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Sarovar Hotels expands its footprint in NCR with the launch of Tulip Inn Gurugram Sector 39

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Sarovar Hotels, in partnership with RRK Hospitality LLP, has announced the launch of Tulip Inn Gurugram Sector 39, a contemporary midscale business hotel tailored to the requirements of corporate travellers, business delegations, and small-format events. Operating under the brand standards of Louvre Hotels Group, the property delivers internationally benchmarked service quality, consistent operations, and a refined guest experience.

The hotel features 40 well-appointed rooms across three categories—Executive Rooms with Balcony, Deluxe Rooms with Balcony, and Superior Rooms. Notably, each room includes high-speed Wi-Fi, climate control, flat-screen televisions, tea and coffee amenities, and ergonomic workstations, thereby supporting both short-term visits and extended business stays.

In addition, Tulip Inn Gurugram Sector 39 offers two indoor banquet venues—Emerald A and Emerald B—along with an open-air terrace. Together, these spaces provide flexible settings for corporate meetings, training sessions, workshops, and intimate social gatherings. Moreover, the hotel equips all event areas with modern audio-visual infrastructure and delivers professional event services aligned with Louvre Hotels Group standards.

Meanwhile, the hotel’s dining experience centers around Sapphire—All-Day Dining, which serves buffet and à la carte options suited for business breakfasts, client interactions, and convenient in-house dining. As a result, corporate guests benefit from efficiency without compromising on quality.

Commenting on the launch, Ajay K. Bakaya, Chairman, Sarovar Hotels & Director, Louvre Hotels India, highlighted that Tulip Inn Gurugram Sector 39 marks a strategic addition to the group’s midscale urban portfolio. He emphasized that the property adheres to Louvre Hotels Group’s global benchmarks while responding to the growing demand for professionally managed, well-located business accommodation in Gurugram and other rapidly expanding urban centers.

Similarly, Richa Koul, Partner, RRK Hospitality LLP, noted that Gurugram’s status as a major corporate and commercial hub continues to drive strong demand for dependable midscale hotels. She further underlined that the collaboration with Sarovar Hotels combines global brand standards, operational expertise, and a prime location, positioning the property to effectively cater to corporate travelers, business groups, and small-scale events.

With the launch of Tulip Inn Gurugram Sector 39, Sarovar Hotels strengthens its foothold in the midscale business hospitality segment. The opening reinforces the Tulip Inn brand as a globally aligned, trade-ready, and dependable hotel offering, well positioned to support the evolving needs of India’s corporate travel and meetings ecosystem.

Warehouse automation startup Unbox Robotics raises $28 Mn to expand market presence across India & abroad

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Rohit Pitale, Pramod Ghadge & Shahid Memon, co-founders, Unbox Robotics

Unbox Robotics, a supply chain robotics technology company, has raised $28 million (Rs 243 crore) in a Series B funding round led by ICICI Venture and Redstart Labs (Infoedge), with participation from F-Prime, 3one4 Capital, Navam Capital, Force Ventures, and other existing investors.

The round includes a combination of primary and secondary capital. Accordingly, the company plans to deploy the funds to strengthen its leadership and engineering teams, accelerate new product development, and expand its footprint across India and select international markets, according to an official statement.

Founded in 2019, Unbox Robotics develops modular robotic systems designed for warehouse and intralogistics operations. Notably, the company integrates swarm-intelligence software with 3D robotic sortation hardware to orchestrate large robot fleets. As a result, enterprises can automate order fulfillment efficiently while scaling throughput without investing in heavy fixed infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Pune-based startup serves customers across India, Europe, and the US, catering to e-commerce, retail, and third-party logistics companies. Speaking about the fundraiser, Pramod Ghadge, founder and CEO, said the company will leverage the new capital to scale its product portfolio and accelerate global expansion.

Commenting on the investment, Sharad Malpani, Director of ICICI Venture and Co-Head of the IVen Amplifi Fund, said, “We are pleased to partner with Unbox Robotics at this stage of their growth. The company has demonstrated strong execution, differentiated technology, and a clear understanding of customer needs in the logistics and intralogistics automation space. We believe Unbox Robotics is well positioned to play a leading role in enabling efficient, scalable warehouse operations in India and globally.”

Similarly, Vibhore Sharma, Director of Redstart Labs (Infoedge), highlighted the company’s commercial momentum, stating, “Unbox Robotics has demonstrated a clear ability to translate insight-led technical innovation into meaningful commercialization. As the company enters its next phase, we look forward to supporting its continued progress.”

In addition, Sanjay Aggarwal, venture partner at F-Prime, underscored the startup’s global potential, saying, “Unbox Robotics is one of the leading robotics companies emerging from India to provide best-in-class solutions to the global market. We’ve been consistently impressed by their innovative products, relentless execution, and their ability to deliver proven high-ROI solutions to some of the most demanding customers in the world. We are excited to partner with the team on their next phase of growth.”

With fresh capital, strong investor backing, and a differentiated technology stack, Unbox Robotics is positioning itself to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of warehouse automation. As global demand for scalable, high-efficiency logistics solutions continues to rise, the company appears well prepared to deepen its presence in existing markets while accelerating expansion worldwide.

Proptech startup 77Pillar launches zero-broking data-driven real estate platform in 15+ cities

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77Pillar, an emerging Indian real estate technology platform, has announced the launch of its zero-broking, data-driven property ecosystem, thereby aiming to empower developers, property owners, channel partners, and real estate professionals.

Through this platform, the company removes traditional brokerage charges and listing fees while enabling direct engagement with verified buyers and tenants to create a more transparent and scalable transaction framework.

Designed to tackle persistent inefficiencies across the real estate value chain, 77Pillar offers a digital interface that allows developers and asset owners to display inventory, generate qualified leads, and track real-time demand signals. As a result, by eliminating intermediary costs, the platform enables faster go-to-market execution and improved deal velocity across both residential and commercial assets.

At present, 77Pillar operates in more than 15 cities, including Gurgaon, Noida, Greater Noida, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Dholera, Kolkata, Goa, and key centres across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Punjab. Consequently, the company positions itself as a technology partner for both mature and emerging real estate markets. Its advanced analytics and intelligent search tools map inventory to demand based on location, pricing, asset class, and amenities, thereby driving more informed and outcome-oriented transactions.

Beyond property discovery, the platform delivers virtual walkthroughs, live availability tracking, comprehensive property insights, and market-level intelligence, which collectively support better decision-making for developers, investors, and consultants. Additionally, the system supports large-scale inventory management for institutional sellers operating across multiple regions.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Deepak Chhabra, Founder, 77Pillar, said, “77Pillar has been built to simplify and professionalise real estate transactions in India. Our zero-broking, free-listing model empowers stakeholders with direct market access, visibility, and actionable data. We aim to be a long-term digital infrastructure partner for the real estate ecosystem, supporting growth across urban centres and emerging corridors.”

Looking ahead, with a strong emphasis on urban hubs, infrastructure-led growth markets, and future investment destinations, 77Pillar plans to expand its developer partnerships, strengthen its analytics engine, and introduce new tools specifically designed for real estate professionals.

Ultimately, through its commitment to transparency, cost efficiency, and technology-led solutions, 77Pillar positions itself to emerge as a strategic force in India’s rapidly digitalising real estate landscape.

Fashion and accessories brand Salty raises Rs 30-Cr to expand into new product categories

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L-R: Sonaal Goel, Twishaa Gupta, and Kanishka Garg, co-founders, Salty

Direct-to-consumer fashion and accessories brand Salty has raised Rs 30 crore in a funding round led by MG Investment, thereby strengthening its growth capital base. In addition, all existing investors, including Anicut Capital, All In Capital, and JK Group, participated in the round.

The brand plans to utilise the fresh capital to expand into new product categories such as watches, sunglasses, scarves, belts, and bag charms; consequently, the funding will also support broader category diversification and brand-led growth initiatives.

Founded in 2022 by Sonaal Goel, Twishaa Gupta, and Kanishka Garg, Salty focuses on serving younger consumers by offering a curated range of jewellery, accessories, and lifestyle products tailored to evolving fashion preferences.

“With this capital, we now have the fuel to deepen these categories, strengthen our team, expand across channels, and build … our flagship store,” said Garg.

Over the past year, Salty has delivered products to more than 18,000 pincodes across India, thereby demonstrating strong nationwide reach and logistics capability. Previously, the startup raised Rs 5 crore in 2024 in a funding round led by All In Capital and Anicut Capital, which supported its early-stage scale-up.

Soult Launches from TiECon Mangaluru; World’s First Digital Life Vault for Legacy Management

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Mangaluru, India, 19 January 2026— Soult, a Mangaluru-based startup, today announced its official global launch at TiECon Mangaluru 2026, unveiling the world’s first Digital Life Vault designed for comprehensive legacy management.

Soult enables individuals and families across the world to securely organize financial assets, critical documents, personal memories, wishes, and life instructions within one private and structured platform. It addresses a universal challenge of the digital age—lives are increasingly digital, but legacies remain fragmented.

Unlike conventional cloud storage or document repositories, Soult is purpose-built for legacy continuity. The platform brings together financial preparedness and the preservation of personal values, stories, and guidance intended for future generations, creating a new global category in digital life infrastructure.

Soult chose the recently concluded TiECon Mangaluru 2026 as its global launchpad. The inaugural flagship conference of TiE Mangaluru brought together entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers, and ecosystem leaders to spotlight Coastal Karnataka—India’s emerging “Silicon Beach”—as a hub for innovation and investment. Launching Soult at TiECon Mangaluru underlines the belief that globally relevant products can be built from focused regional ecosystems like Mangaluru.

Soult is founded by Sanketh Kandlikar, an enterprise SaaS product and technology leader with over two decades of experience building and scaling B2B platforms, leading complex digital transformation programs, and managing global product lifecycles across industries and geographies. As founder, he brings deep expertise in architecting secure, scalable cloud platforms and translating real-world human problems into thoughtful, productized solutions.

Co-founder Saleem, a Dubai-based Mangaluru-born serial entrepreneur, complements this with years of experience building and backing ventures across the Gulf and India. As an active ecosystem enabler for Mangaluru-origin founders, he anchors Soult’s ambition to emerge from the coastal region and serve a truly global user base, while staying rooted in Mangaluru’s values of trust, community, and long-term relationships.

“Soult was born from a very personal realization that while we carefully build our lives, we rarely organize what we leave behind in a way that is clear, complete, and compassionate for our loved ones,” said Founder Sanketh Kandlikar. “Launching from TiECon Mangaluru is symbolic—it signals that products solving global problems can emerge from new innovation corridors like Coastal Karnataka, not just the usual metros.”

Privacy and security are fundamental to Soult’s design. Built on zero-knowledge architecture with strong encryption and user-controlled access, the platform ensures that personal data remains private and inaccessible to Soult itself. The company follows a strict no-advertising and no-data-monetization approach.

As digital lives continue to expand worldwide, Soult positions itself as quiet but essential infrastructure for individuals seeking certainty, dignity, and continuity for what they leave behind.

Find out more about Soult at www.soult.life

Trident Realty enters Panipat with flagship integrated township Trident Parktown

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Mr. S.K. Narvar, Group Chairman, Trident Realty

Trident Realty, a leading Indian real estate developer, has announced the launch of Trident Parktown, a premium integrated township spanning nearly 125 acres across Sectors 19A and 40 in Panipat. With a total investment of ₹1,200 crore, the development represents Trident Realty’s strategic entry into one of North India’s fastest-growing and historically significant urban markets.

In its first phase, Trident Parktown will introduce over 400 residential plots starting at 200 sq. yds., while also offering a well-balanced mix of independent floors, group housing, and retail and commercial spaces. Moreover, the developer has envisioned the township as a wellness-focused community that seamlessly blends luxury, leisure, and modern living within a nature-led environment.

Drawing inspiration from the seven chakras of human life, the township features thoughtfully themed neighbourhoods articulated through landscaped vistas and curated green spaces. Consequently, residents will benefit from 10 theme-based parks, tree-lined promenades, children’s play areas, shaded sit-outs, and pedestrian-friendly walkways that actively promote outdoor engagement and mindful living.

Furthermore, the project integrates dedicated active zones with sports courts, a 2.25 km cycling track, and open-air fitness areas, while social zones include community lawns, amphitheatres, and interactive plazas. In addition, wellness retreats offer meditation pods, reflexology pathways, yoga lawns, sensory gardens, and forest trails, thereby delivering a holistic lifestyle ecosystem.

Mr. S.K. Narvar, Group Chairman, Trident Realty, said, “Trident Parktown reflects our vision of building communities shaped by thought, balance, and purpose. Panipat’s evolving urban landscape offered the ideal canvas for a township that nurtures not just homes, but a way of life rooted in harmony and long-term value.”

Adding to this, Mr. Parvinder Singh, CEO, Trident Realty, said, “Every detail of Trident Parktown has been meticulously planned—from road widths and layouts to landscape design and amenity integration. Positioned strategically on NH-44, the township offers connectivity, open spaces, and premium infrastructure, making it a truly future-ready address for modern homebuyers.”

Additionally, the township plans to feature an ultra-modern clubhouse that will serve as a dynamic social nucleus by combining leisure, wellness, dining, and hospitality experiences under one roof.

Situated strategically between Delhi and Chandigarh, Panipat continues to emerge as a well-connected residential destination, supported by accelerating infrastructure development and seamless connectivity via NH-44. Accordingly, with its large-scale vision, integrated master planning, and wellness-driven design philosophy, Trident Parktown aims to redefine premium urban living in Panipat.

AssetPlus raises ₹175-Cr in funding round to deepen its technology stack

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L-R: Vishranth Suresh & Awanish Raj, co-founders, AssetPlus

Wealthtech platform AssetPlus has raised Rs 175 crore (approximately USD 19.5 million) in a growth-stage funding round led by Nexus Venture Partners, while existing investors Eight Roads Ventures and Rainmatter Fund also participated alongside InCred Group founder Bhupinder Singh, according to media reports citing the company.

The Chennai-based startup will use the newly raised capital to strengthen its technology platform, expand its product suite, and accelerate the scale-up of its distributor-led assisted wealth management model. Additionally, over the next six months, AssetPlus plans to introduce Portfolio Management Services (PMS) and enable global investment offerings through Gift City.

Founded in 2016, AssetPlus operates a B2B2C platform that empowers mutual fund distributors to handle onboarding, transactions, compliance, and portfolio servicing for end customers. At present, the company supports more than 18,000 mutual fund distributors, manages assets exceeding Rs 7,250 crore, administers an SIP book of over Rs 100 crore per month, and serves upwards of 150,000 retail investors across India.

CEO Vishranth Suresh stated that the fundraise comes at a time of growing demand for advice-led investing, as retail investors increasingly seek guidance beyond DIY platforms, particularly amid market volatility and the rising complexity of financial products. Typically, AssetPlus’ retail clients maintain portfolios ranging between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 2 crore, while contributing average monthly SIPs of Rs 10,000–Rs 12,000.

“We are building wealth management infrastructure that combines human advice with technology-led scale. This capital allows us to accelerate that vision alongside investors who believe in strengthening India’s wealth ecosystem for the long term,” said Vishranth Suresh, co-founder and CEO of AssetPlus.

“AssetPlus is building long-term infrastructure for assisted wealth management, which is critical to India’s financial future. Their integrated approach across technology, products, and capability building positions them to create lasting impact,” said Anand Datta, Partner, Nexus Venture Partners.

“As India adds more new investors, we also need to find ways to help them do better with decisions when it comes to investing. The AssetPlus team has always focused on enabling MFDs the right way. They think for the long term, and that is what our ecosystem also needs,” said Nithin Kamath, Co-founder, Rainmatter by Zerodha.

Beyond mutual funds, the company has steadily diversified into insurance, fixed deposits, and retirement-oriented solutions. Meanwhile, CTO Awanish Raj emphasised plans to embed AI-driven capabilities to enhance workflows, risk evaluation, and client engagement, positioning the platform as a “copilot” for advisors rather than a replacement.

According to data from Tracxn, AssetPlus reported revenue of Rs 33.9 crore and a net loss of Rs 21 crore for the financial year ended March 2025. Nevertheless, the startup aims to turn profitable within the next two years and ultimately reach 100 million Indian households by 2047.

Nexus Venture Partners’ Anand Datta said AssetPlus is creating “long-term infrastructure for assisted wealth management” that could generate sustained impact across India’s broader financial ecosystem.

Blackstone makes $50–75 Mn structured investment in AI cloud startup Neysa

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L-R: Sharad Sanghi and Anindya Das, co-founders, Neysa

US alternative asset manager Blackstone has finalised a structured investment with Mumbai-based AI cloud infrastructure startup Neysa and has committed USD 50–75 million in the initial tranche while structuring the deal to potentially acquire a controlling stake once the company meets predefined business milestones, according to media reports.

The transaction values Neysa at approximately USD 300 million and, importantly, highlights Blackstone’s strategic expansion into AI-centric cloud and data centre technologies, as demand for compute-intensive infrastructure continues to surge across India.

Unlike a traditional venture capital round, the parties have designed the deal as a milestone-linked and structured investment; consequently, the framework aligns Blackstone’s capital deployment with Neysa’s growth roadmap and the inherently capital-intensive requirements of GPU-driven cloud services.

Founded in 2023, Sharad Sanghi, along with co-founder Anindya Das, launched Neysa to deliver GPU-accelerated cloud computing and AI infrastructure solutions to enterprises, startups, and government clients. Before this transaction, the company raised close to USD 50 million across two funding rounds, with backing from investors including Z47 (formerly Matrix Partners India), Nexus Venture Partners, Blume Ventures, and NTT.

Moreover, the structured investment stands out as one of the largest funding commitments to an Indian AI cloud company to date and clearly signals rising interest from global private equity firms in India’s technology infrastructure layer. In parallel, Blackstone already holds investments in Indian data centre platforms and manages nearly USD 50 billion in assets in the country while actively planning to deepen its exposure to technology and real estate assets.

At the same time, recent months have seen other global investors, including Lightspeed Venture Partners and SoftBank, linked to potential funding discussions with Neysa, thereby underscoring intensifying competition for ownership in AI infrastructure businesses.

Meanwhile, Neysa’s leadership notes that enterprises are rapidly moving from AI experimentation toward full-scale deployment; as a result, demand for dependable and scalable compute capacity continues to rise and is expected to accelerate further through 2026.

Brick & Bolt redefines education infrastructure construction with AI-led predictability

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Mr. Jayesh Rajpurohit, co-founder & CEO, Brick & Bolt

Brick & Bolt, India’s leading tech-enabled construction company, has announced a focused initiative to transform how schools and educational institutions are planned, constructed, and delivered across the country.

Through this renewed emphasis, Brick & Bolt seeks to apply its technology-led, governance-first construction model to introduce predictability, accountability, and execution certainty in education infrastructure development, thereby enabling institutions to concentrate on learning outcomes instead of construction-related challenges.

Traditionally, school and educational institution construction in India has faced multiple challenges, including fragmented responsibility structures, limited transparency, and weak accountability. Consequently, these issues have often led to project delays and inconsistent quality standards. For educational institutions, such setbacks directly disrupt academic calendars, admissions cycles, brand credibility, and trust among parents as well as regulators.

To address these systemic challenges, Brick & Bolt is implementing an end-to-end execution framework that delivers single-point accountability from design through handover. This model integrates AI-led planning, strong financial discipline, and structured quality governance. As a result, the company aims to replace uncertainty with system-driven execution, ensuring projects reach completion on schedule, within approved budgets, and with long-term durability.

Speaking about Brick & Bolt’s focus on education infrastructure, Mr. Jayesh Rajpurohit, co-founder & CEO, Brick & Bolt, said, “Educational infrastructure plays a foundational role in learning outcomes, which is why execution certainty and quality of construction are critical in building academic infrastructure. At Brick & Bolt, we deeply understand the sector’s need for certainty, quality, and governance-led delivery. Our system-driven, AI-led construction platform brings clarity and control across design, compliance, quality, and timelines, enabling education leaders to build future-ready campuses with confidence and long-term value.”

In line with this strategy, Brick & Bolt has onboarded a diverse portfolio of educational projects, ranging from facilities as small as 5,000 sq. ft. to expansive campuses exceeding two lakh sq. ft. These include institutions such as Ryan International Academy across multiple locations, KPIAS Academy, Gowtham Model School, T. John Institute, and MelFell Preschool and Daycare, among others. Collectively, these projects demonstrate the company’s capability to manage complex designs, maintain consistent quality across campuses, and align project handovers with strict academic timelines.

At the core of Brick & Bolt’s institutional construction offering lies an AI-led digital ecosystem powered by more than 16 integrated applications. Every school project operates with Digital Twin (BIM) models, real-time progress dashboards, and stage-wise quality and financial monitoring. Consequently, institutional owners gain complete visibility and control over the construction process without requiring frequent site visits. Each Digital Twin functions as a virtual, data-backed replica of the campus, encompassing classrooms, laboratories, corridors, services, and common areas, thereby enabling early design validation, clash detection, and long-term lifecycle predictability.

Furthermore, Brick & Bolt has institutionalised quality assurance through its proprietary and registered Quality Assessment System for Construction, QASCON®, which incorporates over 1,153 structured quality checkpoints along with multi-level audits conducted at both site and central levels. As a result, the company digitises quality processes, makes them fully auditable, and enforces them as non-negotiable standards to ensure consistency across geographies. In addition, Brick & Bolt remains fully compliant with the National Building Code (NBC) of India, aligning with structural safety, fire and life safety norms, occupancy-specific planning, universal accessibility standards, MEP systems, and statutory approval requirements. This compliance significantly reduces rework, accelerates approval timelines, and facilitates regulatory clearances for educational institutions.

Equally important, Brick & Bolt defines project timelines contractually and tracks them digitally, while providing live progress updates through the company’s customer application and embedding delay accountability into the system. Consequently, the company has achieved an exceptionally low delay rate across its expanding institutional project portfolio. With more than 10,142 projects delivered pan-India, Brick & Bolt has demonstrated execution maturity at scale, supported by dedicated institutional project management teams that consistently deliver outcomes without compromising on quality.

Overall, Brick & Bolt collaborates closely with school promoters, education trusts, large K-12 education groups, higher education institutions, preschool chains, and organisations pursuing national expansion. Through its technology-first and governance-led approach, the company aims to continue shaping future-ready education infrastructure across India.

Goa emerges as top performer for startup ecosystem development in national rankings

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Goa has earned recognition as a Best Performer for building a robust startup ecosystem under the States’ Startup Ecosystem Ranking Category B, an initiative that evaluates and promotes innovation-led entrepreneurship across India. As a result, the ranking places the state among the top performers for its sustained focus on nurturing startups through supportive policies, strong institutions, and measurable outcomes.

Moreover, the national ranking framework assesses all states and Union Territories across categories defined by population and performance benchmarks. It actively measures progress across key parameters such as startup-friendly policies, institutional frameworks, infrastructure readiness, access to funding, market linkages, capacity-building programmes, and the promotion of innovation-driven growth. Consequently, stakeholders widely regard this framework as one of the most comprehensive evaluations of startup ecosystems in the country.

The authorities announced the recognition during the National Startup Day celebrations held at Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi. During the event, senior officials from the DPIIT Promotion Cell received the Certificate of Appreciation on behalf of the Government of Goa, thereby marking a significant milestone for the state’s innovation ecosystem.

Importantly, this achievement reflects the state’s consistent and strategic efforts to create an enabling environment for startups at every stage of their journey. Through progressive policies, structured institutional support, and active collaboration with industry, academia, and ecosystem partners, Goa has steadily developed a framework that supports entrepreneurs from ideation and incubation to scaling and market expansion.

Subsequently, the Goa Legislative Assembly also acknowledged the national recognition. During the proceedings, the state’s leadership highlighted the collective contribution of government departments, institutions, and the startup community in achieving this milestone. This acknowledgement further reinforced the value of coordinated and collaborative efforts in driving long-term ecosystem development.

Overall, the award underscores Goa’s rising profile as a dynamic and innovation-led startup destination. At the same time, it reaffirms the state’s commitment to fostering entrepreneurship that delivers economic impact, creates new opportunities, and promotes inclusive growth. With a sustained focus on innovation and collaboration, Goa continues to strengthen its position as a preferred hub for emerging enterprises and future-ready businesses.