Top Startup News Today: India’s Innovation Pulse Beats Stronger Than Ever | 13th Nov

In a week when global tech giants unveil smarter AI, policymakers push new visions, and investors double down on India’s entrepreneurial energy, the country’s startup ecosystem continues to move at a dazzling pace—quietly, steadily shaping the economic narrative of modern India.

From climate-tech and blue-collar infra to AI-led hardware, EV charging, next-gen education models, and even new-age spirits—today’s roundup captures the raw diversity of India’s innovation landscape. These are not just updates; they’re markers of how far Indian entrepreneurship has travelled this year, and how much further it intends to go.

Top Startup News Today

A Glimpse of the Day: From AI upgrades to tribal product globalisation

As OpenAI’s GPT-5.1 introduces smarter reasoning and warmer conversations worldwide, India too is scripting its own innovation chapters. Union Minister Piyush Goyal’s plan to globalise tribal products hints at a new export-forward economy. And amid all of this, founders across the country are quietly building—from labs, coworking corners, dorm rooms, and noisy city apartments—the next set of transformative companies.

Here’s the complete, detailed roundup for Thursday, November 13, 2025.

Women Who Rewrote a Game: India’s Kho Kho Champions

When India lifted the first-ever Women’s Kho Kho World Cup trophy earlier this year, it wasn’t just a sporting victory—it was the culmination of decades of grit by athletes who believed the traditional Indian sport deserved a global stage.

Players like Nirmala Bhati, Priyanka Ingle, and Magai Majhi embody this transformative journey. Coming from humble beginnings and fighting for recognition in a cricket-obsessed nation, these women have now etched their names onto a global honour roll—and in doing so, inspired a new generation of girls to dream bigger.
Their story is one of courage, identity, and the power of collective ambition.

A Startup Turning Everyday ACs Into Air Purifiers

Delhi-based Airth, founded by Ravi Kaushik, is taking on one of India’s biggest urban challenges—air pollution—by reimagining something almost every household already owns: air conditioners.

The idea was born during Kaushik’s stint as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at Social Alpha in 2020. His early product—anti-microbial purifiers tested against COVID-19 in CSIR-IMTech labs—took off during the pandemic. But it also led to a realisation: traditional purifiers are expensive, bulky, and barely used.

So Airth did something counterintuitive: instead of launching another purifier, they converted ACs into purification systems using patented filters.
The concept is simple but powerful—saving consumers money, improving health outcomes, and using existing appliances as a backbone for cleaner air.

MSME Powerhouses: Four States Leading India’s Growth Map

A new Deloitte MSME Ecosystem Index 2025 places Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Uttar Pradesh as the strongest engines driving India’s MSME boom.

Maharashtra leads with 3.71 million MSMEs, powered by Mumbai’s financial ecosystem and Pune’s manufacturing base.
Tamil Nadu follows with 2.17 million enterprises, flourishing in textiles, automotive, and agri-processing.
Karnataka’s rise comes from Bengaluru’s digital maturity, fostering momentum in SaaS, electronics, and exports.
Together, these states are shaping India’s industrial and digital future.

FUNDING & GROWTH STORIES

Mirova Puts $30M Into Varaha’s Kheti Soil Carbon Project

In a major boost to climate-tech innovation, Mirova, Natixis Investment Managers’ sustainable arm, has invested $30 million into carbon removal project developer Varaha.

The capital will help Varaha scale its Kheti soil carbon programme by nearly 10X, expanding from 25,000 to 337,000 smallholder farmers across Haryana and Punjab over the next four years.
The investment includes a project financing and an offtake agreement—giving Varaha long-term commercial certainty as it scales regenerative agriculture in northern India.

Brandworks Technologies Raises Total Series A to $11M

Design-led AI hardware and electronics manufacturer Brandworks Technologies has closed its Series A at $11 million, after securing an additional $4 million from the Roha Family Office.

This round strengthens its push into:

• Advanced R&D for AI hardware

• IoT platforms

• Connected device ecosystems

Brandworks also plans to set up a design centre in Taiwan, and expand its engineering and operations teams.
The company earlier raised $7M in August 2025. The fresh infusion brings total funding to nearly ₹100 crore, paving the way for global expansion.

ACS Energy Raises ₹1.1 Cr To Power EV Charging in High-Rise Buildings

Mumbai-based ACS Energy Systems, founded in 2022, has secured ₹1.1 crore in a pre-seed round led by Inflection Point Ventures.

ACS is focused on a growing urban pain point—EV charging for dense residential buildings.
Their universally compatible chargers support 2W, 3W, and 4W EVs, come with UPI-enabled billing, and use AI for load management.

With this funding, the startup aims to deploy 5,000 EV charging stations across Maharashtra and Gujarat, while improving building-level energy distribution systems.

K J Somaiya Institute Launches ₹1 Cr Experiential Investment Fund

In an effort to bridge academia and India’s vibrant startup ecosystem, K J Somaiya Institute of Management has launched a ₹1 crore New Venture Investment Project.

The initiative gives MBA students hands-on experience in:

• Startup scouting

• Valuation

• Investment recommendations

Developed in collaboration with RiiDL, the programme turns classrooms into mini investment labs—preparing students for the real world of venture capital.

Nia.one Secures $2.4M To Build Worker-Centric Living Hubs

Blue-collar and gig workforce platform Nia.one has raised $2.4 million from Elevar Equity.

The company’s mission is radical yet simple—create Niadel hubs, a “phygital” ecosystem that allows workers to:

• Walk to work

• Stay in safe, affordable living spaces

• Access fair jobs

• Eat hot meals

• Escape debt traps and broker exploitation

Co-founder Lt Col Pushkar Raj (Retd) describes it as “building the missing physical layer between the road and a rented bed.”

Kotak Alts Invests ₹40 Cr in Mediversal Healthcare

Kotak Alternate Asset Managers, through its Life Science Fund I, has invested ₹40 crore in Patna-based Mediversal Healthcare, along with participation from Asha Ventures.

Mediversal plans to expand both organically and inorganically across eastern India. Its flagship multispecialty hospital currently houses over 200 beds and seeks to enter neighbouring districts—addressing demand in underserved regions.

Alive Raises ₹6 Cr To Take Curated Experiences Nationwide

Bengaluru-based Alive, founded by serial entrepreneur Vivek Kumar, has raised ₹6 crore to expand its curated lifestyle and leisure experience platform.

The startup currently operates in Bengaluru and Hyderabad and is preparing to launch in Goa. With 125+ curated experiences across adventure, art, wellness, and food, Alive aims to hit ₹100 crore ARR by 2027.

Ochre Spirits Raises Seed Funding To Build Design-Led BevTech

Goa-based Ochre Spirits—a boutique, small-batch beverage company—has raised seed funding led by Ah! Ventures.
Industry leaders Mukesh Singh and Probir Roy joined the round and will also advise the company.

Ochre is crafting a premium portfolio including whisky, gin, agave spirits, and non-alcoholic mixers—targeting South and West India through high-quality, design-first products.

Trishul Space Raises ₹4 Cr for Next-Gen Rocket Propulsion

Aerospace startup Trishul Space has raised ₹4 crore in a pre-seed round led by IAN Angel Fund, with participation from 8X Ventures and ITEL.

The funds will accelerate development of Harpy-1, a liquid rocket engine built for small satellite launch vehicles. The startup is also advancing AI-driven failure detection and turbopump tech—addressing high-cost barriers for rocket engine manufacturing in India

OTHER KEY DEVELOPMENTS

upGrad Expands Hybrid Learning Centres; Targets 40 Centres by March 2026

upGrad is scaling its on-ground Learning Support Centres to strengthen its hybrid learning model.
After successfully piloting the format, the company already has 11 centres across cities like Bengaluru, Indore, Bhopal, Kolkata, and Pune—and plans to expand to 40 centres by March 2026.

These hubs will offer short-term courses in:

• AI

• Data science

• Machine learning

• Full-stack development

The move aligns with India’s growing demand for job-ready, skill-based education.

PhonePe Partners With OpenAI To Boost ChatGPT Adoption in India

In one of the most significant tech collaborations of the year, PhonePe has tied up with OpenAI to bring ChatGPT directly to Indian consumers through its app ecosystem.

The integration aims to offer smarter, more intuitive assistance across daily needs like shopping, travel planning, and general queries. ChatGPT will also become discoverable on both PhonePe’s consumer app and its business app—potentially marking a breakthrough moment for AI accessibility in India.

Today’s roundup reflects the sheer breadth of India’s entrepreneurial ambitions—ranging from soil carbon to AI hardware, from blue-collar housing to EV charging, from space propulsion to lifestyle experiences.

What ties all these stories together is a common thread:
India is building for scale, sustainability, and social impact—simultaneously.

And as 2025 draws to a close, the momentum only seems to be accelerating.