From SoftBank’s Vision Fund looking to make 20% job cuts to DeepSeek claiming it trained its R1 AI model for just $294,000, YourStory brings today’s headlines that highlight significant developments across industries.
Featured stories
India’s e-bus push gathers pace, but registrations lag behind orders
According to Vahan data, only 3,066 e-buses have been registered year-to-date, still short of the 2024 peak of 3,611. This gap indicates that much of the action this year has been happening at the order and production stages, forecasting a gradual pick up in registrations late this year and beginning next year as most e-bus manufacturers take between 3-12 months to fulfil orders.
A recent report by CareEdge reinforces this indication. The report notes that the annual sales volume of e-buses in India is expected to reach more than 17,000 units in FY27, accounting for nearly 15% of the total bus volume in the country, compared to 4% in FY24. Read more.
How Virtual Racing Hub is driving sim racing and motorsport innovation in India
In 2020, Akshat Taneja and Pavitra Balakrishnan began gaming on their PlayStation 4, playing various driving titles. Soon, the duo wished to upgrade their gaming experience to proper simulation racing equipment.
Taneja and Balakrishnan soon realised that quality gear was simply not available in India, which struck them as a significant gap in the market.
Today, Virtual Racing Hub (VRH) sells and builds high-end racing simulators in India. The startup provides steering wheels, pedals, rigs, and VR setups from top brands, sets up custom simulators for customers, and also hosts demo events so people can experience simulation racing firsthand.
Its pricing is designed to cater to different audiences: entry-level B2C setups start at around Rs 30,000, while turnkey B2B solutions typically begin at Rs 5 lakh and scale with client requirements. Read more.
Latest news
SoftBank’s Vision Fund looking at 20% job cuts: Report
SoftBank’s Vision Fund is mulling laying off 20% of its workforce, Reuters reported. Vision Fund is one of the largest technology-focused investment funds in the world and has invested in a number of Indian companies, including EV maker Ola Electric and foodtech major Swiggy.
According to the report, SoftBank, which employed about 282 people as of March-end, is looking to let go of more than 50 roles. Read more.
OYO-parent PRISM introduces CheckIn, a new premium value hotel brand
PRISM, the parent company of OYO, has launched CheckIn, a brand that brings together its premium value hotel offerings, including Townhouse Hotels, Clubhouse, Sunday Hotels, Belvilla, and Palette Hotels.
With a network of more than 1,300 hotels across India, CheckIn is currently the country’s largest chain in the premium value segment. Properties under the brand will be managed by dedicated CheckIn teams and partner operators, with a focus on consistency and guest experience.
“CheckIn is designed to offer a reliable and well-rounded premium value stay experience. It reflects our effort to build on OYO’s budget segment foundation and extend into higher-value hospitality,” Ritesh Agarwal, Founder and Group CEO of PRISM, said. Read more.
Funding
Climate tech startup Equilibrium secures $3M seed funding
Equilibrium, a digitally-enabled, full-stack carbon project developer, raised a $3 million seed round from Kalaari Capital, Peak XV Partners and Avaana Capital.
Equilibrium integrates carbon science, digital monitoring, and community-driven execution to deliver high-quality, verifiable carbon removals that not only reduce carbon emissions but also build resilience in India’s food systems.
The startup’s project portfolio spans agroforestry, regenerative agriculture, mangrove restoration, and biochar. These nature-based solutions help sequester carbon, diversify farmer incomes, and convert agricultural and biomass waste into valuable products.
The funds will support the expansion of eight pipeline projects across nine Indian states, covering 120,000 hectares of land and engaging over 150,000 smallholder farmers. Collectively, these projects are expected to generate more than 20 million tonnes of high-quality carbon removal.
Other news
NatWest Group expands in India with the new Bengaluru office
NatWest Group India opened a new office at Taurus 4 in Bagmane Constellation Business Park, as it aims to expand in India by investing in India’s deep technology and talent ecosystem.
This expansion builds on the bank’s previous commitment to grow its India-based workforce and further strengthen its global digital capabilities. The Bengaluru office is one of NatWest’s most important hubs for technology and operations, complementing its presence in Chennai and Gurugram.
L.T. Elevator Ltd gets listed on the BSE SME Platform
Kolkata-headquartered L.T. Elevator has become the 624th company to get listed on the BSE SME platform. The company provides elevator system solutions with a focus on service, engineering, and technical solutions.
The company offers end-to-end solutions, starting from elevator manufacturing, installation, commissioning and servicing under an annual maintenance contract. Arvind Gupta, Usha Gupta, and Yash Gupta are the promoters of the company.
The equity shares were issued at a price of Rs 78 per equity share, aggregating to a total issue size of Rs 39.37 crore. The IPO closed on September 16, 2025.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Suman Singh
