Vishal Mega Mart Doubles Down On Quick Commerce Amid Retail Shift

Source: inc42

Vishal Mega Mart Doubles Down On Quick Commerce Amid Retail Shift

Business

"Vishal Mega Mart is expanding its quick commerce services to 767 stores across 520 cities, reaching 1.4 crore registered users. The initiative, offering 30-minute deliveries, contributes 2% to 9% of store revenue, with many locations hitting a 5% target. By leveraging existing stores instead of dark stores, the retailer has attracted new customers, contrasting with DMart's strategy of avoiding ultra-fast deliveries to prioritize low pricing.".

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Nazara Technologies swings to profit in Q2; revenue jumps 53% to Rs 803 Cr

Startups

Nazara Technologies swung to a profit of Rs 35.3 crore in Q2 FY27, as revenue surged 53% year-on-year to a record Rs 803 crore. Gaming revenue more than doubled, driven by growth in mobile gaming and the consolidation of Bluetile and BestPlay.

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Ather Cracks Profitability In Q2, But Can It Sustain The Momentum?

Business

<summary>Ather Energy achieved its first-ever consolidated net profit of ₹1.3 Cr in Q2 FY27, a significant turnaround from previous losses. The EV maker plans to invest ₹122 Cr to expand capacity to 11.4 Lakh units by Q2 FY28, addressing high demand. Its new mass-market Konarc.

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Talent diplomacy may become the next driver of global economic growth

Startups

As ageing populations and skill shortages weigh on economies worldwide, countries are looking beyond immigration to build structured talent partnerships. India has an opportunity to emerge as a trusted global hub for workforce readiness, backed by skills training, tech and verifiable credentials.

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How OpenAI turned its coding tools into dots, an always-on personal assistant

Startups

OpenAI has launched "dots," a proactive AI personal assistant available to high-tier ChatGPT subscribers. Unlike traditional chatbots, dots works autonomously in the background, integrating with emails and calendars to anticipate user needs. While offering increased productivity, the tool raises privacy concerns regarding data collection. OpenAI is currently exploring partnerships with payment processors to expand the agent's capabilities, aiming for a more ubiquitous, intuitive user experience.

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Cohere says Alibaba’s Qwen model tried to send a file to Beijing

Startups

An AI model said it wouldn’t use any tools, then tried to send something to a server in Beijing anyway, and while researchers say it’s probably a training quirk and not espionage, the whole thing has people asking how much to trust free Chinese AI.

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Protectt.ai To Acquire Controlling Stake In Bosch’s AIShield

Business

Protectt.ai has acquired a majority stake in AIShield, an AI security platform incubated by Bosch. This strategic move integrates AIShield's AI security capabilities with Protectt.ai's mobile security platform, significantly expanding its offerings into enterprise AI security. AIShield will operate independently, with plans to grow its team substantially. Protectt.ai is also actively exploring further acquisitions in areas like API and cloud security to build a comprehensive, full-stack AI security platform.

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SpaceX locks in $40B GPU financing deal with Apollo

Startups

SpaceX has locked in a binding commitment for roughly $40 billion in financing to pay for AI chips and related data center equipment, the company disclosed in a regulatory filing Monday. In a statement, SpaceX called it the “largest committed GPU financing” ever.

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Aequs Q2: Loss Widens 2.5X To ₹52.4 Cr, Revenue Jumps 45% YoY

Business

Aequs reported a Q2 FY27 consolidated net loss of ₹52.4 Cr, widening from ₹20.6 Cr year-on-year, despite operating revenue growing 45.3% to ₹409.1 Cr. Deepening losses in its consumer business, which saw revenue rise 52% to ₹57.7 Cr, weighed on profitability. Aerospace remained the primary revenue driver, contributing nearly 86% with ₹351.4 Cr. Expenses outpaced revenue growth.

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Healthtech startup BioStack raises $9.5M in seed funding round led by Peak XV, others

Startups

Healthcare technology company BioStack has raised $9.5 million in seed funding led by Peak XV and other investors to expand its operations globally. The startup is launching a data infrastructure network providing access to over 100 million de-identified patient records across the US, India, Brazil, and Argentina. By integrating fragmented clinical data, BioStack aims to support medical research and train AI agents to improve patient outcomes.

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India's voice AI challenges could shape global technology, says Murf AI co-founder

Startups

Sneha Roy, COO of Murf AI, argues that India's linguistic diversity and infrastructure constraints are ideal for refining global voice AI. By addressing challenges like code-switching and low latency through smaller models like Falcon 2, Murf AI aims to create natural, cost-effective speech technology. Roy emphasizes responsible data practices and believes that solving for India's complex requirements will ultimately benefit voice AI applications worldwide.

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Life After 55: Cradle Of Life is reimagining senior living lifestyle for retired Indians

Startups

Sharad Gadsing on why senior living needs to move beyond real estate and ageing, and create communities designed around how people want to live. Senior living is evolving beyond simply providing safe, comfortable homes. For Sharad Gadsing, Co-founder, Cradle Of Life, the opportunity lies in rethi.

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Who will shape India’s next 500 million digital users?

Startups

India's digital economy is rapidly evolving, focusing on local, personal, and AI-powered services for the next 500 million users. Experts at TechSparks 2026 discussed challenges in app discovery, digital goods marketplaces, and digital sovereignty. AI is crucial for content creation, personalization, and maintaining app store relevance. The goal is to build accessible platforms and frameworks, leveraging India's strengths, while challenging assumptions about consumer value and affordability for diverse audiences.

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Rapido rides ahead with Razorpay’s real‑time payments

Startups

Rapido rides ahead with Razorpay’s real‑time payments Getting around an Indian city has always been harder than it should be. Cabs were expensive, public transport was overcrowded, and for millions of daily commuters, the last mile remained unsolved. When Aravind Sanka, Pavan Guntupalli, and SR.

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Unacademy Cofounders Plan ₹700 Cr AI, Deeptech Fund Longshot Capital

Business

Unacademy cofounders Gaurav Munjal and Roman Saini are raising ₹700 crore for Longshot Capital, a venture fund targeting AI and deeptech startups. The fund aims to back 25-28 early-stage companies in sectors like robotics, space, and defense, with initial investments between $500,000 and $1.5 million. Having already secured ₹250-300 crore, the firm targets its first close by January 2027, following upGrad's recent acquisition of Unacademy.

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The best apps for tracking your reading and discovering new books

Startups

Book apps simplify maintaining reading as a hobby, offering tools for tracking progress, organizing lists, and setting goals. This article spotlights innovative platforms beyond Goodreads, including Fable, Bookshelf, Pagebound, StoryGraph, and Margins. These apps provide diverse features like social communities, AI-powered recommendations, spoiler-free discussions, detailed statistics, and mood-based discovery, enhancing the reading experience for various book lovers.

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Grok releases the first seven minutes of its AI-generated ‘Odyssey’

Startups

Elon Musk's Grok released a 7-minute "Episode 1" of "The Odyssey," three months after promising a full, "historically accurate" film. This follows Musk's criticism of Christopher Nolan's successful "Odyssey" for its diverse casting. Grok's AI-generated version, created with Wonder Studios, is described as visually somewhat impressive but lacking.

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PM inaugurates RBI's Rs 169-cr data centre, Cybersecurity Training Institute in Odisha

Startups

"Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Reserve Bank of India's Rs 169-crore data centre and Cybersecurity Training Institute in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. This facility, the second of its kind, will host mission-critical payment and settlement systems to enhance the reliability of digital financial services. Additionally, the training institute will focus on cybersecurity research and capability building, providing a secure, scalable computing ecosystem for India's technology-driven financial economy.".

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Will take action if Kannadigas sidelined in jobs in Karnataka: CM Shivakumar

Startups

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar stated the government will take action against private institutions deliberately sidelining Kannadigas in job opportunities. Posting on 'X', Shivakumar affirmed concerns about native Kannada speakers being overlooked, particularly in Bengaluru's IT sector, are taken seriously. He emphasized that Kannadigas' rights, dignity, and opportunities are paramount and will not be compromised, highlighting the government's commitment to addressing their interests.

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Gen Z is shaping India’s beauty market: prevention first,and going beyond the metros

Startups

A new Myntra report reveals that Gen Z is transforming India's beauty market by prioritizing ingredients and skin prevention over brand hype. This generation, particularly in Tier II and III cities, favors K-Beauty, D2C brands, and premium minis for discovery. Driven by creator content and a skin-first approach, Gen Z's spending is increasing, contributing to a market projected to grow from $23 billion to $40 billion.

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Art and design: how this award-winning Bengaluru airport elevates passenger experience

Startups

As an eco-conscious terminal designed with lush garden-themed architecture, Terminal 2 at Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport has won much acclaim. This year, it was recognised among the Top 5 globally in the Skytrax rankings for World’s Best Art in the Airport. This distinction undersco.

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