In a rare move for a small startup, Ed-tech Startup SpeakX is giving its employees real money through a $1 million ESOP buyback. ESOPs are usually promises for the future, but this time, 15 employees can actually cash in their shares now. The decision shows how newer startups are rewarding teams early, not just top bosses or long-term staff.

Tadka Rani Co-Founder Gagandeep Singh Sapra has accused Zomato of manipulating rider allocation, saying that he's escalated the issue for 31 days. "Our restaurant is repeatedly shown as 'unavailable' at peak hours while nearby outlets...keep getting riders," he added, while sharing a video. This is being done to increase commission from over 52% to 99%, he claimed.

Yatra Online has reshuffled its leadership as co-founder Dhruv Shringi steps down as CEO to become executive chairman, focusing on long-term strategy and global growth. Industry leader Siddhartha Gupta has been appointed the new CEO, bringing strong enterprise and SaaS expertise to lead Yatra's B2B-focused expansion in corporate travel solutions.

State-run Bharat Electronics and France's Safran Electronics and Defence signed a joint venture cooperation agreement for production of air-to-ground weapons in India. The firms will build "Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER)" weapon. The agreement will be formed as a private limited firm with 50:50 shareholding. It aims to meet operational needs of Indian Air Force and Navy.

AgriVijay has announced successful exits for two early investors with returns of up to 400%, following 105% year-on-year growth and profitability in FY24-25. The company has raised ₹2.47 crore since 2020 and is now in pre-Series A talks while receiving acquisition interest. AgriVijay provides renewable energy products to rural India and has supported over 10,000 families across 18 states.

Morphle Labs has raised $5 million in Series A funding from Inflexor Ventures to expand globally and scale manufacturing of its robotic cancer-diagnostics systems. The Bengaluru startup builds automation tools such as RoboTome and MorphoLens to speed up and digitise tissue analysis. The investment will support regulatory approvals, hiring, and further innovation in physical AI for pathology.

Companies that grow brands successfully use a blend of storytelling, data-driven campaigns, and customer experience design. They double down where their message resonates, experiment with micro-campaigns, and prioritise retention. That mix – rather than huge media buys – builds trust and sustainable growth.

Agentic AI promises autonomous decision-making, but real-world adoption hits roadblocks: data trust, safety, alignment, and goal specification. Without clear guardrails, agents may act unpredictably. Addressing these issues requires rigorous testing, ethical constraints, and strong governance before we can fully trust autonomous AI.

Accel and Google have launched a co-investment initiative to back early-stage Indian AI startups through the Atoms accelerator and Google’s AI Futures Fund. Selected founders will receive up to $2 million in funding, Google Cloud credits, access to Gemini and DeepMind, and mentorship to build globally competitive AI solutions starting in 2026.

Micro-ventures (micro-VCs) are small funds making big impact: they back very early-stage founders, provide hands-on support, and help scale with less dilution. For early startups, they offer capital, domain expertise, and flexibility making them ideal partners compared to traditional VCs that focus only on later-stage bets.