Startup news and updates: Daily roundup (October 14, 2025)
From a Ramayana-inspired AAA video game to new UPI products reshaping finance, today’s YourStory roundup captures top news from the wide spectrum of India’s startup and innovation ecosystem.
Featured
Amitabh Bachchan-led gaming studio is building Ramayana-inspired AAA game
Former Ubisoft producer Nouredine Abboud and author Amish Tripathi founded Tara Gaming in 2024 to create The Age of Bhaarat, India’s first AAA dark fantasy action RPG inspired by the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
Backed by investor Nicolas Granatino and joined by Amitabh Bachchan, the studio employs 140 people, with 40 in Pune. Blending Indian myth with global accessibility, the game’s trailer drew international attention, including praise from streamer Asmongold. With $20 million raised and plans for PC, console, and mobile versions, The Age of Bhaarat—slated for a Diwali 2027 release—aims to make Indian storytelling a global gaming force, echoing the cultural impact of The Witcher and Assassin’s Creed. Read more.
How a small Ghaziabad business grew into a Rs 190 Cr appliance brand
Started in 1992 by brothers Rajeev and Sanjeev Gupta in Ghaziabad, Thermocool began as a small air cooler workshop and has grown into a Rs 190 crore home appliance brand. Now led by second-generation Tushar Gupta, the company offers over 200 products—from washing machines to TVs—and holds up to 10% market share in North and East India. With a new Rs 30 crore automated plant and growing online presence, Thermocool focuses on smart, solar-friendly, and sustainable appliances. It’s expanding into markets like Nepal and South Africa, targeting Rs 300 crore in three years and Rs 500 crore in five, with plans for an IPO to fund R&D, technology upgrades, and global growth. Read more.
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Latest news
IIT-Madras incubated Muse Wearables launches tap-to-pay smart ring with NPCI
Muse Wearables, an IIT-Madras incubated startup, has partnered with the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to launch India’s first wearable payments ecosystem, officials said on Monday.
The new ecosystem allows users to make instant, secure payments by tapping their wearable smart ring named “Ring One” on any NFC (near field communication) enabled payment device with no phone, card, or wallet required.
Headquartered in Bengaluru with operations in the US, Europe, and other regions, Muse Wearables is a 200-member deeptech company designing and manufacturing cutting-edge products. Read more.
Funding
Gen AI-driven English speaking platform SpeakX secures $16M
Gen AI-driven English speaking platform SpeakX has received $16 million in a pre-Series B funding round as it plans to enhance its AI technology, expand its team, and add regional language support.
The Gurugram-headquartered company’s funding round was led by WestBridge Capital, with participation from Elevation Capital and Goodwater Capital. Angels, including Shyamal Anadkat of OpenAI and Ronnie Screwvala of upGrad, also joined.
Founded in 2020, originally as Yellow Class, a children’s hobby learning platform, the company pivoted to AI-driven English language learning and rebranded as SpeakX in 2023. It uses generative artificial intelligence (Gen AI) to help users practice and improve their English-speaking skills. Read more.
Resale-focused proptech startup HouseEazy bags Rs 150 Cr funding led by Accel
HouseEazy, a full-stack marketplace for resale homes, has raised Rs 150 crore (~$17 million) in its Series B funding round led by Accel, with participation from existing investors Chiratae Venturesand Antler, and leading venture debt funds.
The startup will use the fresh capital to enhance technology, expand geographically, and strengthen its suite of real estate services.
Founded by Tarun Sainani and Deepak Bhatia, HouseEazy claims to offer a faster resale process, completing transactions within weeks compared to the industry average of five to six months. Its AI-powered pricing engine, built on over 2 million data points, provides real-time, transparent valuations for sellers, while AR/VR tools allow buyers to virtually explore refurbished homes. Read more.
Two Brothers Organic Farms raises Rs 110 Cr to expand manufacturing, tech
Pune-based Two Brothers Organic Farms (TBOF) has raised Rs 110 crore in its Series B funding to support the growth of its manufacturing capabilities as well as international presence.
The equity funding was led by 360 ONE Asset, with participation from Rainmatter Investments, Narotam Sekhsaria Family Office, and IGNITE Growth LLP.
Founded by brothers Ajinkya and Satyajit Hange, the regenerative agriculture-led food brand plans to use the proceeds to expand its 60,000 sq ft in-house manufacturing facility into a larger food park, strengthen farmer engagement programmes, and enhance digital infrastructure. Read more.
CIMCON Software raises Rs 52 Cr led by Niveshaay
CIMCON Software has raised Rs 52 crore in a new funding round led by alternative investment fund management firm Niveshaay.
The round also saw participation from Vivek Jain, Managing Director at Action Tesa and GrowthSphere; Saket Agarwal, former Director at Apollo Pipes and Apollo Tricoat; and Ayush Mittal, Co-founder of Screener.in, among others.
CIMCON provides integrated hardware and software solutions for smart water, lighting, and oil and gas infrastructure. The company designs and manufactures its own remote terminal units—electronic devices used in industrial or utility systems that collect data from sensors and send it to a central system—and develops SCADA software to enable data-driven operations. Read more.
Currently raises $1M for India’s first real-time social network
Ahmedabad-based startup Currently, founded by Mitesh Shethwala, has raised $1 million led by Aarvi Family Office LLP with participation from LJ Knowledge Foundation, Dhruv Patel, Pratik Patel, Neerav Dad, Arpit Patel, and Priyank Parmar. The funds will expand engineering, design, and community-building efforts. “Social media was supposed to make us social in the real world—but today it’s about entertainment and ads,” said Shethwala.
Orange Sugar secures Rs 4 Cr pre-seed funding
Premium kidswear label Orange Sugar, founded by Tarun Agrawal, Payal Agarwal, and Bharath Gupta, has raised Rs 4 crore in a pre-seed angel round led by Consumer Collective by Atrium with Ramakant Sharma as co-lead. The round also saw participation from Saurabh Jain (Livspace), Srivatsan Chari (Cleartax), Kunal Mahipal (Onsitego), Meghana Agarwal (Indiqube), and Sunil Khaitan (Goldman Sachs). The brand offers 100% cotton everyday essentials for children up to 10 years. The funds will support product line expansion, brand-building, and distribution.
Muttley Crew secures Rs 3.5 Cr in seed funding
Bengaluru-based Muttley Crew, founded by Smriti Thomas, has raised $425,000 (Rs 3.5 crore) in a seed round from private investors to expand its premium, preservative-free pet food offerings across India. The company plans to increase retail presence, scale production, and enhance R&D in natural pet nutrition. “This funding validates our belief that pets deserve the same quality and care in their food as humans do,” said Thomas. Currently operating in 20 outlets across Bengaluru, the brand has expanded to Mysore, Hyderabad, Goa, and Kochi. Muttley Crew collaborates with veterinarians and nutritionists to ensure high-quality, human-grade ingredients.
Fery Rides raises Rs 2.07 Cr seed round led by IAN Angel Fund
Fery Rides, a women-led mobility platform built for women, has raised Rs 2.075 crore in a seed round led by IAN Angel Fund and other angel investors.
Founded by Ajay Kumar, Vindhya Mehrotra, and Himanshu Chaubey, Fery provides safe, electric rides operated exclusively by trained women drivers for women passengers. The Gurugram-based startup has completed 65,000 rides, empowered 250 women drivers, and reached 50,000 app downloads since April 2023. The funds will be used to strengthen technology and expand operations across NCR and other cities.
AIensured receives funding from STPI and Pontaq
Noida-based AIensured, founded to advance responsible and ethical AI testing and governance, has secured funding from the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) and Pontaq, under MeitY’s NextGen Technology Fund 1, along with angel investments.
COO Neelima Vobugari said the support “reinforces our commitment to building a robust ecosystem for responsible and ethical AI.” The funds will strengthen AIensured’s proprietary assurance platform for bias detection and transparency in AI systems.
Other news
NPCI International, NTT DATA Japan sign MoU for UPI acceptance
NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL), a subsidiary of National Payments Corporation of India, has signed an MoU with NTT DATA Japan to enable Unified Payments Interface (UPI) acceptance across merchant locations in Japan.
The initiative aims to enhance payment convenience for Indian tourists, over 208,000 of whom visited Japan between January and August 2025.
Ritesh Shukla, MD & CEO, NIPL, said the partnership “lays the foundation for enabling UPI acceptance in Japan.” Masanori Kurihara of NTT DATA added that it would “expand payment choices for inbound travellers from India.”
People Home Finance rebrands from Capital India Home Loans after $170M raise
Capital India Home Loans, a subsidiary of Weaver Services, has rebranded as People Home Finance Limited, following a $170 million investment led by Lightspeed, Premji Invest, and Gaja Capital. The move marks the company’s push to expand affordable housing finance across India’s Tier II and Tier III cities.
“Our new name says exactly what we stand for—a housing finance company built for the people of India,” said Satrajit Bhattacharya, Founder and Vice Chairman. Anil Kothuri, MD and CEO, said the firm aims to deliver superior customer experience and risk outcomes through AI-driven underwriting and digital processes.
Curie Money secures NPCI approval, exits beta nationwide
Bengaluru-based fintech Curie Money, founded by Arindam Ghosh and Tushar Choudhary, has received final approval from the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to roll out its platform nationwide.
Curie becomes India’s first UPI app that allows users to earn returns from liquid mutual funds while maintaining instant payment access. “Receiving NPCI’s final approval reinforces our vision of building India’s first UPI app that grows your money,” said Ghosh. The company had earlier raised $1.2 million in a December 2024 seed round led by India Quotient, with participation from institutional and angel investors. Curie partners with YES Bank, ICICI Prudential, and Bajaj Finserv AMC to manage fund-backed accounts that currently offer up to 6.7% annualised returns.
Lxme launches LxmePay, India’s first UPI for women
Mumbai-based Lxme, founded by Priti Rathi Gupta and Ridhi Doongursee in 2021, has launched LxmePay, the country’s first Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platform exclusively for women.
The product transforms everyday transactions into savings by rewarding users with digital gold instead of cashback. Gupta said, “LxmePay isn’t just another payments app; it’s a movement to help women control their financial journeys.”
The platform integrates budgeting, smart expense tracking, and investment tools within one interface.
Designed to encourage financial independence, it builds on Lxme’s ecosystem of saving, investing, and lending products. Lxme, part of Google for Startups Accelerator, was previously featured in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Commemorative Album (2022) and continues to expand financial literacy and inclusion among women users across India.
Zscaler appoints Hemant Dabke as VP & MD for India & SAARC
Zscaler, a global cybersecurity firm, has appointed Hemant Dabke as Vice President and Managing Director for India & SAARC. Dabke, who has over two decades of experience at Databricks, UiPath, SAP, Tech Mahindra, and Microsoft, will lead Zscaler’s regional growth and digital security initiatives. “There has never been a greater need for robust, scalable, and secure cloud solutions,” Dabke said.
Tata Consultancy Services expands partnership with Google Cloud
Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has expanded its multi-year partnership with Google Cloud to integrate its Gemini Enterprise AI platform. The collaboration enables TCS’ 590,000-strong workforce to build agentic AI solutions that enhance operational efficiency across industries. “AI is fundamentally redefining the value that professional services firms offer,” said Thomas Kurian, CEO, Google Cloud. Aarthi Subramanian, COO, TCS, added that Gemini Enterprise will “empower our workforce and redefine how we deliver value to clients.”
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)
Edited by Kanishk Singh
প্রকাশিত: 2025-10-14 16:48:00
উৎস: yourstory.com
