India's new trade deal with the UK may offer hope, but Trump's 25% tariff threat on iPhones made in India and a proposed 50% levy on EU goods reveal rising global trade volatility. Even signed FTAs face delays. Exporters must stop relying on last-minute fixes and plan for a future where uncertainty is the norm.

Kisaan Se Kitchen Tak (KSKT), a rising agri-commerce startup, raised $1.3 million in equity and debt led by Keiretsu Forum and Favcy’s 1stCheque. Backed by Favcy’s 1to10 Accelerator, KSKT plans to expand to 20+ cities, support 50,000+ farmers, and boost tech-led supply chain efficiency. It’s already generating ₹15 crore+ revenue and aims to hit ₹100 crore ARR soon.

SEWA is equipping over 3.2 million women in India's informal economy with digital tools like blockchain-based IDs and health passports. Chairperson Mirai Chatterjee explains how the federation is using technology to improve access to welfare, insurance, and financial systems-while training grassroots leaders to become digital champions in their communities.

Indian markets ended last week with gains despite global volatility. The Sensex rose 769 points, and the rupee saw its strongest daily jump since 2022. Yet, uncertainty in US bond yields and lacklustre Q4 earnings keep investor sentiment mixed. Foreign inflows continue, but high US interest rates and shaky earnings outlook could cloud near-term prospects.

Indian startup Sarvam AI debuted 'Sarvam-M', a 24B open-weights LLM built on top of Mistral Small. It received fewer than 720 downloads within 3 days. Menlo Ventures' Deedy Das criticised Sarvam-M, saying, it performs "marginally better in Indic languages," adding that it "doesn't solve hard problems". Meanwhile, Zoho's Sridhar Vembu defended Sarvam, saying, "No product was ever an instant hit".

Zepto is working to rein in its cash burn and boost inflows, following months of aggressive spending aimed at scaling the business and competing better. Sources said the Bengaluru-based company has increased the commission it charges certain brands listed on the platform and cut user discounts and performance marketing.

Stock broking firm Groww has filed draft papers with SEBI for an IPO of about $700 million to $1 billion through a confidential pre-filing route. The IPO is a combination of a fresh issue of equity shares and an offer for sale (OFS) component. Founded in 2016, Groww's investors include Peak XV, Tiger Global and Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella.

Zepto CEO Aadit Palicha said, "CFO of one of our competitors is building a smear campaign against Zepto." He added, "This includes calling our investors to make wild allegations...giving out false numbers/Excel sheets on Zepto...paying bots on social media to spread a negative narrative." Aadit said, "This episode is below the stature expected of the CFO of a high-quality company."

Indian YouTubers, including Mohak Mangal, have accused news agency ANI of misusing YouTube’s copyright strike system to demand payments up to ₹50 lakh. Critics say the strikes ignore fair use protections and threaten free expression. The controversy has sparked public outcry, calls for legal reform, and scrutiny of both ANI and YouTube’s enforcement mechanisms in India.

OnlyFans, the subscription-based content platform, could be sold with a price tag of around $8 billion, as per a report. The platform's billionaire owner Leonid Radvinsky is in talks to sell the content creator site to an investor group led by a US-based investment firm, Forest Road Co, the report added. OnlyFans was founded by Tim Stokely in 2016.