Bhavish Brings DeepSeek To India, Lam Research Betting Large, and Pankaj Tripathi Cofounds Velve

Jio Platforms is diving deeper into GenAI with Confluent, while Bhavish Aggarwal’s Krutrim is bringing China’s DeepSeek AI model to Indian developers for just ₹1 per million tokens. Over in the investment space, Bay Capital is roping in Delhivery’s Sandeep Barasia to sharpen its strategy, and IXP has launched a ₹200 crore fund to fuel early-stage life sciences startups.

Meanwhile, semiconductor giant Lam Research is betting ₹10,000 crore on Karnataka, signaling India’s growing role in chip manufacturing. And in the world of content, Pankaj Tripathi is stepping into the audio OTT space as co-founder of Velve.

Grab your simmering cup of StartupChai.in and unwind with our hand-brewed memes.

“Hum Saath Saath Hai”: Jio Platforms Partners Confluent To Fuel GenAI Use Cases In India

Jio Platforms’ partnership with Confluent signals a crucial step in India's data evolution, bringing Confluent Cloud to Jio Cloud Services.

With real-time data streaming now more accessible, businesses can integrate GenAI solutions seamlessly—but the real impact will depend on adoption beyond tech giants. As India’s digital infrastructure expands, this collaboration underscores the growing necessity of robust data governance and processing frameworks.

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“Sabka Saath, Sabka Vishwas”: Krutrim AI Brings DeepSeek R1 To Indian Developers

Bhavish Aggarwal’s Krutrim is tapping into China’s DeepSeek R1 671B model, running on Nvidia’s H100 GPUs, and offering it to Indian developers at just INR 1 per million tokens this February.

While this move could boost AI accessibility, it comes amid the finance ministry’s crackdown on AI tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek for official use. As India balances AI innovation with regulatory caution, the contrast in approaches raises questions about the future of AI governance.

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“Ee Sala Cup Namde”: Lam Research Signs MoU To Invest INR 10,000 Cr In Karnataka

Lam Research is making a massive bet on Karnataka, pledging over ₹10,000 crore to boost semiconductor manufacturing in the state.

As India pushes for self-reliance in chip-making, this investment could strengthen Bengaluru’s position in the global tech ecosystem. With the semiconductor race heating up, Karnataka is shaping up to be a key player in India’s silicon ambitions.

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“Saathi Haath Badhana”: IXP Launches INR 200 Cr Early Stage Fund For Life Sciences Sector

IXP is stepping up for early-stage life sciences startups with a ₹200 crore fund, aiming to back 20-25 promising ventures.

With a focus on B2B companies from pre-seed to Series A, the fund signals growing confidence in India’s biotech and healthcare innovation. As the sector gains momentum, this investment push could be a catalyst for cutting-edge breakthroughs in life sciences.

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“Aayiee Aapka Intezaar Tha”: Bay Capital Picks Delhivery’s Sandeep Barasia To Firm Up Advisory Board

Bay Capital’s advisory board just got a strategic boost with the addition of Sandeep Barasia, a key architect behind Delhivery’s billion-dollar rise. With three decades of experience in consulting and operations, his insights could sharpen the firm’s investment playbook.

As he joins heavyweights like Russell Napier and Preston Hutchings, Bay Capital is clearly betting on seasoned expertise to navigate evolving markets.

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“Ye Toh Masterstroke Hai”: Actor Pankaj Tripathi Joins Audio OTT Platform Velvet As Cofounder

Pankaj Tripathi is stepping beyond the screen, joining audio OTT platform Velvet as a co-founder to champion storytelling in a new medium.

With Velvet bringing actors, writers, and voice artists together for exclusive content, the platform aims to be a creative hub. As co-founder Akshat Saxena puts it, the goal is to guide storytellers—Tripathi’s presence might just give it the credibility it needs.

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1. Toonsutra just secured $3.2 million in seed funding, with backing from Google and Holtzbrinck, signaling a growing appetite for webcomics in India. With Funimation’s founder already on board, the platform is gearing up to make global comics more accessible in local languages.
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2. CapGrid has secured $5 million to scale its manufacturing operations and enhance its tech capabilities, backed by Nexus, Axilor, and key angel investors. With fresh capital pouring in just weeks after its extended Series A round, the company is gearing up for global expansion.
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3. Mysa has raised $2.8 million to streamline financial operations for mid-sized businesses, offering a unified finance and banking platform. Founded by Arpita Kapoor and Mohit Rangaraju, the startup aims to simplify money management for companies with revenues between ₹10 crore and ₹300 crore.
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4. Rapido is set to raise ₹250 crore from Prosus, which is acquiring a 2.9% stake at the startup’s unicorn valuation. As part of its ongoing Series E round, this funding could help Rapido double down on expansion in India’s competitive mobility market.
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5. Bengaluru-based space tech firm Digantara is investing up to $15 million to set up a spacecraft manufacturing unit in Colorado. With a focus on space surveillance and optics, this move marks a significant step in its global expansion strategy.
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