Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (July 28, 2025)
Featured stories
Tata Steel bets on AI to become the ‘Zepto and Blinkit’ for the industry
Steel and artificial intelligence (AI) seem to be opposite ends of a spectrum but for the 118-year-old iconic company, Tata Steel, they just go hand-in-hand as the company plans to use tech to accelerate steel delivery—from weeks to days.
In an interview with EnterpriseStory, Tata Steel Chief Information Officer (CIO) Jayanta Banerjee says, “We are now trying to become the Zepto, Zomato or Blinkit of the world. Being a steel company, I will not be able to deliver steel to you in 10 minutes, but I can deliver steel to you in 72 hours.”
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Zithara.AI is digitising India’s offline retail, one store at a time
As the world races ahead with commerce and data-driven growth, India’s retail sector remains firmly rooted in physical stores. Small neighbourhood stores, or kiranas, remain central to Indian retail, especially in Tier II and III towns and rural areas.
Despite this vast and growing market, over 13 million retail outlets—from jewellers and wellness spas to electronic chains—still rely on spreadsheets, WhatsApp messages, and outdated billing systems to manage customer interactions. Zithara.AI is stepping in to change that.
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Meet underDOGS, the Mumbai studio bringing transmedia gaming to India
Mumbai-based underDOGS Studio started as a B2B gaming studio in 2011. Today, it creates original gaming IPs for PC and console, and aims to capture a significant portion of India’s $4.3 billion gaming industry.
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Latest news
Ola Krutim to build leaner teams, lays off 100 employees: Report
Bhavish Aggarwal’s AI startup Ola Krutrim has reportedly laid off more than 100 employees, months after it undertook layoffs and saw three of its senior executives leave the company, The Economic Times said in a report.
The artificial intelligence unicorn has reportedly let go of a large portion of its linguistics team as it looks to run a tighter ship at the company.
Read more here
Other news
LinkedLogi streamlines upstream logistics by addressing first and middle-mile inefficiency
AI-powered freight platform LinkedLogi is streamlining its upstream logistics for ecommerce and quick commerce companies by addressing first and middle mile inefficiencies.
The move, which comes ahead of the festive season, will look to tackle pain points such as fragmented logistics, limited route visibility, manual documentation, and delayed lane booking—all of which lead to delays in deliveries.
According to the company, it is looking to resolve these problems using advanced RFQ automation, verified provider matchmaking, route optimisation, and streamlined documentation and invoicing workflows.
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MakeMyTrip partners with Premier Inn hotels to add over 900 hotels to its offerings
Online travel company MakeMyTrip has partnered with UK’s largest hotel chain, Premier Inn, to add over 900 hotels to its international hotel portfolio.
The announcement comes after the company added over 2,000 directly contracted hotels across 50 cities in 20 countries in the past year. According to the firm, these 50 cities collectively account for more than half of India’s outbound travel.
Rajesh Magow, Co-Founder and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, “Over the past twelve months, we have pursued a focused strategy to deepen our international accommodation offerings across key hubs, particularly in long haul markets such as the UK, Europe, and the USA.
“These initiatives are beginning to show results, with a steady uptick in the value contribution of international stays on our platform. Our partnership with Premier Inn in the UK, one of the most preferred destinations for Indian travellers, is a key part of this strategy.”
Spring House Workspaces opens its newest centre at Delhi’s Southern Park Mall
Office space provider Spring House Workspaces has opened its newest centre at Southern Park Mall in Saket, New Delhi.
The space offers a capacity of 450 seats, including 300 desks and 33 private cabins, designed to cater to startups, remote teams, consultants, and growing enterprises.
Calcom sets up unit to steer export business and international expansion
Electronics manufacturing services company Calcom Vision has set up a wholly owned subsidiary Calcom Astra to help steer its exports business and accelerate its international expansion plans.
Calcom Astra will focus on strengthening the company’s footprint in key global markets such as the USA and Europe.
Magenta Mobility appoints Ankur Bhandari as the head of finance
Electric mobility solutions provider Magenta Mobility has appointed Ankur Bhandari as its new head of finance.
Bhandari has had prior stints at Mahindra Logistics, DP World Group, and VRS Food Ltd, among others, and holds over 15 years of financial leadership experience.
At Magenta, Bhandari will focus on building a high-impact finance function that enables cost leadership, scalability, and operational excellence.
Dhoni-backed Garuda Aerospace bags export licence, to enter US, Australia, Middle East
Garuda Aerospace has bagged export licences and is ready to enter USA, Australia, and Middle Eastern markets, after expanding to Sri Lanka.
The MS Dhoni-backed drone manufacturer will focus its export efforts on the Garuda Kisan Drone that is designed to meet the growing demand in the agriculture sector. These drones address precision farming and agri-tech services, particularly in agricultural regions such as those in the USA and Australia. Additionally, the company aims to cater to the high-security and surveillance requirements of the Middle East.
The licence aligns with Garuda’s broader vision of operating in at least 50 countries in the near future, said the company.
Avanse Financial Services, AWS partner to bring technology skills to India’s youth
Education-focused non-banking financial company Avanse Financial Services has partnered with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to make industry-relevant technology education accessible to a wider student base, regardless of their financial backgrounds.
The collaboration will follow a two-pronged strategy: AWS Skill Builder, wherein Avanse will provide curated skill building programmes by AWS, along with the necessary funding to existing and prospective higher education students; and AWS re/Start which includes CSR initiatives designed by Avanse to make quality education accessible to under-served Indian students.
Edited by Swetha Kannan
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