite exciting. If you are going to do something now, it’s not possible to imagine something without AI at its core. Technology is progressing at an incredibly fast rate, enabling users across industries all over the world—people are using it for education, finance, all sorts of industries,” said OpenAI’s Narayanan.
Nykaa sees Q1 revenue growth in mid-20% range, led by beauty segment
FSN E-Commerce Ventures Ltd., the parent of beauty and fashion retailer Nykaa, expects consolidated net revenue for the first quarter of FY26 to grow in the mid-20% range, according to a regulatory filing. The uptick is powered by continued strength in its beauty segment, even as its fashion business shows early signs of a turnaround.
Gross merchandise value (GMV) in the beauty vertical is projected to rise in the high-20% range, supported by broad-based growth across Nykaa’s online platform, physical retail stores, eB2B distribution, and its expanding portfolio of in-house and exclusive brands under the “House of Nykaa” umbrella. The company noted that this performance came despite softer consumer sentiment during its Q1 flagship sale event, which was impacted by geopolitical tensions along the Indo-Pak border.
Funding news
Khetika raises $18M in Series B funding, eyes 10X revenue jump over three years
Clean-label food brand Khetika has raised $18 million in a Series B funding round led by Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office and Anicut Capital, according to a press note. The equity round also witnessed participation from existing investors Incofin India Progress Fund, Rajasthan Gum and Shree Ram India Gums.
Founded in 2017, Khetika offers food products including batters, chutneys, millet-based staples, and spices. It claims to have built a tech-enabled supply chain that directly sources from farmers across 14 Indian states. It plans to undertake brand expansion, building its manufacturing capacity, entering international growth along with building its product portfolio.
Divine Hindu raises seed funding
Haryana-based Divine Hindu, a spiritual lifestyle brand founded by brothers Aniruddha and Anurodh Singhai, has raised seed funding from BeyondSeed, D2C Insider Super Angels, and Signal Ventures. Mentored by Arjun Vaidya, the startup aims to expand its range of certified Hindu spiritual products and grow its presence in India and abroad.
“Divine Hindu is born out of our personal affinity for spirituality and culture. Growing up in a conventional Indian family, we realized how difficult it was to find authentic and meaningful religious products, both within India as well as for those residing overseas. With this funding, we’re ready to grow globally, launch new offerings, and build a vibrant digital-first platform for today’s devotees,” said Aniruddha Singhai and Anurodh Singhai, Co-Founders of Divine Hindu.
Other news
WTi Cabs Becomes India’s largest Uber black fleet operator
Premium mobility services provider Wise Travel India Limited (WTi Cabs) has emerged as the largest Uber Black fleet partner in India, with operations spanning Delhi, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. The company’s Uber Black fleet includes a mix of high-end SUVs and sedans, featuring models such as the Toyota Hyryder and MG ZS EV.
“Our partnership with Uber for its Uber Black fleet reinforces our expertise in luxury premium travel. Our commitment to excellence in premium mobility aligns seamlessly with Uber’s mission to offer reliable, safe, and high-quality rides. This collaboration marks a meaningful step toward redefining urban transportation for discerning riders,” said Ashok Vashist, CEO of WTi Cabs.
Dhruva Space partners with Pixxel
Spacetech firm Dhruva Space has partnered with Pixxel to supply space-grade solar panels for Pixxel’s upcoming hyperspectral satellite fleet. Dhruva Space’s Solis+ panels, built in Hyderabad using high-efficiency triple-junction GaAs solar cells, offer up to 30% efficiency and several kilowatts of power, making them suitable for larger satellites.
“This partnership represents the best of India’s NewSpace capabilities coming together. I’m proud to highlight that there are very few players globally who design, manufacture, qualify, and export Space-grade solar panels, and that Dhruva Space is among them. Dhruva Space’s Solis+ technology, designed for Low-Earth Orbit and high-mission durability, is a result of years of indigenous R&D and Spaceflight heritage,” said Abhay Egoor, Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder, Dhruva Space.
Coursera appoints Ashutosh Gupta as Managing Director for India and Asia Pacific
Online learning platform Coursera has appointed Ashutosh Gupta as Managing Director for India and Asia Pacific. In this role, Gupta will lead the company’s enterprise business across the region, working closely with companies, campuses, and governments.
“Ashutosh’s deep experience in the region and his work with mission-driven organizations make him an ideal leader to drive Coursera’s next phase of growth in Asia Pacific. His understanding of public-private partnerships, and track record of scaling regional businesses will be critical as we help institutions across the region navigate rapid change and prepare their communities for an AI-driven future,” said Karine Allouche, General Manager, Enterprise, Coursera.
He was most recently an Operating Partner at Avataar Ventures, advising SaaS firms on go-to-market and revenue growth across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Earlier, he served as Country Manager for LinkedIn India and held senior roles at Google, Cognizant, and Infosys.
Edited by Jyoti Narayan
