Anita Tailor

On February 18, during India's AI Impact Summit, a company called Sarvam shipped a 105-billion-parameter model trained from scratch in India on government-subsidized GPUs, designed for 22 Indian languages. It outperforms DeepSeek-R1 on certain benchmarks at one-sixth the size. The same summit produced $200 billion in investment pledges from Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Reliance. The headlines were about the money. The real story was Sarvam. This post examines in detail why it took this long, what changed, and whether Sarvam is the first crack in an old equilibrium or a lonely exception. "Indians Rule Big Tech. Why Can’t India Build?": Link in comments.

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Excited to share this News, 888vc, Our Early-stage venture capital firm based in Bangalore, India has launched platfrom Gro8 backed by ₹175 crore (US$ 20M) fund to back startups focused on AI, deep tech, Enterprise SAAS and sustainability over the next three years. 💡 Key Focus Areas: 🔹 Average ticket size of ₹2–4 crores 🔹 Sector Agnostic Angel fund 🔹 Focus on globally scalable solutions 🔹 Launch of GRO8 angel platform for cross-border funding, mentorship & market access 📌 If you’re building in AI, deep-tech, or sustainability with ambitions to grow globally, let’s talk. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gtUcYkrx #888vc #gro8 #venturecapital #angelinvestments #startups

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Meet the Tycoons building India's "Second Act" in DeepTech and AI - 2026 We are witnessing a fascinating transition. Serial founders are taking their IPO winnings and "war-room" experience to solve problems that were previously considered "too hard" for the Indian ecosystem. Here are the 6 heavyweight insights into what the Tycoons are building next: 1) Deepinder Goyal (Zomato) - TEMPLE He is building a brain-health wearable that tracks cerebral blood flow in real-time 🧠 He wants to prove the "Gravity Ageing Hypothesis" - the idea that gravity affects brain blood flow over decades. Deepinder wants to make brain health as trackable as heart rate. Traction: He’s invested $25M of his own wealth and recently raised a $54M round at a $190M valuation. He’s currently hiring "engineer-athletes" with <16% body fat to join the mission. Expect a limited rollout by late 2026 🧬 2) Mukesh Bansal (Myntra/Cult.fit) - NURIX He is building an AI-native services platform building "custom AI agents" for enterprises 🤖 He wants move from "Physical Wellness" to "Digital Intelligence." Nurix builds voice and text agents that handle sales and support with human-like nuance. Already raised $27.5M from Accel and General Catalyst. They are currently operational with an annual revenue run rate of approx ₹5.35 Cr as they scale their Series A ⚙️ 3) Aman Gupta (boAt) - OFFBEAT STUDIOS A new entrepreneurial "Aman 2.0" venture launched following his transition to a non-executive role at boAt 🎬 While the exact "product" is in stealth, Aman’s vision is to back "bold, hungry, and impatient" ideas that disrupt traditional consumer categories. Launched on March 3, 2026. Aman has officially stepped away from daily boAt ops to lead this, marking a shift from "Volume Hardware" to "Offbeat Innovation" 🎧 4) Mukund Jha (Dunzo) - EMERGENT An "agentic vibe-coding" platform that builds full-stack apps via AI 💻 He wants to make software development as easy as chatting. Mukund is moving from the "Logistics of Goods" to the "Logistics of Code." $100M total funding raised (Series B) as of Jan 2026. They’ve hit a $100M Annual Run Rate in record time, proving that "Vibe-coding" is the new industry standard ⚡ 5) Shashank ND (Practo) - CENT He is constructing a preventive health startup that uses AI-assisted whole-body MRI and 120+ biomarkers to screen for 300+ conditions 🛡️ To catch cancer and heart disease before you even feel a symptom. It's the "Antivirus" for the human body. Raised $5M in Seed funding (March 2026). They’ve already completed 1,500+ scans with 26% showing meaningful findings. Physical centers are opening in Bengaluru, Delhi, and Mumbai now 🏥 ➡️ The Insight: The "Second Act" of these tycoons is a masterclass in Risk Evolution. They are using their personal capital to fund scientific bets that could define the 2030s. They aren't just building companies - they are building the technological "Sovereignty" of a new India 💎

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𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐔𝐒-𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚 𝐃𝐞𝐯 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐥𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐈 𝐆𝐢𝐭𝐇𝐮𝐛, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 With Pranay Prateek and Team SigNoz hitting KubeCon this week, this is a good moment to share their insights on US-India dev tools GTM via An Operator's Blog. (Full episode link in the comments)

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Most brands are considering to launch an app But few know if it’s 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴. In our latest "Dilse Omni talks" podcast, I asked Abhijeet Singh ( cofounder Appbrew : Why do companies hesitate to build apps? “They aren’t skeptical - but dont know how to measure success.” And that’s where most go wrong. At top D2C brands with App benchmarks 👇 • Apps drive 50%+ of total D2C sales • Deliver 2-3x better conversion rates • Give 30-40% higher AOV • Achieve 2x higher retention • And boost LTV by 2-3x Yet many brands still don’t track these numbers. Because having an app is easy. But having a successful app needs measurement. Check out the full episode link in comments 👇 & learn how to make your app your biggest growth driver.

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Winning High-Stakes RFPs-Part 2B/10 Solution Engineering Series : Domain Architecture Blueprints – NBFC & Healthcare (AI × Compliance × Engineering) 🏦 NBFC – Credit, Risk, and Collections 🔹 Before the Loan (Pre-Disbursal): Lead Capture: Integrate CRM, referral systems, or DSA (Direct Selling Agents) into the loan journey Credit Decisioning: AI Scorecard built from: Credit Bureau scores, Banking patterns, Behavioral + Device data XAI (Explainable AI): Use SHAP or LIME to explain to regulators/customers why a loan was rejected Bank Statement Parsing: APIs like Perfios, Finarkein extract income, inflows, and bounce history; ML flags irregular patterns (e.g., sudden income drop) Underwriting Automation: CKYC (Central KYC), CRILC (Large Credit Exposure), MCA (Company data), GST filings auto-verified. CAM (Credit Appraisal Memo) built via GenAI to reduce manual errors 🔹 After the Loan (Post-Disbursal) Mandates & Escrow:API-based eMandates (Enach, BBPS) → Escrow accounts tagged to loans. Auto reconciliation between LMS (Loan Mgmt System), Tally, and Bank Risk Monitoring: DPD (Days Past Due) buckets → 0-30, 30–60, 90+ NPA (Non-performing Assets) & ECL (Expected Credit Loss) as per RBI auto-triggered Collections Engine: Flow-based routing: Soft bounce vs. fraud cases; IVR bots, WhatsApp reminders, Agency apps integrated. Early Warning System (EWS): AI detects stress using: GST trends (monthly), MCA financials (quarterly), Repayment behaviour 🔐 RBI Compliance Controls Role-based vaults, secure consent capture Audit logs mapped to every action RBI-mandated uptime (RTO, RPO), provisioning rules, CKYC/CRILC logs 🏥 Healthcare – Clinical Ops to Recovery (NDHM & HIPAA Compliant) 🔹 In-Hospital EHR Systems (Electronic Health Records): HL7/FHIR APIs connect labs, vitals, prescriptions LLM (Large Language Model) Copilot: Summarizes patient history, detects gaps in diagnosis Alerts comorbidity or medication conflict in real time Consent Vaults: Patients own their data → control access by doctor, insurer, nurse 🔹 After Care Wearable Monitoring: BP, sugar, SpO2 streamed from IoT devices to care teams GenAI Coach: Personalized post-surgery diet, alerts via chatbot Readmission Prediction: LLMs use prior notes + real vitals → alert CMOs early 🔐 NDHM/HIPAA Compliance PHI (Patient Health Info) is row-level masked Secure ledger for each episode visit RTO/RPO governance with zero data leakage 🤖 AI Patterns Applied XAI = explain credit/clinical decisions GenAI = summarize, pre-fill, coach Agentic AI = borrower/patient assistant bots that reason and act MLOps = auto-retrain when models drift Up Next → Part 2C: AI Patterns across Domains: GenAI, Agentic AI, Drift, Risk, and Security Maturity #NBFC #Healthcare #AI #XAI #GenAI #AgenticAI #Compliance #RBI #HIPAA #FHIR #EHR #RFP #SolutionEngineering #CTO #Architecture #RegTech

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🚨 Easebuzz raises $30M in series A round led by Bessemer Venture Partners With over $30B GTV processed in FY25 and revenue more than doubling to ₹650 Cr, this digital payments and vertical SaaS powerhouse is scaling fast—and profitably from day one. From powering UPI Soundboxes to streamlining payments in sectors like education, real estate, and BFSI, Easebuzz is revolutionizing how India pays. With RBI’s final nod as a payment aggregator and global ambitions brewing, this startup is buzzing louder than ever! Read more at: https://lnkd.in/gUCGtQvW By Sayan Sen #StartupFunding #Easebuzz #FintechIndia #SaaS #DigitalPayments #RBI #SeriesA #IndianStartups #YourStory

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{India VC Funding} $4.9b via 410 Startup Deals in H1 $1.3b in eCommerce, $1b in Fintech followed by Enterprise software, DeepTech and Healthtech. No AI ... And if you look at trends in the US it probably is 80% deployed in AI across segments. This raises the question: What are we missing - what opportunities or developments are we potentially overlooking in the realm of AI within the Indian startup ecosystem? The Economic Times Jessica Rajan Ajay Rag

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Enhancing #UPI Payment Security with #SAFr Auth: A Game-Changer for #DeviceBinding In today's digital payment landscape, security remains the top concern for users and providers alike. I wanted to share how SAFr Auth is revolutionizing device binding for UPI #payments in India. Why Device Binding Matters? Device binding ensures your UPI account can only be accessed from your registered device, preventing unauthorized transactions even if someone obtains your credentials. The SAFr Auth Advantage: Unlike traditional device binding methods, SAFr Auth leverages real-time #SIM-based #authentication by matching user details from the SIM card with mobile network operator data. This creates a seamless yet highly secure experience for UPI users. Key Benefits for UPI Security: - Prevents unauthorized access by ensuring only the device with the registered SIM can initiate transactions. - Provides real-time fraud detection against phishing and SIM swap attempts - Works independently of device hardware, maintaining security even after device changes. - Meets regulatory compliance standards for strong customer authentication. The beauty of this approach is its simplicity for users combined with robust security. No more complex device verification steps, yet stronger protection against the most common fraud vectors. As we continue to see #UPI transaction volumes grow exponentially in India, implementing such advanced #security measures becomes crucial for maintaining trust in our #digital #payment ecosystem. Dove Soft Ltd. offers SAFr Auth in India, providing this advanced authentication solution specifically for UPI providers. UPI platforms can now leverage SAFr Auth from Dove Soft Ltd to enhance transaction security and user trust. What security features do you consider most important for your digital payments? Share your thoughts below! #FinTech #UPI #PaymentSecurity #DigitalIndia #Cybersecurity #MobilePayments

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Exciting news in the Indian startup ecosystem! Natasha Malpani, former partner at Kae Capital, has launched Boundless Ventures, a Rs 200 crore fund to invest in AI-native startups. The fund will focus on pre-seed and seed investments in companies working across the AI spectrum, including consumer applications, infrastructure, and vertical use cases in healthcare and logistics. With a personal network of friends and family backing the fund, Malpani aims to support founders who can marry technical depth with cultural fluency. Boundless has already invested in six startups, including healthcare platform SuperHealth and robotics firm Armatrix. As Malpani notes, 'We’re at an inflection point where AI is moving from experiments to infrastructure, and the next decade will be defined by the teams who can turn raw capability into enduring systems and categories.' Meanwhile, Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, has invested Rs 137.5 crore in Goldi Solar, a solar photovoltaic module manufacturer, to accelerate its production expansion and bolster its ambitions to become a global renewable energy player. These investments underscore the growing interest in India's AI and renewable energy sectors. If you're a founder or investor looking to make a mark in these spaces, now is the time to take action. Let's work together to build a more sustainable and technologically advanced future. #AI #Startups #RenewableEnergy #Sustainability #Investment #India #Innovation Reference: [https://lnkd.in/g_S7vNau] 🔄 Share 👍 React 🌐 Visit www.aravind-r.com #AravindRaghunathan

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Q-Comm SaaS startup Inamo raises $3 Mn to scale dark store network Founded in 2024 by ex-Dunzo VP C Sumit Anand and ex-ApnaKlub product head Rupesh Thakare, Inamo enables businesses to set up, scale, and optimize dark store operations by offering management solutions, last-mile delivery fleets, and other services. Read more :- https://lnkd.in/g5jsQBXK #DarkStoreNetwork #EcommerceGrowth #LogisticsTech #QCommerceStartup #TechForCommerce

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A founder who has spent 32 Years building IP-Owned Tech in India's Defense Sector. Ashok Atluri, Founder of Zen Technologies Limited shares a growth story bootstrapped from Hyderabad: -Revenue: ₹60 Cr (FY21) → ₹930 Cr(FY24) -Market cap: 40 Cr (2012-13) → 13000 Cr today -Growth: 400X in 12 years Takeaways from our conversation: 1. India historically imported 65–70% of its defense equipment. Today, defense exports have grown more than 30× over the past decade, with the private sector contributing around 60% of exports. Domestic defense production has increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 174% rise since FY 2014–15. 2. For over two decades, Zen built advanced simulators but struggled to sell them in India because single-vendor bids weren’t accepted. The IDDM policy in 2015 gave preference to IP-owning Indian companies and allocated 75% of the capital acquisition budget to local sourcing. And decades of R&D became a real market worth ₹200 billion. 3. Defense tech startups in India have raised $184 million in VC funding since 2020. Zen’s journey shows that IP-owned Tech built with self-funded R&D can build the most defensible advantage, similar to how Apple captures value through IP rather than manufacturing. 4. Zen’s anti-drone systems were proven in field operations, leading to export inquiries from over 20 countries. This mirrors the broader trend of India’s defense exports growing from ₹1,940 crore (FY14) to ₹21,083 crore (FY24). Field-tested solutions build trust far faster than lab demos or pilot projects. 5. Government fundings are rewarding innovation over manufacturing. Programs like iDEX provide up to ₹10 crore for proven concepts, while DRDO offers ₹50 crore per system under the Technology Development Fund. This shift allows companies to reinvest profits into next-generation R&D. 6. Ashok believes that not all technologies should be patented. Highly secretive or complex innovations can be reverse-engineered if patented. Instead, patent what is obvious to outsiders to protect your competitive edge. 7. Build with a focused approach on Pareto technologies with maximum impact. Instead of chasing every opportunity, Zen concentrated on the 20% of technologies delivering 80% of results, anti-drone systems and simulators. Prioritizing high-leverage areas compounds impact effectively. 8. Time market entry around overlooked gaps: In 2018, drones were a hot topic, but there was little attention on anti-drone systems. Zen entered this gap and was ready when the need became urgent, from regional conflicts to domestic security. Opportunities often lie where others are silent. 9. Create policies around your innovation: Self-funded R&D firms face unique risks that conventional procurement rules often overlook. Zen advocated for new categories rather than adapting breakthrough technologies to unsuitable frameworks, ensuring their innovations could be evaluated on merit. Full Episode https://lnkd.in/gnAFEj3f

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In venture capital, ultimately “only a handful of companies per year actually matter”. Just 7 firms led the Series A of ~60% of startups in India that are worth $1B+ today. The list of firms leading investments in these cos is fairly predictable - PANZEL + Tiger Global. Full post on India's unicorn hunters in the comments

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Venture Funds are noticing tech operators becoming Limited Partner (LP)s and this is unlocking newer sources of capital- Swathi Moorthy reports for The Economic Times. Thanks Swathi. ETtech At WYSER - Pioneering Agentic AI Venture fund we are seeing resonance of this trend in India. With Wyser LPs, we are witnessing creation of a virtuous loop where capital is amplified by expertise, networks, and execution know-how. Satyakam Mohanty Read the article for full view Source: The Economic Times: https://lnkd.in/dWuaxErG

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🚨 BREAKING: india’s AI moment just turned into an investment moment 🇮🇳🤖 At the India AI Impact Summit 2026, the biggest signal wasn’t just models… it was capital + compute commitments moving at hyperscale 👇 💰 the headline investments & commitments • $110B: reliance announced a massive push to build sovereign AI infrastructure • $100B: adani signaled a major AI infra buildout — with a broader ambition to catalyze ~$150B more across the ecosystem (servers, power, cloud, etc.) • ~$210B combined: reliance + adani together are positioning india as an AI-infrastructure hub • $5B: general catalyst committed capital for india over the next 5 years (AI + deep tech + ecosystem build) • $1.2B: blackstone-backed neysa financing to expand domestic AI compute and deploy large GPU capacity • $150M: qualcomm’s strategic AI venture fund to back india startups (automotive, iot, robotics, mobile, enterprise AI) • multi-billion $ AI factory / data center deals tied to nvidia partnerships (compute buildout is clearly accelerating) 🧠 what this means india is moving from “AI adoption” → “AI production”: • compute supply is scaling fast • private capital is treating AI infra like the new highways + ports • startups get both funding + domestic GPU access (the real bottleneck) my take: 2026 is the year india starts building a full-stack AI economy — models + chips + power + data centers + talent — at population scale. 🔁 repost if you want more “summit-to-strategy” breakdowns ✅ follow for sharp AI + product updates 💬 comment your thoughts #AI #India #GenAI #AIInfrastructure #VentureCapital #DataCenters #Compute #Startups #ResponsibleAI #DigitalIndia

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