Startup Spotlights

Over 400 IT CXOs and technology decision-makers are set to gather in New Delhi on September 11-12, 2026, for the IndiaIT360 Tech Business Connect 2026 – India’s largest IT CXO Summit . The two-day residential event is designed as a platform where technology leadership converges with business strategy, moving beyond ideas to measurable outcomes .

AI data center startup Crusoe is in talks to raise approximately $3 billion** in a funding round that could triple its valuation to around **$30 billion . This development highlights sustained investor confidence in AI infrastructure, with the company already supplying computing power to tech giants including Meta and Oracle .

India’s private space industry is poised to cross a historic threshold this month. Hyderabad-based space-tech startup Skyroot Aerospace has officially opened the launch window for the maiden test flight of Vikram-1, the country’s first privately developed orbital-class rocket .

Jainam Jain, a 14-year-old Indian-origin entrepreneur, has drawn global attention as the founder of Mengo Engine, an AI startup operating from an office on the 141st floor of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa—the world’s tallest building . His journey challenges conventional assumptions about age, education, and the path to building a technology company.

Karthik Rameshkumar’s appointment as Field CTO places India at the core of Entire’s product strategy , highlighting how the country is increasingly becoming a hub not just for engineering talent, but also for leadership roles that shape next-generation AI platforms.

Mohalla Tech Pvt. Ltd., the parent company of social network ShareChat, short-video platform Moj, and subscription-based micro-drama app QuickTV, is preparing for a $400 million initial public offering (IPO) as early as next year . This marks a dramatic turnaround for the consumer-tech unicorn after years of restructuring and cost optimization.

As artificial intelligence becomes embedded in critical sectors like finance, healthcare, and governance, a new category of startups is emerging to address one of the industry’s most pressing challenges: ensuring that AI systems behave consistently, ethically, and transparently. Indian startups are at the forefront of this movement, building advanced verification technologies that tackle everything from deepfake detection to mathematical proof of AI correctness.

Indian automakers are rapidly embedding startup-driven technologies across manufacturing, customer service, and logistics, moving beyond isolated pilots to formal, structured innovation pipelines. This shift reflects a broader industry-wide recognition that agility and fresh thinking from startups are essential to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving mobility landscape.

Samsung has launched the 2026 edition of its flagship global startup incubation programme, Samsung Mobile Advance (SMA) , inviting Indian deep-tech startups to co-create the future of mobile technologies . The initiative, led by Samsung’s R&D institutes in Bengaluru and Noida, reflects the company’s long-term commitment to nurturing India’s innovation ecosystem while accelerating breakthroughs in mobile technology .

A new report by Oxford Economics has warned that restrictive digital regulations could put at risk nearly ₹91,500 crore in annual venture capital investments and over 2.45 lakh startup jobs by 2035 . The study, commissioned by Digital Prosperity Asia, highlights how India’s regulatory choices in the coming years could significantly impact the trajectory of its booming startup ecosystem.