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Venture capital funding into Indian startups recorded a sharp decline and this was largely due to the absence of large deals during this week.The total funding this week came in at $168 million across 28 deals. In comparison, the previous week saw a total amount raised at $418 million.Last week, there were two deals with value above $100 million but this week, the highest funded deal was of TVS Automotive Solutions at $44 million.This shows the uncertain nature of VC funding into the Indian star

Indian IT industry body Nasscom highlighted that few employees transition from H-1B visas to permanent residency through the Permanent Labor Certification (PERM) process.This response comes in the wake of the US government's announcement that it will not take any new PERM applications from Indian technology companies including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, and HCLTech.“Indian technology companies operate across more than 80 countries and have consistently demonstrated their commitment to complying with l

Orkut Büyükkökten, the creator of orkut.com, is seeking to revive the platform, which introduced many people to social networking.“The internet should help us find our people. Friendship. Community. A place to belong,” Büyükkökten wrote on X, adding, “Help me bring Orkut back in that spirit.”Büyükkökten has created four social networking platforms, the most recent of which was Hello.com. He is now hoping to revive Orkut.The entrepreneur has invited people to add their names to the Orkut website,

NABVENTURES, the venture capital arm of the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD), has achieved the first close of its second fund, securing Rs 450 crore in initial commitments.The fund has a target corpus of Rs 1,500 crore, including a green-shoe option to accommodate additional investments. NABARD is the anchor investor in the fund, which will back early- to growth-stage technology startups focused on agriculture and rural development.Established on April 23, 2018, as a

YourStory presents the daily news roundup from the Indian startup ecosystem and beyond. Here's the roundup for Thursday, October 8 , 2026.Funding newsNeoGrowth raises Rs 85 crore led by FMOMSME-focused digital lender NeoGrowth has raised Rs 85 crore in an investment round led by FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, with participation from existing investor LeapFrog Investments. The funding will support the company's next growth phase, including expanding access to credit for micro, s

If you’ve been tracking the annual showdown between Amazon’s Great Indian Festival and Flipkart’s Big Billion Days, it’s easy to get bogged down in the hype. Every year brings promises of bigger discounts and flashier launch events. But looking past the standard headlines this season, the actual narrative on the ground has shifted. The real battle isn't just about who knocks a few extra rupees off a television; it’s about instant fulfillment, structural supply chain pivots, and an aggressive pus

Payments technology company Juspay reported a 30% year-on-year increase in revenue for the financial year ended March 31, 2026 (FY26), reaching Rs 664 crore, up from Rs 514 crore in FY25.The top-line growth reflects sustained momentum across the company's core operations, with revenue more than tripling over a three-year period from Rs 213 crore in FY23, representing a compound annual growth rate of approximately 46%.The Bengaluru-headquartered fintech firm remained Adjusted EBITDA positive at R

MSME-focused digital lender NeoGrowth has raised Rs 85 crore investment led by FMO, the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank, with participation from LeapFrog Investments.A statement said, the investment will support NeoGrowth's next phase of growth as it looks to expand access to credit for MSMEs, strengthen its digital lending capabilities and deepen its market presence.Between April 2025 and July 2026, the company raised close to Rs 2,000 crore in debt funding from 18 lenders. The other inv

Dear Reader,The United States government is suspending new applications for permanent residency of foreign workers at companies including Microsoft, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, and HCLTech, citing abuse in the entire process. In a particular reference to Microsoft, US Vice President J D Vance said, “Our ​message to Microsoft is: You’re a great American company, ​but you’ve got to hire great American workers.”In other news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a global framework to tackle cyb

Can government funds derisk deeptech enough to make private capital comfortable in India? Partly. The state is well placed to absorb technology risk. It is far less able to remove the two risks that actually keep fund managers awake: time and exit. Unless policy addresses those, India will get plenty of capital without much conviction behind it.Start with the momentum, which is real. India’s AI and deep tech investment reached $2.1 bn across 289 deals in 2025, and deep tech share of total VC – P

The United States government is suspending new applications for permanent residency of foreign workers by companies including Microsoft, Cognizant, Infosys, TCS, and HCLTech, citing abuse in the entire process, according to media reports. The US government noted that there was widespread abuse in the entire process of obtaining permanent residency, and this hurt the prospects of American citizens.In a particular reference to Microsoft, US Vice President J D Vance said, "Our ​message to Microsoft

While there is a lot of focus on founder burnout and stress, a new study points out that employees may need greater attention. Nearly half (47.5%) of people working in India’s startup ecosystem report low wellbeing, with employees emerging as the worst-affected group, according to a ‘State of Mind: The Startup Ecosystem’ study. The study was initiated by Sheetal Bahl, Founder and Partner at Merak Ventures, and authored by Priyanka Kartari, Dr Sukhmani Pal and Dr Dilip Panniker. It surveyed 1,040

Few novels have inspired readers around the world as deeply as The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. First published in 1988, the story follows Santiago, a young shepherd who leaves behind the familiar in search of a treasure he has seen in a recurring dream. Along the way, he encounters mentors, challenges, setbacks, and moments of self-discovery that ultimately transform his understanding of life. While the novel is often read as a simple adventure story, its enduring appeal lies in the wisdom woven

DailyObjects, a design-led lifestyle-tech brand, has raised Rs 332 crore in a Series C round of funding led by Xponentia Capital Partners, Anicut Capital, and Axiom Asia Private Capital.The funding round was a combination of primary and secondary transactions. With this, DailyObjects said it is valued at Rs 1,050 crore.DailyObjects said in a statement that Roots Ventures, an early investor in the company, is partially exiting with a 18x return on its investment, while continuing as a shareholder

Few athletes embodied the pursuit of excellence as completely as Kobe Bryant. Known for his legendary work ethic and "Mamba Mentality," Bryant spent his career pushing the limits of what he could achieve. His success was not built solely on talent but on a commitment to constant improvement, even after reaching the highest levels of the sport.Whether you're pursuing career goals, personal growth, or creative ambitions, Bryant's approach offers valuable lessons on how to keep getting better over

From Zoomcar strengthening its risk assessment to MoneyTruVa securing funds, YourStory brings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors.Featured newsNana PatekarVeteran actor Nana Patekar, known for his powerful performances and versatility, died at his Goa residence in the early hours of Thursday. He was 75. Patekar is suspected to have suffered a heart attack, according to reports.He was found unconscious at his apartment in Dona Paula, near Panaji, and was subsequently

India aims to double its 5G user base from 550 million to one billion by 2030, Communications Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said on Thursday, adding that the country, which was behind the world in 4G, is resolved to lead the world in 6G.Speaking at the inauguration of the 10th edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, Scindia said 5G in India has become the fastest-adopted 5G technology in the world."Today we have 550 million users on 5G...But we will not rest here. By 2030 our target is

Facebook and Instagram owner Meta on Wednesday said it has deployed new AI tools to crack down on ads that covertly lead users to child abuse material, as it disclosed that it acted on 5.3 million pieces of child sexual exploitation content in India during the first half of 2026.More than 98% of the content on Facebook and Instagram in India was found and addressed before anyone reported it, the company said in a blog post. Globally, it actioned 33.2 million such items on the two platforms betwe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called for a global framework to tackle cyber frauds and deepfakes, saying digital threats have crossed national boundaries and require coordinated action by all stakeholders.Inaugurating the tenth edition of the India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2026, Modi said governments, technology companies, telecom operators and financial institutions should create mechanisms to curb digital frauds."I urge the GSMA and telecom operators across the world: come, let us crea

The government on Thursday slammed US business tycoon Elon Musk over his allegations that Starlink's satcom services are being blocked, and made it clear that demonstrating compliance with security norms is an absolute must for every satcom licensee in the country.The government also emphasised that a fair and non-discriminatory framework is in place for all telecom offerings, including satellite services.Any suggestion that the framework or its application is unfair or discriminatory is baseles