Tech in India
April, May & June 2021
India’s tech news in Q2 2021 – articles, reports, downloads
The India startup news summary for second quarter 2021 gathers items from April, May and June of the year, covering subjects in the Indian tech scene including: e-commerce opportunities for micro-entrepreneurs; Indian social networking startup funding; venture capital in India’s eyewear space; delivery of vaccines to rural areas using drones; and many more.
All headlines listed link to the Indian tech news article behind them – online, without advertising and free of charge to read.
Click the jump links to go directly to the India technology news collections for April 2021, May 2021 or June 2021, or you can browse the headlines for the subjects that interest you most.
April 2021 | May 2021 | June 2021
You can also get our all-day tech news updates
via mobile app and social media
India’s tech news: June 2021
- India: Spardha raises $410K with personalised digital platform for learning music and other performing arts
- Str8bat gains pre-Series A backing from India’s SucSEED Angel Network with IoT-based sports analytics platform, currently focusing on cricket
- India: An overview of the country’s micro-VCs, those operating in pre-seed, seed, and pre-Series A stages, and primarily backed by Indian family offices
- Download: India Trendbook 2021 – E-commerce and consumer internet sector, from EY and Indian PE & VC Association (pdf)
- ICYMI: NEAR India Accelerator program launched by NEAR, open-source platform aiming to boost development of decentralized applications in the country
- India: An intro to LearnhubOnline, a platform for kids from Grade 1 to 10 to learn coding and computer-based skills via live sessions
- India: The country’s internet user base is projected to hit 900M by 2025, growing from 622M in 2020
- India: Artha Venture Fund micro venture capital firm raises $30M in commitments for debut fund, aiming for 10-12 seed, pre-series A, and Series A stage investments
- India: 20 million pre-registrations made on Google Play inside two weeks for the soon-to-be launched Battlegrounds Mobile India
- India: Refyne raises $16M Series A with plug-and-play earned wage access software, providing employers with method enabling employees to access real-time salary
- India: Unbound Finance blockchain startup raises $5.8M, in part enabling interest-free crypto loans in Unbound’s $UND stablecoin and other ‘synthetic assets’
- India: A look at AdmitKard, providing an AI-backed ‘course-to-career’ solution to simplify overseas university admissions for Indian students
- India Blockchain Alliance and India Accelerator partner to deliver IA Campus Entrepreneurship Program, aiming to accelerate 100+ startups yearly
- “As India suffers a devastating second wave…misinformation about home remedies, steam inhalation and vaccines spreads almost unchecked on Facebook – just not in English.”
- Indian Institute of Tech rolls out AmbiTag, first-of-kind IoT device with 90-day charge for monitoring temperature of medical items in transit
- India: Clubhouse audio-focused social media app launches Clubhouse Creator First accelerator programme, with creator applications deadline set for July 16
- India: FamPay raises $38M Series A with goal of building the country’s first neobank for teenagers, with digital payments card without the need for a bank account
- India: Facebook announces partnerships with internet service providers to launch public wi-fi hotspots in Bengaluru and multiple cities in Punjab
- India: 9Unicorns accelerator and VC fund sets maiden edition of 9Unicorns Global Demo Day for August 11-12, showcasing 30 shortlisted startups
- India: CityMall raises $22.5M with e-commerce platform focused on Tier 2, 3 and 4 city micro-entrepreneurs, facilitated by mobile app and WhatsApp
- India: An intro to BlockSurvey, a decentralised blockchain-powered data collection platform focusing on anonymity and security of user information
- India: Jio Infocomm telecom giant joins with Google Cloud for long-term strategic partnership to build 5G solutions focusing on enterprise and consumer markets
- India: TikTok short video firm has written to Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology claiming compliance with Code, seeking lifting of in-country ban
- India: Vodafone Idea and Cisco networking giant to collaborate on simplifying and automating networks to support 4G and 5G use cases nationwide
- India: Bharti Airtel partners Tata Consultancy Services to implement 5G solutions nationwide, aiming for commercial development starting January 2022
- India: New e-commerce rules set to raise costs for online retailers, particularly Amazon and Walmart’s Flipkart, impacting a market set to hit $200BN in value by 2026
- India: More on the proposed changes to rules around e-commerce, and the areas of operation these changes focus on
- India: Kutumb raises $26M Series A with social networking app similar to Reddit, focusing on communities of interest or location and boasting 12M downloads to date
- India: Lenskart eyewear firm launches Lenskart Vision Fund to invest up to $2M in startups in the eyewear, eye-care and omnichannel retail sectors
- India/Singapore startup StaTwig awarded in UK’s The Trinity Challenge with VaccineLedger, blockchain-based solution tracking each vial of vaccine from manufacturer to beneficiary
- India: Unacademy edtech firm launches $13.5M Graphy Creator Grant to help platform users launch their own online schools or learning communities
- India: A dive into the government’s new tech rules, in part demanding big tech firms break encryption and end user privacy
- India: Google boost partnership with Reliance Jio with ‘ultra-affordable’ smartphone and a cloud tie-up aimed at boosting the Indian telco’s 5G ambitions
- India: Loco raises $9M with live game-streaming platform and game-specific communities
- India: UK’s Tide fintech to enter Indian market with $138M investment plan, expecting to create over 1K jobs in 5 years, providing banking services for SMEs
- India: 9Unicorns announces 4th close of first fund at $50M, with DDay startup demo day set to showcase 30 startups August 11-12
- India: Mastercard takes equity stake in Instamojo online selling platform with sights on the country’s MSMEs and gig workers, and e-commerce market
- Australia: India’s HCL Technologies IT services major to host TechJam to develop technology solutions for Cricket Australia, using Microsoft Azure as sandbox
- Singapore: Beryllium secures $3M pre-Series A with fantasy sports and trading platform focused on cricket in India
IndiaN tech news: May 2021
- India: An intro to Niramai, tech startup helping detect breast cancer using thermal analytics and artificial intelligence
- India: Telecom ministry grants 12 international equipment makers participation in 6-month 5G trials; notably absent are Huawei and ZTE
- India: A look at ReshaMandi, AI-driven agri-tech startup helping silk farmers improve quality, boosting income up to 30%
- India: Revenant Esports gaming platform startup gains $1M backing from advertising major Creativland Asia, boasting 15K active gamers
- IndiA: National Restaurant Assoc’n aiming to partner tech solution providers who offer direct deliveries, to help members minimise dependency on online aggregators
- IndiaTech, industry association representing startup ecosystem founders and investors, lays out proposed 5-point policy framework aimed at cryptocurrency regulation
- India: Short-video app Chingari launches Clubhouse clone, Fireside, as audio-only apps gain popularity
- India: Telangana government to trial delivery of vaccines using drones, in part towards developing a standardised framework for future use
- India: Google Maps now piloting feature to help users check availability of hospital beds and medical oxygen at select locations, listing user-generated information
- India: Geekster raises $200K pre-seed funding with education + human resources platform for technology professionals, focusing on company tech talent attrition rates
- India: Bitex cryptocurrency exchange launches Bitex Coin, its own utility token, to facilitate trading, addressing high deposit/withdrawal fees, custody of fiat and fiat withdrawal
- India: Entrepreneurship Development Institute, Digital University of Kerala, Kerala Blockchain Academy partner to launch startup-focused blockchain program
- Indian Institute of Tech in Madras researchers now field-testing BlockTrack, app-delivered and blockchain-based secure medical data and info exchange system
- India: Techstars seed accelerator unveils 9 startups selected for 3rd India cohort working in HR tech, 3D imagery in dentistry, construction technology and more
- India: 100X VC early-stage venture capital firm unveils latest investments in 11 startups working in energy analytics, deepfake identification, digital payments and more
- India: L&T Technology Services and Intel developed AI-based guidance system to help drivers locate nearby parking spaces, eyeing a market valued at $5.4BN by 2025
- India: Paytm, PhonePe, Google Pay and other mobile wallets to be interoperable from April 2022, allowing sending and receiving of payments
- India: An intro to MoooFarm, agritech platform providing knowledge, support and cattle trading, and recently listed on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list
- India: PhonePe payments company to acquire IndusOS app store for $60M, potentially aiming to integrate with its own in-app platform, PhonePe Switch
- India: Wysa raises $5.5M Series A with AI-based mental health platform for individuals, and companies that want to have mental health in benefits programs
- India: Koo, home-grown Twitter clone, raises $30M in part seen to be benefiting from Indian gov’t clash with Twitter over manipulated media
- India: Polygon blockchain startup gains backing in part from Mark Cuban with framework for building and connecting Ethereum-compatible blockchain networks
- India: WhatsApp sues Indian gov’t over new rules designed to make all messages traceable
- India: FuelBuddy app-based fuel delivery platform acquires MyPetrolPump on-demand fuel delivery startup, growing to deliver near 40M litres to 30 cities
- India: Wadhwani AI partnered by Google’s philanthropic arm for AI-driven, app-based system to identify crop pests, predict disease trajectory, and provide actionable insights
- India: Stockal raises $3M pre-Series A with platform allowing investors to take stakes in assets including shares, ETFs and hedge funds outside of the Indian market
- India: Advertising Standards Council mandates that ‘net influencers be required to label promotional posts and run due diligence on claims made in those posts
- India: gradCapital student-focused venture capital firm launches $1M fund to help graduates translate ideas into businesses, looking at investing in 100 startups over 3 years
- India: Farm Infinity gains funding with cloud-based, mobile/web platform to facilitate access to financial services for India’s 125M smallholder farmers
- India: FarMart agri-tech raises $2.4M pre-Series A with platform providing wide-angle services for farmers, from boosted market access to data-driven decision making
India tech news: April 2021
- India: Bharti Airtel telecom major launches integrated 5G-ready platform to help enterprises leverage IoT to securely connect and manage devices and applications
- India: A look at VernacularAI’s voice assistant VIVA, capable of understanding 16 languages and over 160 dialects, and currently being implemented in banks across rural India
- 4 Indian startups selected for NetApp Excellerator, working in digital manufacturing, HR technology, AI and cybersecurity
- ICYMI: India blocks bank accounts of China’s ByteDance over tax evasion, directing Citibank and HSBC to prevent ByteDance India from withdrawing funds
- India: National Cyber Security Coordinator finalizes criteria for identifying trusted sources, communicating to key telcos, chipmakers and multinational vendors
- India: Upstox online stockbroking platform warns clients of data breach, exposing connection info and KYC details for an estimated 2.5M users
- India DeepTech unveils 9 early-stage startups for first cohort of virtual accelerator focusing on industrial automation, cybersecurity and genomics
- India: “Digital payments could account for 71.7% of the total payments volume by 2025, leaving cash and cheques at 28.3%…”
- India: Amazon launches mentorship programme for startups and emerging brands as part of Amazon Launchpad, providing one-on-one mentoring over 3 months
- India: E-commerce industry projected to reach $140BN in value by 2025, in part due to increased adoption of online platforms during Covid-19 lockdown
- India: Marwari Catalysts Ventures unveils 6 startups selected for Thrive edtech accelerator, selected from over 300 applications nationwide
- India’s CleanMax renewable energy firm inks deal with Facebook around co-running portfolio of wind and solar projects to will supply clean energy to the grid
- India: A look at ToneTag, enabling offline payments in areas with low internet connectivity using sound waves, backed by Amazon and Mastercard
- India: United Payments Interface hits $50M in value with 2.3BN in digital transactions
- India: M1xchange raises $10M in part from Amazon’s new $250M Smbhav Fund with MSME invoice discounting platform
- Reserve Bank of India to invite license applications for New Umbrella Entity, under which companies would create and operate retail payment systems nationwide
- India: MFine healthtech firm launches MFine Pulse, app-based software that measures oxygen saturation using a smartphone camera
- India: Electric vehicle unit of ride-hail giant Ola Cabs to build out Ola Hypercharger Network, 100K charging points across 400 cities inside 5 years
- India: Ekta, consortium of news fact-checking organisations, launches pilot programme to share verified information about 2021 legislative assembly elections
- India’s Pine Labs merchant payments firm acquires Singapore’s Fave loyalty cashback startup for $45M, gaining QR-based offline payments with sights on SEA expansion
- India: Snap and Twitter join investors backing Mohalla Tech, owner of ShareChat social media platform and Moj, TikTok-like short video app
- India Accelerator partnered by JSW Sports, arm of $13BN JSW Group conglomerate, to mentor startups working in sports, spanning data, e-sports, gaming and more
- India: A round-up of recent tech, startup and funding news headlines, gathered across the month of March
- India: T-Hub incubator launches 5th edition of Lab32 pre-acceleration programme with 30 early-stage tech startups
- India: MeitY Startup Hub partners La French Tech in Bengaluru for Indo-French Tech Programme, aiming to boost and support Indo-French startup collaboration
- India: An intro to the 5 firms selected by H&M Foundation and Social Alpha for Techtonic waste management program
- India: Chingari short video startup raises $13M in market gap left by TikTok ban, aiming to grow user base to 100M over the next 6 months
- The Rise of Made In India digital content, a 29-page dive into the short-form video market following the TikTok ban, via SlideShare
- Australia launches International Cyber and Critical Technology Engagement Strategy, alongside announcing 3 joint cyber projects with India
ASIA’S TECH NEWS TODAY
Startup News Asia mobile app – boosting the signal on Asia’s tech news, daily – get the app on Google Play:
ASIA’S TECH NEWS DAILY ON SOCIAL MEDIA
You can alternatively get our all-day tech news on social media:
• Asia’s tech news daily on Twitter
• Asia’s tech news today, on Facebook
• Asia’s startup news via LinkedIn
And connect with our founder on LinkedIn to expand your professional network:
