Top Startup News Today: Market Debut, Edtech Consolidation & India’s New-Age Tech Pulse

In India’s ever-evolving startup landscape — a space where momentum can shift overnight and category leaders can collapse within a funding cycle — a handful of companies still manage to reshape narratives with bold bets, resilient models and surprising comebacks. This week, the spotlight swings from the gritty battleground of edtech to the precision-driven world of ecommerce SaaS, the shifting fortunes of public-market tech stocks, and the revival stories emerging from defence-tech and design-tech. Together, these developments tell a larger story of where Indian innovation stands today — and what forces are shaping its next decade.

Top Startup News Today

PW’s Big Leap: Inside Physics Wallah’s $3.6 Bn IPO Moment

In a sector many now describe as the “edtech graveyard”, Physics Wallah (PW) has pulled off a rare survival story — and is now preparing to turn it into a historic leap. With plans to raise INR 3,480 Cr via its IPO, PW is on track to become India’s first edtech startup to go public, a milestone that few would have predicted even three years ago.

Founded by the unorthodox duo — Alakh Pandey, a self-described socialist educator, and Prateek Maheshwari, a sharp-edged capitalist operator — PW’s journey has been anything but conventional. While edtech giants burnt billions chasing premium segments, PW built its empire by focusing on the “95% students India forgot.” Affordability, mass-scale digital reach and a confident offline expansion strategy helped the company reach 45 lakh paid learners, growing its revenue 4X to INR 3,000 Cr over five years.

Unicommerce & The 3P Formula: Patience, Precision, Profit

In India’s chaotic ecommerce-enablement market — a sector crowded with platforms that scale fast but bleed faster — Unicommerce has quietly built a model that does the opposite. Its philosophy rests on three pillars: patience, precision and profit, a mindset that has kept the company stable even while others chased hyper-growth.

Unicommerce’s edge comes from deep integrations, a sharp product suite, and long-standing customer retention. The acquisition of Shipway further strengthened its logistics, fulfilment and efficiency stack.

What lies ahead?
Automation and AI. The company is leaning heavily into data-driven analytics and demand forecasting, positioning itself to influence the backbone of India’s next-gen ecommerce infrastructure.

UpGrad Steps Into BYJU’S Rescue Race

The troubles of BYJU’S have been headline fixtures for months, but a major new twist has emerged. upGrad, led by Ronnie Screwvala, has formally submitted an expression of interest to acquire Think & Learn, the bankrupt parent company of BYJU’S.

This puts upGrad in direct competition with the Manipal Group, both eyeing full or partial acquisition of BYJU’S assets — including the prized jewel, Aakash Institute.

BYJU’S downfall has been steep: massive debt defaults, soaring losses, aggressive cash burn, sweeping layoffs, and unending regulatory and legal scrutiny. Any acquisition here would become one of the biggest consolidations in Indian edtech history.

New-Age Tech Stocks: A Week Of Mixed Signals

For India’s listed tech startups, the week ended with a split verdict.
Out of 42 tracked companies under Inc42’s coverage:

• 20 stocks closed with gains

• 22 declined, some falling by nearly 10%

The markets also welcomed three fresh listings: Groww, Lenskart and Pine Labs. With these additions, the total market capitalisation of India’s new-age tech ecosystem reached $127.42 Bn.

Investor sentiment showed faint optimism, supported by softer inflation and stronger macro fundamentals — even as FII outflows continued clouding the picture.

DroneAcharya’s High-Fly Comeback

After a rough FY25 filled with losses and operational hurdles, DroneAcharya appears to be rising again.

The drone manufacturer posted a net profit of INR 1.9 Cr in H1 FY26, a 26% YoY increase, even though its operating revenue dipped 64% YoY to INR 9.6 Cr. Improved margins and EBITDA helped cushion this decline.

New defence orders, regulatory nods for remote pilot training, and advancements in long-range FPV and kamikaze drones are boosting investor confidence.

The post-Operation Sindoor defence push and renewed government focus on indigenous drone capability have played a critical role in reviving momentum.

Figma Plants Its Flag In India

Global design-tech giant Figma has opened its first India office in Bengaluru — a strategic move driven by explosive adoption and India becoming its largest market outside the US.

The India hub will double as a go-to-market centre and a community engine, powering collaboration, AI-led workflows, and innovation.

With millions of users, a massive STEM talent pool, and rapidly maturing design capabilities, India is now at the heart of Figma’s global roadmap.

Ather Energy Takes Lead

With 66,000 units sold in Q2 FY26 and a 19.6% market share as of October 2025, Ather Energy has taken a clear lead over Ola Electric in India’s heated EV scooter market. It’s an early signal that steady engineering and reliability may be winning over aggressive discounting and mass-scale hype.