ideaForge Surges Ahead, CARS24 Shifts Gears, and Sarvam AI’s Foundational Model

ideaForge is strengthening its global play, investing in US-based Vantage Robotics to deepen its UAV expertise. Meanwhile, CARS24 is shifting gears with LOANS24, expanding from used car financing to a full suite of auto loans. On the AI front, Sarvam AI is stepping up to build India’s own foundational model under the IndiaAI Mission, ensuring the country doesn’t lag in the next tech revolution.

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“Ab Humari Baari”: Sarvam AI To Bid For Building Indigenous AI Foundational Model

Sarvam AI is stepping up to shape India’s AI future, planning a bid under the IndiaAI Mission to build a homegrown foundational model.

Co-founder Pratyush Kumar warns that without sovereign AI models, India risks falling behind—just as it did in past tech revolutions. With MeitY calling for bids, the race to develop AI trained on Indian datasets is officially on.

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“Chup Chaap Kaam Karne Ka”: ideaForge Backs US-Based Vantage Robotics

ideaForge is quietly extending its global footprint, injecting $1.83 Mn (INR 15.96 Cr) into US-based Vantage Robotics through a compulsorily convertible promissory note.

Known for its UAV expertise, Vantage Robotics brings strong R&D capabilities to the table, aligning with ideaForge’s long-term vision. As drone tech competition intensifies, this move signals a calculated bet on deeper technological collaborations.

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“Rishta Wahi, Soch Nayi”: CARS24 Unveils Platform To Expand Its Loan Offerings

CARS24 is shifting gears with LOANS24, now live after weeks of pilot testing. What started as a used car financing venture is expanding into new car loans, purchase financing, and even top-up loans.

With its financial arm, CFSPL, in place since 2019, CARS24 is steadily deepening its hold on the auto finance market.

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1. John Abraham-backed NOTO just scooped up INR 15 Cr ($1.7 Mn) to expand its offline presence. With Inflection Point Ventures leading the round, the low-calorie ice cream brand is set to hit more freezers nationwide.

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2. Dogsee Chew has fetched $8 Mn (INR 69.4 Cr) in Series B funding to expand globally. With Ektha.com leading the round, the Bengaluru-based pet food brand is set for a bigger bite of the market.

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3. OneTab has secured $3.3 Mn to supercharge its AI agent, OneAsk, for managing the software development life cycle. With backing from LIT Fund and Orbit, the young SaaS startup is gearing up to streamline dev workflows.

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4. OneTab.ai has raised $3.3M in seed funding to launch OneAsk, its AI-powered tool for software development workflows. With backing from LIT Fund, Orbit, and others, the startup is set to refine how teams build and manage software.

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