A collection of India’s tech news headlines, articles, reports and downloads from August 2021
Indian tech startup news in August 2021 covered items and developments including: growth in India’s agri-tech space; moves to compete with Google and Apple in digital payments; Reserve Bank targets for digital currency trials; Google For Startups 5th India cohort; the growth of the country’s startup incubator space; and many more.
For more of India’s startup news:
India’s startup news, July 2021| Q2 2021: Indian tech news
Asia’s tech news, daily
And: Startup News Asia’s tech news updates also cover India’s tech startups; follow on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, install the mobile app, or sign up for the e-newsletter.
- India: Villgro incubator for social enterprises opens applications for 5th edition of iPitch 2021 social impact startup discovery platform, closing August 31st
- India: Maximl HR-tech firm recently partnered by Indian Oil, targeting productivity and safety improvements focused on the frontline workforce
- India: Maharashtra State adopts new Ethereum-based blockchain verification system for educational diplomas and certificates
- India: Fashinza B2B marketplace raises $20M Series A, connecting family-run small –and-mid-sized factories to the cloud with mobile production management and visibility software
- India: Founders of Freshworks, Eka Software and other execs launch Together Fund of $85M to back SaaS startups at seed, pre-Series A, and Series A stages
- India: Krishify raises $2.7M pre-Series A with platform for farmers and other agri professionals, matching potential buyers and sellers in India’s local languages
- “…number of startup incubators in India grew 15 times between 2000 and 2020, with southern and western states contributing the most and non-metro cities gearing up to become future startup capitals…”
- India: Titan gains Series A funding from WordPress parent firm, Automattic, with bundled email service package aimed at hosting platforms
- India: Playo raises $500K in ongoing pre-Series A round with platform for sports enthusiasts, focusing on micro-communities and facilitating sports-related services
- India: Onsurity insurtech startup gains $16M Series A funding with employee benefits platform offering telehealth, fitness rewards, health check discounts and more
- India: An intro to Faarms, data-driven e-marketplace for the agriculture community connecting buyers to rural farmers
- e-news, latest issue: Insuretech in India, Malaysian bank hackathon, Facebook’s metaverse…
- India: Zomato food-tech giant to enter fintech space with Zomato Payments digital payments entity, competing directly with Google Pay, Paytm, PhonePe and others
- India: Infibeam Avenues looks to acquire PoS company to create full-stack SMB payments business including offline payments, payment gateway, credit and neobanking
- e-news, latest issue: Indian fintech, China’s ride-hailing, Australia’s Cyber Ambassador, Indonesian giant IPO…
- India: AgNext Technologies takes AI Gamechanger Program agriculture category win artificial intelligence in the post-harvest quality assessment process
- India: Chakr Innovation gains ONGC Start-up Fund backing, converting soot collected from vehicular exhaust into printable ink using a proprietary liquid
- India: Gov’t launches e-RUPI electronic voucher promoting digital payments, a one-time voucher redeemable without a card, payments app or internet banking
- e-news, latest issue: India’s e-RUPI, AliPay and NFTs, Indonesia’s insurtech, the micropayments myth…
- India: More on the government’s recently-launched e-RUPI digital voucher programme, seen as a first step towards wider digital payments adoption
- India: ‘Reimagining Healthcare – Industry-Startup Interface Series’ launches to strengthen co-innovation between healthcare startups and industry
- Video: Visa Fintech Initiative India – Solving for the multi-trillion dollar credit opportunity
- India: Rapido bike taxi firm raises $52M from backers including Shell Ventures and Yamaha with 15M users across 100 cities
- Download: How India Shops Online 2021 – a post-pandemic view of online shopping, from Bain & Company and Flipkart (pdf)
- India: Dunzo, Google-backed e-commerce firm startup, launches Dunzo Daily in Bengaluru, offering 19-minute hyperlocal delivery services
- “In July 2021, organizations in the education/research sector in India experienced the highest volume of attacks with an average of 5196 attacks weekly per organization.”
- India: CoutLoot online fashion marketplace to raise $25M Series A with used-goods resale focus and features including bargaining for hyperlocal sales
- India: Ahimsa ‘micro venture capital’ firm launches $10M maiden fund for early-stage startups making plant-based, fermented and cell-based alternatives to meat and animal materials
- Download: Artificial Intelligence & Its role in Delivering Economic Value to Indian Enterprises, from RBSA Advisors (pdf)
- India: Anthill Ventures early-stage accelerator unveils 8 startups selected for Indus X program, working on challenges faced by urban citizens, corporates and governments
- India: Google for Startups Accelerator unveils 5th India cohort, featuring 16 startups working in fintech, health-tech, agri-tech and more
- Unicorn Pitches in India online event set for September 10th, with applications for startups to pitch closing August 29th
- India: An intro to Ping, social commerce startup connecting small, local sellers with buyers, allowing growth beyond WhatsApp-based sales
- India: Kirana247 e-commerce startup raises $1M pre-Series A to grow fulfillment network, establishing 40 micro-warehouses to serve 100,000-plus small, local stores
- India: Facebook to launch Small Business Loans Initiative, allowing its lending partners to grant SMEs small ticket loans
- India: An intro to PayNearby, fintech partnering with neighborhood stores to enable them to provide financial and digital commerce services to local communities
- India: AdvantageClub employee engagement platform raises $1.7M in part from Y Combinator, boasting 20% month-on-month growth globally
- India: Reserve Bank governor says central bank digital currency trials may be ready to run by the end of the year
- India: Ministry of Science and Technology announces special incentives scheme to support 75 startups in telemedicine, digital health and artificial intelligence
- India: Securities and Exchange Board to launch blockchain-based system for monitoring certain financial instruments
- India: Ministry of Electronics and Info Tech launches Startup Accelerator for Product Innovation, Development & Growth programme, aiming to fund 300 tech startups
- India: Ministry of Electronics and IT Meity Startup Hub partners Paytm digital payments giant, aiming to build and develop deep-tech startup ecosystem
- India: Samunnati agri value chain enabler partners University of Hyderabad aiming to place agri-tech ecosystem on a single blockchain-based platform, from farmers to financing
- India: Visa runs proof-of-concept allowing payments in places with low or no internet, using Visa chip on debit, credit and prepaid cards like a preloaded mobile wallet
- India: Gov’t launches virtual school concept to allow millions of eligible students outside the school system to complete studies without attending a bricks-and-mortar school
- India: Maharashtra state planning a new venture capital fund to encourage startups, looking to fund 24 rising companies
- Download: Startup Outlook Report 2021 from InnoVen Capital India (pdf)
- e-news, latest issue: China’s smart retail, Indian student fund, Philippines’ vegan leather…
- e-news, latest issue: Singapore’s restaurants, China’s digital payment QR codes, India’s deep-tech initiative, Australia’s AI Action Plan…
- e-newsletter, latest issue: Korea & cybersec, Visa India’s offline payments, China’s datasec moves, Xiaomi and autonomous vehicles…
- e-news, latest issue: Singapore’s 5G, India’s education blockchain, ransomware in 2021…
- e-news, latest issue: Singapore & Twitter, PayPal & crypto, HKMA & blockchain bonds, AirAsia super app moves…
- e-news, latest issue: Foxconn EVs, wearable tech, Asia-Pac cybersec, Indian startup pitches, Australian Blockchain Awards…
- e-news, latest issue: Thailand’s aCommerce, ESG in finance, Indian agri-data, Unicorn Pitch in Malaysia…
- e-newsletter, latest issue: Vietnam’s e-commerce, India’s smart cities, World Bank cybersec, social media ethics…
- e-news, latest issue: China’s digital yuan, NFTs for India, SPACs, ed-tech in Singapore…
- e-news, latest issue: Women in tech, EV influencers, Indian fintech, Korean startups…
- e-news, latest issue: Music NFTs in China, Korean food-tech, India’s 19min deliveries, Facebook’s NOVI digital wallet…
- e-news, latest issue: Huawei EVs, Korean gaming curfew, blockchain in Indian finance, Thailand’s digital asset news…
Asia’s technology news, daily
Stay up-to-date on tech in Asia with Startup News Asia’s channels on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter, by email or mobile app.
