March 2026 - Page 2 of 10

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Plum Raises ₹193 Crore in Peak XV-Led Series B, Valuation Doubles to $125 Million as Healthcare Bet Gains Traction

Plum announced it has raised ₹193 crore (approximately $20.6 million) in a Series B funding round led by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India) . The round also saw participation from GMO Venture Partners and existing investor Tanglin Venture Partners .

The funding values Plum at $125 million (₹1,181 crore) , nearly double its previous valuation of $66 million from its Series A round in 2021 . The round also included a secondary transaction component of about 30%, enabling early backer Incubate Fund Asia to partially exit and realize returns on its seed investment

BSNL’s Indigenous 4G Stack: 1 Lakh Towers Active, Export-Ready, and a ₹20,000 Crore Capex Bet

Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia provided the definitive answer. The delay, he explained, was not a failure of execution but a deliberate strategic choice: India chose to build its own 4G technology stack from scratch rather than buy it from foreign vendors .

“The reason why the rollout of 4G has taken time is because we chose to develop our own stack. Countries across the world haven’t done it. India did it in 22 months,” Scindia said at the Times Now Summit .

UP Government Cancels ₹25,000 Cr Puch AI MoU: A Cautionary Tale for Startups on Governance and Credibility

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath made an announcement that seemed to herald a new era for the state’s technology ambitions. A ₹25,000 crore Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) had been signed with Bengaluru-based AI startup Puch AI to expand artificial intelligence infrastructure across the state .

The vision was sweeping: AI Parks supported by large-scale data centre infrastructure, an “AI Commons” platform for citizen and governance use, and a dedicated AI University to train students and working professionals . The state even identified a 40-acre site near the Lucknow airport for what was being projected as India’s first AI City .

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Google India and BCCI Partner to Bring AI Mode to IPL 2026: A Game-Changer for Cricket Fans and Sports-Tech Startups

The Indian Premier League has always been more than just cricket. It is a cultural phenomenon, a marketing juggernaut, and a mirror reflecting India’s evolving digital economy. Over the years, the league’s sponsorship roster has chronicled the nation’s tech journey—from telecom during the 4G expansion to fintech through the UPI boom, and gaming and edtech during the pandemic years .

Now, as IPL 2026 prepares for its opening match on March 26, a new category is stepping onto the pitch: Artificial Intelligence.

Deutsche Bank’s India GCC Launches AI Incubator, Generates 100 Ideas in 100 Days

Deutsche Bank’s India Global Capability Centre (GCC) has just demonstrated how. The organization launched an internal AI incubator that, in its first 100 days, generated 100 AI project ideas . The initiative is part of a broader strategy to embed startup-style innovation within the bank’s operations, leveraging India’s deep AI talent pool to solve real business problems faster than traditional corporate R&D structures allow.

STPI Gorakhpur: CM Yogi Inaugurates 71st Centre to Boost Eastern UP’s Startup and IT Ecosystem

Gorakhpur witnessed a landmark event that promises to reshape the technological landscape of eastern Uttar Pradesh. Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the 71st Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) centre in the GIDA (Gorakhpur Industrial Development Authority) area, marking a significant milestone in the state’s journey toward becoming a technology and startup hub .

GIFT City Launches Women in Fintech Accelerator to Boost Women-Led Startups in India’s IFSC

India’s International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) at GIFT City is taking a significant step toward gender diversity in entrepreneurship. On March 26, 2026, GIFT City announced the launch of the Women in Fintech Accelerator under the GIFT International Fintech Innovation Hub (GIFT IFIH) .

The initiative is designed to strengthen the participation of women-led startups within India’s IFSC ecosystem by addressing key barriers that have historically limited their access to institutional capital . By creating a structured pathway for women entrepreneurs to build investment-ready ventures, GIFT City is positioning itself as a global fintech hub that champions inclusivity alongside innovation.

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Accel and Prosus Back Six ‘Off-the-Map’ Startups in First Atoms X Cohort, Expanding India’s Deep-Tech Frontier

Global venture giants Accel and Prosus have announced the first cohort of their Atoms X LeapTech programme, selecting six startups that operate far outside the industry’s usual playbook . Described as “off-the-map” ideas, these are companies working on problems where markets are still undefined, progress is difficult to measure, and the path to commercialization is measured in years, not quarters .

Selected from over 2,000 applications, the inaugural cohort spans healthcare, climate, space, and longevity—science-led themes with long development cycles and uncertain commercial pathways . The initiative reflects a growing recognition among global investors that India’s next wave of breakthrough companies will not come from copying existing models, but from building entirely new categories rooted in deep science and engineering .

Dream Sports Enters Stockbroking with Dream Street: Can AI Help 90% of Investors Win?

India’s Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Act (PROGA) 2025 effectively banned real-money gaming, wiping out more than 95% of Dream Sports’ revenue overnight . Profits vanished. The core business model that had built a unicorn was no longer viable.

But rather than fold, Dream Sports pivoted. In December 2025, the company restructured itself into eight independent business units, shifting into what CEO Harsh Jain described as “startup mode” . The portfolio now spans sports streaming (FanCode), sports travel (DreamSetGo), mobile gaming (Dream Cricket), AI athlete intelligence (Dream Play), open-source initiatives (Dream Horizon), philanthropy (Dream Sports Foundation), and crucially, financial services .

VerbaFlo Raises $7 Million to Build the AI Communications Platform for Global Real Estate

VerbaFlo, a conversational AI platform built specifically for residential real estate, has raised $7 million in a seed funding round led by Pi Labs, with participation from Haatch, Navigate Ventures, Old College Capital (the University of Edinburgh’s venture investment arm), and a group of global family offices . The round brings the company’s total funding to approximately $9 million, following a pre-seed round in 2024 .