Startup Voice

Babycare-focused quick-commerce startup Kiddo has raised ₹12.5 crore in a pre-seed funding round led by Campus Fund, with participation from a group of strategic angel investors.

The startup plans to use the fresh capital for customer acquisition, expanding its dark-store network across Delhi NCR, technology and product development, and building its team.

The funding comes as Kiddo looks to strengthen its quick-commerce operations and expand its presence in the babycare segment across the Delhi NCR market.

Funding News Covered by Startup Voice
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3 days ago | [YT] | 99

Startup Voice

Meet Ritesh Malik, the doctor-turned-entrepreneur who founded Innov8 in 2015 and built it into a prominent coworking and flexible workspace brand.

Ritesh started his entrepreneurial journey by investing ₹5 lakh of his own money and launched Innov8 with its first workspace in Delhi. The company then expanded across major Indian cities, building a network of flexible workspaces for startups, professionals and businesses.

In 2019, OYO acquired Innov8 in an all-cash deal worth around ₹220 crore, making it a notable exit in India’s coworking space sector.

The story didn’t end with the acquisition. Innov8 continued operating as an OYO-owned business and expanded its presence across India. In January 2025, the company raised ₹110 crore at a ₹1,000 crore valuation, followed by another reported 3% stake sale at the same valuation in June 2025.

By 2025, Innov8 had expanded to 30+ centres across 10 cities, while its flexible workspace business continued to grow.

— Story Covered by Startup Voice
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4 days ago | [YT] | 244

Startup Voice

India has emerged as the top country for unpaid work, according to the data shared from ADP Research’s People at Work 2026 report.

The report says 24% of Indian employees work 16+ hours every week without additional pay, while 64% report working 6+ unpaid hours per week.

For some employees, that can add up to the equivalent of two extra working days every week without extra compensation.

The findings raise a bigger question about workplace productivity: are companies measuring productivity by actual output, or by how many hours employees are willing to work beyond their paid time?

Working longer does not necessarily mean working better.

If unpaid overtime becomes a regular expectation, the cost may not appear on a payslip—but it can come out of an employee’s personal time and work-life balance.

News Covered by Startup Voice

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4 days ago | [YT] | 589

Startup Voice

A major alleged MSP procurement fraud has surfaced in Raisen, Madhya Pradesh, where three computer operators are accused of registering farmers’ names without their knowledge.

According to the investigation, some farmers neither grew moong nor registered for government procurement, yet moong was allegedly shown as sold in their names. The accused are alleged to have purchased moong from the market at lower prices and then sold it to the government at MSP.

The alleged fraud is estimated to have generated around ₹13.3 lakh in profit. The case came to light after some farmers discovered that government records showed moong sales under their names despite them never delivering the crop.

The Economic Offences Wing (EOW) has registered a case against the three operators and is investigating the matter. The possible involvement of officials from the cooperative department is also reportedly under scrutiny.

The allegations are part of an ongoing investigation, and the accused are yet to be established guilty by a court.

— News Covered by Startup Voice

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6 days ago | [YT] | 202

Startup Voice

UPI charges are now at the centre of a fresh debate in India.

BharatPe co-founder Ashneer Grover has questioned the logic behind introducing Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on certain UPI merchant transactions above ₹2,000.

His argument compares a ₹1 lakh UPI transfer to a friend with a ₹2,500 payment made to a small shopkeeper, questioning why the two transactions should have different treatment when the underlying payment infrastructure is being used.

However, under the new framework announced by the government, there is an important distinction: Person-to-Person (P2P) UPI transactions will remain completely free, irrespective of the amount. MDR applies only to specified Person-to-Merchant (P2M) transactions above ₹2,000.

The government has also clarified that MDR is not a tax collected by the government or NPCI. It is distributed among participants in the payment ecosystem, including banks and payment application providers, to support the operation and expansion of UPI.

The new framework is scheduled to introduce a 0.4% MDR on applicable merchant transactions above ₹2,000, subject to a maximum of ₹300 per transaction. Certain categories have separate rates.

So while Ashneer Grover is questioning the economics of the move, the government's stated objective is to create a more sustainable financial model for the UPI ecosystem without charging consumers directly.

What do you think about the new UPI MDR framework?

#UPI #AshneerGrover #DigitalPayments #Fintech #StartupVoice

6 days ago | [YT] | 7,025

Startup Voice

India is set to expand its defence testing infrastructure as the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) plans to establish a new weapon and missile testing range at Junput in West Bengal, along the Bay of Bengal.

The proposed facility is expected to support testing of advanced missiles and various weapon systems. Junput is located around 70 km from Chandipur in Odisha, home to India’s existing Integrated Test Range (ITR).

India currently has one dedicated missile testing facility in Odisha. The proposed West Bengal facility would add another major testing hub to the country’s defence development network.

The expansion could strengthen India’s capabilities for developing, evaluating and validating advanced missile and weapon systems.

The new facility would complement the existing testing infrastructure in Odisha and a proposed testing facility in Andhra Pradesh.

News Covered by Startup Voice
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1 week ago | [YT] | 149

Startup Voice

India and Bangladesh have begun discussions on resuming cross-border passenger train services, raising hopes of restoring important rail connectivity between the two countries.

Railway officials from both sides are meeting in Dhaka for an Inter-Governmental Railway Meeting (IGRM), where the revival of three major international train services is being discussed.

The services include the Maitree Express between Kolkata and Dhaka, the Bandhan Express between Kolkata and Khulna, and the Mitali Express between New Jalpaiguri and Dhaka.

All three services were suspended in 2024 amid political unrest in Bangladesh. If both sides reach an agreement, the trains could potentially resume operations as early as October 2026.

However, the final decision will depend on approval from the relevant ministries and the leadership of both countries.

The possible restoration of these services could provide a major boost to cross-border passenger connectivity, travel and people-to-people relations between India and Bangladesh.

News Covered by Startup Voice
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1 week ago | [YT] | 64

Startup Voice

Bihar could soon be connected to a proposed high-speed rail corridor between Delhi and Patna, potentially cutting the journey from around 12 hours to just 4.5 hours.

According to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, the proposed 1,170-km corridor would connect major cities including Delhi, Agra, Kanpur, Lucknow, Prayagraj, Varanasi and Patna.

The proposed travel times are:

Delhi–Agra: 58 minutes
Delhi–Kanpur: 1 hour 50 minutes
Delhi–Lucknow: 2 hours 12 minutes
Delhi–Prayagraj: 3 hours
Delhi–Varanasi: 3 hours 33 minutes
Delhi–Patna: Around 4.5 hours

If developed, the corridor could significantly improve connectivity across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, supporting tourism, business and regional economic activity.

However, this is still a proposed project. Construction and an operational launch date have not yet been announced.

News Covered by Startup Voice
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1 week ago | [YT] | 545

Startup Voice

For 101 years, Torani has never laid off a single employee — not during the 2008 financial crisis, not during the Covid-19 pandemic, and not even when demand fell.

The California-based company takes a different approach when business slows down. Instead of treating employees as the first cost to cut, CEO Melanie Dulbecco says the company looks at its finances and reduces or adjusts other expenses first.

During Covid, Torani reportedly ran multiple scenarios for major revenue declines to find ways to keep everyone employed. As the business evolved, employees were also moved into new roles instead of being restructured out.

Interestingly, Dulbecco believes this people-first culture has created stronger trust within the company — making employees more open to adopting new technologies, including AI.

In an era of mass layoffs and rapid technological change, Torani’s 101-year approach raises a powerful question: Can companies become more resilient by protecting people instead of treating jobs as the easiest cost to cut?

Story Covered by Startup Voice
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1 week ago | [YT] | 315

Startup Voice

From a ₹5,000 home-kitchen experiment to a ₹1.20 crore dessert brand — this is the story of Pooja Balani and Miss Cheesecake.

Founded in 2023, Jodhpur-based Miss Cheesecake began after Pooja, an MCA graduate, left her marketing job to pursue her entrepreneurial dream.

The idea was born during a trip to Jaipur with her friend Narpat Singh Rathore for an exam, where they tried cheesecake for the first time. Inspired by the experience, Pooja returned home, learned the craft, and invested just ₹5,000 from her savings to buy raw materials and 225 ml jars.

In May 2024, Narpat officially joined as Co-Founder and invested around ₹5 lakh to launch their first 100 sq. ft. rented outlet. The duo documented their journey, challenges, and learnings through Instagram Reels, building a loyal community along the way.

Today, Miss Cheesecake operates two locations—a dessert store in Jodhpur and a cloud kitchen in Jaipur. Their cheesecakes are eggless, vegetarian, and gelatin-free.

Pooja and Narpat also appeared on Shark Tank India Season 4, although they did not secure a deal.

Story Covered by Startup Voice
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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 518