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- Krutrim’s Hiring Spree, Piyush Goyal’s Declarations, and Delhivery’s Latest Acquisition
Krutrim’s Hiring Spree, Piyush Goyal’s Declarations, and Delhivery’s Latest Acquisition
Plus news about Flipkart sprinting into quick commerce

Ola’s Krutrim is on a hiring spree to steady the AI ship amid talent exits, while Piyush Goyal stirs the startup pot with a new helpline and big bucks for deeptech. Flipkart’s sprint into quick commerce now features 200+ dark stores delivering everything but your patience. And Delhivery makes a $165 Mn move to bag Ecom Express, signaling a mega shakeup in India’s logistics game. Besides, there’s also Startup Spotlight to savor.
Grab your simmering cup of StartupChai.in and unwind with our hand-brewed memes.

”Aap Log Rona Band Kijiye”: Piyush Goyal Announces Dedicated Helpline For Startups & Deeptech To Get Substantial Allocation In INR 10K Cr FoF For Startups
Piyush Goyal just dropped a hotline for startups — not for gossip, but to report bribery, suggest policy tweaks, and vent about red tape.
Alongside the helpline, he’s promised that deeptech will get a big slice of the ₹10,000 Cr startup fund pie, targeting fields like AI, quantum computing, and robotics. This move follows his spicy comment urging founders to ditch ice cream dreams for hardcore tech, and the startup Twitterverse isn’t chill about it.


“Jaa Rahe Ho Jaane Jaana”: Ola Steps Up Hiring For Krutrim AI Labs Amid Exits
Ola’s Krutrim AI Labs is on a hiring spree, scooping up talent for its Bengaluru, US, and Singapore hubs even as some folks head for the exit.
From GenAI engineers to speech recognition scientists, they’re staffing up for serious AI muscle. With Sunit S now on board as SVP of Product, it’s clear Krutrim wants to script a comeback — with code.
Read more here


“Ab Aayega Maza Bidu”: Flipkart Expands Quick Commerce Play With 200 Dark Stores
Flipkart is hitting the gas on quick commerce, rolling out over 200 dark stores in 14 cities under its ‘Minutes’ service.
From groceries to gadgets, they’re promising delivery in just 8–16 minutes — faster than your popcorn’s done. With Big Billion Days on the horizon, they’re eyeing 500+ dark stores, because clearly, speed is the new discount.
Read more here
“Hum Saath Saath Hai”: Delhivery To Buy Ecom Express For $165 Mn
Delhivery is gearing up to grab a 99.4% stake in Ecom Express for a cool $165 Mn in an all-cash deal — that’s logistics money talking.
Once approved by the CCI, Ecom Express will officially move in as a Delhivery subsidiary within six months. Looks like India's delivery wars just got a heavyweight plot twist.
Read more here

Mumbai’s solar startup Aerem just lit up with ₹100 Cr in Series A funding, led by Japan’s UTEC and backed by global climate investors. With total funding now at ₹166 Cr, Aerem’s ready to power up India’s clean energy game.
Read more here

“Papa Kehte Hai Bada Naam Karega”: From Corporate Cubicles to Mountain Trails
From crunching numbers at JP Morgan to conquering Himalayan trails, Rohan Khanduja traded spreadsheets for sleeping bags—and built Tripole Gears in the process.
What started as a trek to Everest Base Camp became a mission to make high-performance, Made-in-India outdoor gear accessible to all. With ₹75 lakhs from Shark Tank and climbers nationwide backing him, Rohan’s journey proves the real summit is chasing what sets your soul on fire.
Read full story here
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