THSC partners with The Lalit Suri Hospitality School to strengthen hospitality skilling in India

Hospitality

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July 23, 2025

THSC partners with The Lalit Suri Hospitality School to strengthen hospitality skilling in India

The Tourism & Hospitality Skill Council (THSC) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with The Lalit Suri Hospitality School (TLSHS) at The Lalit, New Delhi.

Dr. Jyotsna Suri, Chairperson & Managing Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, and Rajan Bahadur, CEO of THSC, officially signed the MoU. In addition, Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson of THSC, Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, Anupam Mukherjee, Dean of TLSHS, along with senior representatives from both organizations, attended the ceremony.

Furthermore, this partnership between THSC and The Lalit Suri Hospitality School highlights a mutual commitment to empowering India’s youth through well-structured, industry-focused skilling programs, while also emphasizing inclusivity, employability, and excellence in hospitality education.

Dr. Jyotsna Suri remarked, “This partnership signifies a powerful convergence of academic expertise and industry demand. At The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, we believe in building not just businesses but communities, and skilling is a key pillar of that philosophy. By working with THSC, we are proud to contribute to nation-building through youth empowerment and skill creation.”

Jyoti Mayal, Chairperson of THSC, stated, “We are thrilled to see prestigious institutions like TLSHS coming forward to champion the skilling mission. Such partnerships are the backbone of a strong, demand-driven skilling ecosystem that responds to real industry needs and unlocks true potential among India’s youth—especially in tourism, one of the most people-centric sectors.”

Rajan Bahadur, CEO, THSC, emphasized, “The hospitality sector is evolving rapidly, and so must our approach to workforce development. With institutions like The Lalit Suri Hospitality School, which boasts impressive infrastructure and a strong academic foundation, we can ensure that students receive not only domain knowledge but also industry-relevant exposure, life skills, and certification that opens national and international career pathways. This MoU is just the beginning of a broader vision we share.”

Keshav Suri, Executive Director of The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group, added, “We’ve always believed in creating inclusive opportunities. Through this partnership, we hope to skill and place youth from diverse backgrounds—including the LGBTQIA+ community and economically weaker sections—so they can thrive in an industry built on service and compassion.”

Moreover, this MoU between THSC and The Lalit Suri Hospitality School represents a key milestone in bridging academic training with real-world hospitality requirements, thereby creating a skilled, job-ready, and globally competitive workforce for India’s service sector.

IndoSpace to invest ₹1,000-Cr in 188-acre logistics park at Pune’s Chakan

Real Estate

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July 23, 2025

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IndoSpace to invest ₹1,000-Cr in 188-acre logistics park at Pune’s Chakan

The integrated supply chain infrastructure services platform, IndoSpace, will invest over $120 million (Rs 1,037 crore) to develop a 188-acre industrial and logistics park in Pune’s Chakan area.

This project will mark the company’s eighth logistics park in Pune, adding to its existing 525-acre footprint, the company said in a release.

Pune’s industrial and logistics market, particularly the Chakan–Talegaon corridor, recorded an absorption of 6.7 million sq ft in 2024. The upcoming park will to cater to the growing demand from sectors like automotive, engineering, electronics, and third-party logistics.

“Chakan has cemented its role as a high-demand manufacturing hub, driven by its strong connectivity and industrial ecosystem,” said Anshuman Singh, MD & CEO, IndoSpace. “With IndoSpace Chakan V, we are strengthening our ability to support the evolving requirements of India’s industrial growth and logistics transformation.”

The company stated that the park, located within MIDC Chakan, further leverages its strategic position along major national and state highways—including the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, Pune-Nashik Highway, Pune-Ahmednagar-Aurangabad Highway, and the Bengaluru-Mumbai Industrial Corridor—thereby ensuring excellent connectivity to industrial hubs across western India.

The new 188-acre park in Chakan aims to become a key hub for industries such as automotive, engineering, electronics, and 3PL, further strengthening IndoSpace’s position as a leading player in India’s rapidly growing logistics market.

Conversational AI startup Gupshup raises $60 Million in funding

Start Up

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July 23, 2025

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Conversational AI startup Gupshup raises $60 Million in funding

Gupshup, a conversational AI startup, has secured $60 million through a mix of equity and debt financing from Globespan Capital Partners and EvolutionX Debt Capital.

The new capital will support the expansion of its conversational AI and messaging platform while accelerating go-to-market strategies in fast-growing regions such as India, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.

The company will also use the funds to boost sales growth, drive product innovation, and strengthen its presence across major global verticals. The conversational AI startup is witnessing record demand for its platform, fueled by the ongoing AI revolution worldwide.

“We’re at an inflection point where AI agents are transitioning from experimental technology to business-critical infrastructure, leading to extraordinary global demand for our solutions. Businesses recognize that conversational AI is driving enormous competitive advantages through superior customer experiences. This funding positions us to capture that global opportunity,” said Beerud Sheth, founder and CEO of Gupshup.

“Gupshup has been the market leader at every stage of industry evolution from basic messaging to conversational AI across text and voice, which has led to consistent revenue growth and margin expansion,” said Rahul Shah, Partner at EvolutionX Debt Capital. “Gupshup is well-poised to lead the AI transformation worldwide, and we are excited to work with them and support them in this journey. With this investment, we continue our strategy of investing in category-leading growth-stage companies in Asia.”

Founded in 2004, Gupshup offers AI-powered chatbots that help businesses engage with customers through conversational interactions. Businesses can seamlessly integrate these chatbots across multiple communication channels, including WhatsApp, SMS, web, and mobile platforms.

The company currently serves a wide range of industries, including BFSI, e-commerce, retail and consumer, hospitality, travel, and more. Moreover, its client roster includes notable names such as Netflix, Paytm, and Meta.

Gupshup’s platform empowers businesses to automate customer interactions while delivering personalized, human-like conversations. With solutions such as conversational AI agents, click-to-chat ads, AI campaign CoPilot, agent assist, personalize, and campaign manager, the platform enables businesses to manage everything from product discovery and purchasing to customer support and retention. This marks a major advancement from traditional chatbots to fully autonomous AI agents.

Elon Musk’s xAI plans to raise $12 Bn debt for major AI expansion: Report

International

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July 23, 2025

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Elon Musk’s xAI plans to raise $12 Bn debt for major AI expansion: Report

Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, is collaborating with a financier to raise as much as $12 billion to support its expansion, according to a Wall Street Journal report that cited sources familiar with the matter.

Investment firm Valor Equity Partners, founded by Antonio Gracias—a close associate of Musk—is reportedly negotiating with lenders to secure the funds.

The capital would be allocated to purchase a large volume of advanced Nvidia chips, which would then be leased to xAI for building a massive data center aimed at training and powering its AI chatbot, Grok, the WSJ reported.

According to the report, some lenders are pushing for the debt to be repaid within three years and want to impose a borrowing limit to reduce their risk.

Developing and deploying advanced AI models is a costly endeavor, demanding expensive hardware, massive computational power, and highly skilled engineers, especially in a competitive landscape where players like OpenAI, Google, and China’s DeepSeek are vying for dominance.

Musk revealed in a post on X on Tuesday that xAI is currently training Grok on 230,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), including 30,000 of Nvidia’s GB200 AI chips, within a supercluster, while inference is managed by cloud providers.

He also mentioned that another supercluster will soon go live with an initial deployment of 550,000 GB200 and GB300 chips.

Media reports suggest that the AI startup is projected to spend around $13 billion throughout 2025.

Earlier this month, reports indicated that xAI was in discussions to raise additional funds in a deal that could value the startup between $170 billion and $200 billion.

In response, Musk stated that xAI was not seeking funding, saying, “We have plenty of capital.”

xLight raises $40 Mn for key laser innovation amid China rivalry

International

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July 22, 2025

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xLight raises $40 Mn for key laser innovation amid China rivalry

Silicon Valley startup xLight has secured $40 million to develop the first prototype of a new class of laser designed to disrupt the global chip industry and help the U.S. reclaim leadership in a sector where China is making heavy investments.

xLight’s laser—leveraging the same technologies used in massive particle accelerators at U.S. national labs for advanced physics research—will, therefore, serve as the core component of extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography machines. Moreover, these EUV machines are essential tools for producing smaller, faster chips.

In an era where progress in AI and other cutting-edge technologies is dictated by how many chips companies like Nvidia can manufacture, xLight’s mission is to enable chip factories, or “fabs,” to produce dinner-plate-sized silicon “wafers” with advanced chips faster and at lower costs.

“This is the most expensive tool in the fab. It’s what drives the cost of the wafer more than any other tool in the fab, and it’s what drives capacity more than any other tool in the fab,” Nicholas Kelez, CEO of xLight, said at the company’s Palo Alto headquarters.

The development of EUV machines took the chip industry decades, and ASML of Europe, with which xLight is collaborating on its prototype, remains the sole global supplier of these systems.

The U.S. government, across multiple administrations, has consistently worked to block the export of EUV machines to China, with one official describing it as the “single most important export control” maintained by the U.S. and Europe.

In response, China has heavily invested in this field. A close manufacturing partner of Huawei Technologies, the nation’s tech champion, has claimed to have developed breakthroughs in its own EUV laser, while researchers have presented over a dozen papers at international conferences pursuing technological advancements similar to xLight’s.

U.S.-based Cymer perfected the first EUV laser technology, and ASML acquired the company over a decade ago for $2.5 billion, cementing its dominant position in the global market.

“There was a terrible mistake made giving Cymer the ability to become a European-owned and controlled company,” said Pat Gelsinger, former CEO of Intel who now serves as executive chairman of xLight’s board and is a general partner at Playground Global, one of xLight’s investors.

Many of xLight’s prototype components will come from U.S. national labs as xLight works to build a supply chain in the U.S. and allied countries.

“We can build that here, or it can be built elsewhere. China is investing heavily in this space. There’s an extraordinary backstory here that says, ‘Let’s get this one right,'” Gelsinger said.

The funding round was led by Playground Global, while Boardman Bay Capital Management also participated. In addition, other investors in the round included Morpheus Ventures, Marvel Capital, and IAG Capital Partners.

Beta Group expands into India’s real estate sector backing Anta Builders

Real Estate

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July 22, 2025

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Beta Group expands into India’s real estate sector backing Anta Builders

Beta Group, a $4 billion diversified transnational conglomerate with global interests spanning commodity trading, food products, and other high-growth sectors, has officially entered India’s real estate and infrastructure market through a strategic investment in Anta Builders, a prominent construction and property development firm based in Kerala.

As part of the deal, Beta Group will acquire a 10% stake in Anta Builders, valuing the company at ₹550 crore. This partnership marks a key milestone for both companies, paving the way for expanded collaboration, operational scale-up, and innovation in India’s urban development sector.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Shareholding Agreement were signed in Thiruvananthapuram by Rajnarayan Pillai, Director of Beta Group, and Midhun Kuruvila Kurien, Managing Director of Anta Builders, in the presence of George Varghese, Managing Director of Kirloskar Industries Ltd, and Rajmohan Pillai, Chairman of Beta Group.

Additionally, Beta Group will take a seat on Anta Builders’ Board of Directors, signaling a year-long strategic commitment and a deeper alignment with the company’s long-term growth vision.

“This partnership reflects our strategic intent to participate meaningfully in India’s urban transformation journey,” a Beta Group spokesperson said.

The partnership, therefore, aims to facilitate the joint mobilization of ₹500 crore for real estate and infrastructure projects across India. Moreover, the focus will be on expanding into high-growth urban hubs such as Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai, and Gurugram.

The partnership will focus on adopting advanced construction technologies and sustainable building practices, expanding into smart city and green infrastructure initiatives, and enhancing the capacity for high-value infrastructure development. It will also drive strategic investments in residential and commercial real estate across India’s major metropolitan cities.

With a strong portfolio of ongoing projects in Kerala, Anta Builders aims to leverage its collaboration with Beta Group to scale operations and position itself as a national player in the real estate and infrastructure sector.

IIHM unveils first-ever Hospitality AI Awards with focus on tech and human experience

Hospitality

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July 22, 2025

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IIHM unveils first-ever Hospitality AI Awards with focus on tech and human experience

The International Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM), India’s most globally acclaimed hospitality education brand, celebrated World AI Appreciation Day with two groundbreaking initiatives, cementing its position as a leader in the global AI-hospitality revolution.

On July 16, IIHM introduced the world’s first AI Awards for the hospitality industry and organized a high-profile roundtable themed ‘AI and Human Touch – Redefining the Hospitality Sector.’ Both initiatives highlighted IIHM’s commitment to blending technology with human empathy to shape the future of global hospitality.

Dr. Suborno Bose, Chairman of IIHM and CEO of the International Hospitality Council (UK), unveiled the inaugural AI in Hospitality Awards, a global initiative aimed at honoring groundbreaking innovation at the intersection of AI and hospitality across 10 categories.

AI Champion – General Manager (visionary leadership in AI integration)
Tech-Forward Hotelier (Emerging Leader)
Hospitality Data Strategist
AI Educator/Trainer of the Year
Smart Hotel of the Year
Customer Experience Innovation
Sustainable Tech Implementation
HR & Training Tech Leader
Destination Marketing (Tourism Boards)
Smart Travel Experience Innovator

Describing the awards as a “global benchmark for AI-driven excellence in hospitality,” Dr. Bose said, “They will inspire a new generation of hoteliers to embrace technology as a tool to enhance—not replace—human service. These awards are not just a recognition; they are a global call to action for the industry to embrace AI responsibly, with empathy at its core,” he added.

The announcement also marked the release of a preview of Dr. Suborno Bose’s upcoming book, High-Tech, Higher Touch—The Dr. Suborno Bose Way, the second installment in his series that delves into AI’s transformative impact on the hospitality industry.

On the same day, IIHM organized an insightful AI-Hospitality Roundtable, uniting prominent industry leaders to discuss how AI can elevate guest experiences while retaining the emotional essence of hospitality.

The panel included Kush Kapoor, CEO of Roseate Hotels; Shantunu Som, CEO of Somnetics; and Dr. Arnab Majumdar, CTO of Entiovi Technologies, with the discussion moderated by Sujay Gupta, Group Director, Communications & Media, IIHM.

Opening the discussion, Kush Kapoor stressed that while AI can streamline operations, emotions remain the true differentiator in hospitality. “Emotions that come from the heart can never be copied. AI should only make hospitality warmer and more efficient,” he said.

Kapoor showcased Roseate Hotels’ AI-driven innovations:

Contactless check-in journeys (luggage transfer directly from aircraft to rooms).
Real-time service alerts that auto-send personalized apology messages for delayed orders.
AI-enabled virtual banquet tours and training modules improving staff efficiency.

He warned that hotels failing to adopt flexible, AI-ready property management systems (PMS) risk obsolescence.

Shantunu Som emphasized that the key challenge lies in making AI intuitive for staff and invisible to guests. “AI should remain in the background, enabling service, not overwhelming it. The success of technology will be measured by how natural it feels,” he said.

Som highlighted the move to microservice-based architectures, which make systems future-proof, reduce training requirements, and allow for seamless upgrades.

Dr. Arnab Majumdar, a key architect of NamAIste HospitalityGPT, described how AI has evolved from reactive large language models to proactive agent-based systems: “These are like sentient microservices that anticipate guest needs. If your flight is delayed, the system can reschedule your transfer or suggest alternative activities.”

Dr. Arnab Majumdar emphasized the importance of developing industry-specific AI solutions, such as NamAIste, instead of relying on generic platforms. He also highlighted the need for hospitality education to incorporate AI literacy, enabling students to seamlessly integrate technology with guest service.

In his Vision Address delivered across IIHM campuses, Dr. Bose reaffirmed his mantra: “While technology is important, touch is more important. AI may be the new brain of hospitality, but the heart will always remain human.”

He also announced Phase II of the NamAIste Project, which will develop scalable AI business models for hospitality, solving real-world operational challenges. He explained, “This is not just about AI adoption. It’s about building a purpose-driven, people-first global hospitality ecosystem.”

In a symbolic finale, he introduced TAIGER—the AI Tiger, India’s official mascot for innovation in hospitality tech, representing the blend of tradition and forward-thinking AI.

With pioneering initiatives like NamAIste HospitalityGPT, the AI in Hospitality Awards, and its dedication to future-ready hospitality education, IIHM is leading a global movement where technology enhances, rather than replaces, the warmth and empathy that define exceptional guest experiences.

“Hospitality students must learn to speak two languages with equal fluency—the language of human emotions and the language of intelligent machines,” Dr. Bose emphasized.

New-age travel accessories startup Escape Plan raises $5 Mn in funding

Start Up

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July 22, 2025

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New-age travel accessories startup Escape Plan raises $5 Mn in funding

Travel accessories startup Escape Plan has secured $5 million in seed funding, led by Jungle Ventures’ First Cheque@Jungle initiative and Fireside Ventures, the company announced in a press release.

Abhinav Pathak and Abhinav Zutshi founded Escape Plan in 2025 to build a multi-brand platform dedicated to travel essentials. The travel accessories will feature a diverse range of products — including luggage, backpacks, passport covers, and neck pillows — with a promise of delivery within two hours of order placement.

“From a solution standpoint, we’re not a luggage brand; we’re a platform. Our focus is on solving for every micro category, however small, with a distinct approach tailored to different customer needs and experiences. We’re also building a rewards ecosystem and exploring services like second-hand purchases and refurbishment. The goal is to create a focused platform that addresses all the needs of a traveller, with quick delivery and multi-brand retail stores,” said Abhinav Pathak, Co-founder and CEO of Escape Plan.

This is Abhinav Pathak’s second entrepreneurial venture, following the successful founding and sale of retail tech startup Perpule to Amazon in 2021. Abhinav Zutshi brings over 10 years of retail experience from leading brands such as Landmark Group, Forever 21, and Sahara. Most recently, he served as the chief operating officer at Splash India.

The Bengaluru-headquartered travel accessories startup intends to engage customers via a hybrid retail model, combining physical stores, hyperlocal delivery, and interactive shoppable experiences. The company will direct a portion of the newly raised capital toward expanding category depth, boosting inventory, forging partnerships with leading brands, and enhancing quick commerce integration.

The funding will also fuel rapid retail expansion, with the company targeting over 100 stores within the next 18 to 24 months.

“Indian consumers today are exposed to global tastes but left with few local choices that reflect that sensibility. The founders bring hard-won lessons from retail and tech, and their approach to product, distribution, and customer experience is a genuine departure from the category’s legacy players, addressing a clear whitespacein the Indian consumer market,” shared Rishab Malik, Partner, Seed investments, at Jungle Ventures.

“There’s a massive opportunity to build a dedicated travel vertical today, something that wasn’t feasible even three years ago. The supply chain for travel products is fundamentally different, and existing horizontal players can’t prioritise it because it makes up less than 1% of their business. That’s where we see a gapand an opportunity to step in and enhance the entire travel retail experience,” added Pathak.

Figma targets $16.4 Bn valuation as tech IPO market rebounds

International

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July 22, 2025

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Figma targets $16.4 Bn valuation as tech IPO market rebounds

Figma is aiming for a fully diluted valuation of up to $16.4 billion through its initial public offering (IPO), as the cloud-based design software company gears up for its debut on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)—a move that could bring renewed momentum to the recovering tech IPO market.

The San Francisco-headquartered firm, along with select investors, plans to raise as much as $1.03 billion by offering nearly 37 million shares at a price range of $25 to $28 per share, according to its statement on Monday.

This IPO marks a significant milestone for Figma, arriving more than a year after its planned $20 billion acquisition by Adobe collapsed due to regulatory challenges in Europe and the UK.

A rally in equities and a series of strong IPO debuts have eased concerns surrounding the listing market. Figma is set to begin trading soon after the high-profile listing of stablecoin giant Circle, which delivered impressive gains last month and has continued to surge.

As a prominent tech company with a favorable stance toward Bitcoin, Figma has already generated buzz on social media. According to its filing, the firm held roughly $70 million in Bitwise’s bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) as of March 31 and plans to invest an additional $30 million in bitcoin.

Figma will trade under the ticker symbol “FIG,” with Morgan Stanley, Goldman Sachs, Allen & Co., and J.P. Morgan serving as underwriters. Last year, a tender offer valued the company at $12.5 billion, allowing employees and early investors to partially cash out their holdings.

Figma, a cloud-based design platform, enables users to collaboratively build and edit apps, websites, and software interfaces.

The company’s client roster includes ServiceNow, Workday, and SAP. In the first quarter of 2025, its revenue surged 46%, while net income tripled.

“Figma’s product is its primary marketing engine. Its collaborative nature fosters viral, bottom-up adoption, leading to a best-in-class sales efficiency,” said Tomasz Tunguz, founder of venture capital firm Theory Ventures.

The firm has also indicated plans to take “big swings” in mergers and acquisitions, with co-founder and CEO Dylan Field noting that it is ready to “make decisions that may not seem immediately rational.”

However, the IPO comes amid an evolving industry landscape. While Figma sharpens its AI focus, it has cautioned that AI-powered design tools could reduce customer dependence on its platform.

The company has also flagged restrictive immigration policies as a challenge for talent acquisition, referencing past adjustments to hiring practices due to visa framework changes.

With most of its 2024 revenue coming from overseas markets, Figma remains vulnerable to a potential slowdown if global clients cut spending due to tariffs. Renewed trade tensions may further dampen IPO investor sentiment.

“Against this backdrop, investor attention remains firmly on companies with solid fundamentals and a clear path to profitability,” said Leslie Marlow, corporate attorney at Blank Rome.

Zomato parent Eternal launches new food services arm, Blinkit Foods

News

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July 21, 2025

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Zomato parent Eternal launches new food services arm, Blinkit Foods

Foodtech giant Eternal (formerly known as Zomato) is establishing a new wholly owned subsidiary, Blinkit Foods Limited.

In an exchange filing, the company revealed that Blinkit Foods will focus on food services, encompassing innovation, preparation, sourcing, sales, and delivery of food to customers.

“Early data is encouraging, as the kitchens are generating incremental demand without cannibalizing the Zomato business. Through Bistro, we are tapping into two demand pockets so far unaddressed by Zomato—customers looking for high-quality but low-cost meals (think customers who buy from home chefs) and customers looking for snacky food in 10 minutes.” — Deepinder Goyal, Founder & CEO of Eternal.

The subsidiary will have an authorised share capital of ₹1 crore. While the company has not specified the exact segment, Blinkit Foods aims to support Blinkit’s 10-minute food delivery service, Bistro.

The announcement coincided with Eternal’s Q1 FY26 results, where net profit plunged 90% to ₹25 crore from ₹253 crore YoY, even as revenue jumped over 70% to ₹7,167 crore from ₹4,206 crore in the same quarter last year.

With the incorporation of Blinkit Foods Limited, Eternal (formerly Zomato) is strategically strengthening its presence in the food services space, particularly targeting quick commerce through Blinkit’s 10-minute food delivery service, Bistro. Despite a sharp decline in Q1 FY26 net profit, the company’s 70% revenue surge indicates robust demand and a strong growth trajectory.

The move to expand via Blinkit Foods reflects Eternal’s focus on innovation, diversification, and tapping into new customer segments, positioning it for long-term leadership in the evolving foodtech landscape.

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