Startups

The heartbeat of India's entrepreneurial ecosystem. From early-stage breakthroughs to unicorn milestones, we chronicle the journey of the builders defining the next decade.

The Return of the Indian Toy Story: How D2C Toy Brands Are Taking on Lego and Mattel
D2C
Startups

The Return of the Indian Toy Story: How D2C Toy Brands Are Taking on Lego and Mattel

A generation raised on plastic imports now craves something else—wooden Montessori toys, STEM puzzles, and eco-friendly play. In 2026, India's toy industry is projected to reach $2.5 billion, with a dozen homegrown D2C brands challenging global giants. TIGI unpacks the "Toy Story" reversal.

The Protein Revolution: How Indian D2C Brands Are Winning Over Meat-Eaters and Vegans Alike
Startups

The Protein Revolution: How Indian D2C Brands Are Winning Over Meat-Eaters and Vegans Alike

A Mumbai-based D2C brand just got acquired for ₹1,583 crore. Another raised $51 million at a $400 million valuation. And 66% of new wellness orders now come from Tier 2/3 India. TIGI unpacks the protein boom that's turning Indian kitchens into science labs—and why FMCG giants are paying billions to get a seat at the table.

The Great Unbundling: How D2C from Tier 2 & 3 India is Rewriting the Global E-commerce Playbook
Startups

The Great Unbundling: How D2C from Tier 2 & 3 India is Rewriting the Global E-commerce Playbook

India’s e-commerce and D2C revolution is no longer a metro-story. With 66% of new orders flowing from Tier 2 and 3 cities, this is a structural shift. We decode the "Bharat" consumer boom, space-tech unicorns, and why global giants are now looking at small-town India for their next billion users.

Innovation is not just about the idea; it's about the grit required to sustain it through the funding winters.
KUNAL SHAH, CRED
From One Sick Dog To A $40 Million Bet: Inside India's Pet Healthcare Gold Rush
Startups

From One Sick Dog To A $40 Million Bet: Inside India's Pet Healthcare Gold Rush

Vetic's founder built the company after his own pet didn't get the care he needed — now investors led by Bessemer Venture Partners are betting $40 million that India's pet parents want a connected, human-grade healthcare system for their animals too

Ashneer Grover Is Back With A New Playbook: Inside "Fund My Staff," His Bet On Employer-Backed Lending
Startups

Ashneer Grover Is Back With A New Playbook: Inside "Fund My Staff," His Bet On Employer-Backed Lending

The outspoken BharatPe co-founder returns to the startup trenches with a fresh venture aimed at solving one of India's most persistent blue-and-grey-collar workforce problems — access to credit

The Mother-Daughter Duo Who Bet ₹25 Crore That Hand-Embroidered Lucknowi Chikankari Belongs on the Global Runway—Not Just in Indian Trousseaus
Women

The Mother-Daughter Duo Who Bet ₹25 Crore That Hand-Embroidered Lucknowi Chikankari Belongs on the Global Runway—Not Just in Indian Trousseaus

Aakriti Rawal was not supposed to be a fashion entrepreneur. She was a business school graduate with the kind of resume that leads to consulting firms and corporate strategy roles, not fabric swatches and artisan villages. Her mother, Poonam Rawal, was not supposed to be her co-founder. She was a homemaker who had spent decades watching the exquisite hand-embroidered chikankari of Lucknow slowly disappear from the world—replaced by machine-made imitations, devalued by middlemen, abandoned by the next generation of artisans who saw no future in a craft that paid pennies and offered no dignity.

TrueFan's $10 Million Bet: Why AI-Generated Video in 175 Languages Is India's Next Great Export
Startups

TrueFan's $10 Million Bet: Why AI-Generated Video in 175 Languages Is India's Next Great Export

Excerpt: In June 2026, Gurugram-based TrueFan AI raised $10 million in a Series A round led by Baring Private Equity Partners India and Z3Partners, at a post-money valuation of $40 million. The platform helps large businesses generate hyper-personalized video content at scale in over 175 languages — including WhatsApp and RCS distribution. This is not just a funding story. It's a signal that India's generative AI revolution has moved beyond chatbots. Indian startups are now building the infrastructure for the world's video-first, multilingual future.

Beyond the Screen — How Indian Stars Are Quietly Building Billion‑Dollar Investment Portfolios
Startups

Beyond the Screen — How Indian Stars Are Quietly Building Billion‑Dollar Investment Portfolios

Almost every Indian believes Bollywood stars make a run for the bank only from their movies. But today, these celebrities are savvy investors, diversifying their wealth into startups, companies, stock markets, and venture capital opportunities. From Shah Rukh Khan’s family office co‑investing ₹100 crore with Ashika Group to Juhi Chawla’s net worth of ₹7,790 crore from cricket and real estate, Bollywood has transformed into a serious wealth engine. This article decodes the "secret portfolios" of SRK, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan, and others, revealing how they earn more from business than from box office collections.

The 547‑Million‑Subscriber Monopoly: One Year After the JioHotstar Merger, the Numbers Are In—and Netflix and Amazon Should Be Terrified
Startups

The 547‑Million‑Subscriber Monopoly: One Year After the JioHotstar Merger, the Numbers Are In—and Netflix and Amazon Should Be Terrified

On May 29, 2025, the merger of Jio Cinema and Disney+ Hotstar created the largest streaming platform in the history of Indian media. A year later, the numbers are in, and they are staggering: 547 million monthly active users—more than Netflix and Amazon Prime Video combined, globally. A content budget of ₹38,000 crore, larger than the entire production spend of the Indian film industry. An IPL digital‑rights deal worth ₹23,758 crore that was once ridiculed as economically irrational and is now being studied as a masterstroke of ecosystem strategy. And a market share that has left Netflix—which has struggled to cross 10 million subscribers in India—and Amazon—which has stopped reporting its India numbers entirely—scrambling to find a response.