Startups / The Economic Times
Titan Capital's 'Indicorns 2025 List' spotlights 202 Indian startups exceeding Rs 100 crore in annual revenue and achieving profitability, unveiled at India Internet Day. These companies, founded within the last 15 years, collectively generated Rs 1,51,137 crore in revenue and Rs 7,393 crore in profits in FY24.
Arvind Panagariya, Chairman of the 16th Finance Commission, believes India will emerge stronger from current tariff uncertainties. A bilateral trade deal with the US would significantly benefit India's global trade position, especially with the US seeking to reduce reliance on China.
Manufacturing activity in Asia contracted in April, impacted by weaker demand and Trump's tariffs, particularly affecting South Korea and Taiwan. While Southeast Asia also experienced a slowdown, India and the Philippines showed expansion.
Fuze, a digital assets infrastructure startup, secured $12.2 million in Series A funding led by Galaxy and e& to fuel expansion into India, accelerate product development, and recruit senior talent. Operating in the MENA region and Turkey, Fuze offers a platform enabling integration of regulated digital assets into traditional financial services and has processed over $2 billion in volume.
Trump has threatened tariffs, while Mexico's president seeks a resolution, but internal water scarcity complicates compliance.
Natural diamond players are on a quest to regain their lustre amid the double whammy of falling sales and the rising popularity of lab-grown diamonds. However, in a market like India, where consumers look for both value and price while making purchases, experts say that there is ample space for both to thrive
Qualified institutional buyers placed bids 1.35 times the portion reserved for them as of 1:45 pm. The retail portion was oversubscribed 1.48 times, while the non-institutional investors had subscribed only 35% of the shares reserved for them. The employee portion was oversubscribed 4.32 times. Overall, the issue was subscribed 1.1 times.
Spread over 40 sq. km, Peenya houses more than 13,000 MSME industries, employing over 1 million individuals. However, challenges like poor infrastructure and skill shortages are hindering future investments, slowly putting the industrial area in slumber.
With investments in infrastructure, training, and partnerships, Air India is well-positioned to support India's growing pharmaceutical exports.
With duty-free access to 25 global markets, Abu Dhabi positions itself as the India-facing factory of the world, says ADIOs Yaser Al Yousuf.
Catalogus aims to revolutionize e-commerce cataloging workflows by automating product listing processes for Indian and global brands.
The unified platform, operating under the Litmus World brand, will enhance customer engagement and sentiment analysis.
Founder Vaideeswaran Sethuraman highlights the platform's ability to integrate with existing systems, addressing a critical gap in the enterprise AI market.
Agrawal says Barista Coffee, however, has adjusted well to the dynamic environment and kept the customers always engaged.
Adopting a circular economy for resilience is driven by the push for sustainability. SDGs, blockchain, and Industry 5.0 are pivotal in enabling this transition, integrating environmental and economic goals through responsible management, human-centric innovation, and transparency. Collaboration ensures a sustainable future.
NITI Aayog member Ramesh Chand emphasises the need for caution and advises the government to take a wait-and-watch approach.
This trade pact holds potential for significant growth, particularly in service sectors like IT/ITES, as both nations strive for a fair and beneficial deal.
This limits investments despite the need to scale up carbon removal technologies for future emissions reductions.
A parliamentary panel has urged India to continue its climate change efforts and align with global actions despite the US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. The panel emphasized India's responsibility as a populous country and highlighted concerns about weakened international climate cooperation and insufficient climate finance commitments from developed nations.
The Indian auto component industry faces export challenges due to US tariffs, demand weakness in the Middle East, and a European slowdown, according to a report by DAM Capital Advisors. Indian manufacturers are seeking new clients to offset these issues.
Nikolaus Schues, president of Bimco, suggests that new insurers supporting Russia's shadow fleet could be integrated into the global shipping industry if they adhere to international standards. This follows speculation that the US may lift sanctions against Russia to end the war in Ukraine. China's P&I Club has emerged as a reliable insurer, remaining outside the main IG group.
The Federal Reserve and other analysts warn of negative impacts on growth and higher consumer prices due to the tariffs.
India's gems and jewellery exports fell by 23.49% in February 2025, amounting to $2,422.9 million, mainly due to declining demand in the US and China. The continuous geopolitical tensions and rough diamond price corrections further impacted overall exports, which saw significant drops in both cut and polished diamonds and gold jewellery.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal suggested India and Mercosur explore bilateral free-trade agreements due to stalled talks on expanding their Preferential Trade Agreement. Highlighting successful trade deals like that with UAE, he emphasized the importance of fast-tracked, decisive negotiations for solid partnerships and addressing concerns with non-market economies.
Hypergro.ai, an AI-driven video generation platform, has raised Rs 7 crore in a Pre-Series A funding round led by Eternal Capital. The company aims to solve digital marketing inefficiencies and expand globally by investing in AI R&D, strategic hiring, and enterprise partnerships.
A study reveals that no country is on track to achieve all 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030, with varying progress influenced by geographical, cultural, and socioeconomic factors. African and Asian countries excel in climate action and responsible consumption, yet lag in eradicating poverty and gender equality.
Global trade is expected to grow, though less robustly, influenced by U.S. President Trump's tariff policies. The DHL Trade Atlas projects a 3.1% annual growth rate from 2024 to 2029, with India, Vietnam, Indonesia, and the Philippines leading the growth despite potential tariff impacts.
A surge in cocoa and coffee futures prices has strained traders' finances, hindering global shipments. Rising costs and financing difficulties have exacerbated the situation, with weather issues and crop diseases causing supply shortages.
Exporters can pass on cost increases to consumers, and the favourable USD/INR exchange rate and increased outsourcing opportunities are expected to benefit Indian firms.
These events across the globe include Malaysias devastating floods and extreme weather in Texas and Los Angeles. Experts warn that such combined weather disasters will increase, causing severe damage and economic costs.
Key highlights of the festival included community integration, creative art projects, sustainable mental models and innovative fashion systems. The past challenge winners of WDCD emphasized the transformative power of creativity and indigenous knowledge.
President Trump's plan to revive the U.S. shipbuilding industry involves imposing steep port fees on Chinese-built vessels, which may burden ocean transport operators with significant costs and disrupt supply chains. Executives worry it could result in fewer U.S. port calls and increased congestion at bigger ports, while smaller ones risk being bypassed.
The US is urging India to negotiate a comprehensive trade agreement, with a key focus on opening India's agriculture sector. This would involve reducing import tariffs, potentially impacting 700 million rural livelihoods. India currently imposes tariffs ranging from zero to 150% to protect its farmers. US seeks to export heavily subsidised farm products, which India views as sensitive.
These advancements are crucial for managing market volatility and making informed weather-related decisions.
Linamar is not considering shifting production despite the short-term tariff threats, as such moves would be costly and unproductive.
Key climate initiatives are facing funding cuts, necessitating private investment and multilateral development bank reforms to spearhead climate finance efforts.
While some companies are trying to source from alternate locations, others may pass the increased costs to consumers. Target and Chipotle are among those affected, addressing potential price changes and cost absorption.
Mexico, a key buyer of US corn, and China might reduce purchases, affecting American agriculture heavily and threatening the new crop demand.
Proposed revisions still affect US firms, leading to calls for diplomatic engagement and clarity, as companies navigate regulatory complexities.
The European Commission proposes to ease emission targets for automakers, granting them three years to meet the 2025 CO2 reduction goal. This move aims to safeguard profit margins and avoid fines amid struggling EV sales and Chinese competition, but may hinder Europe's climate progress and EV adoption.
President Donald Trump's tariffs on imports from China, Canada, and Mexico have taken effect, leading to an escalating trade war with these countries. In response, they have announced retaliatory measures. The tariffs are expected to raise consumer prices significantly on various products, including electronics, groceries, and automobiles.
The global economic growth is no longer primarily driven by trade, with nations facing high debt and weaker growth prospects. The US is rapidly revising its policies on trade and other areas, prompting other countries, especially in Asia, to adjust their approaches and enhance regional integration.
The global ocean shipping industry, responsible for 80% of world trade, faces uncertainty due to U.S. President Trump's trade tensions with several nations. Increased tariffs and additional fees could harm the global economy, impacting shipping demand, prices, and consumer costs.
Factory owners in Asia are concerned about supply chain issues and weakening demand amid President Trump's escalating tariff war. Despite some improvement in February factory activity, stress from levies is apparent.
China's factory activity rose in February due to a surge in supply, demand, and export orders, achieving a three-month high. However, manufacturers faced increased input costs, particularly for materials, and employment continued to decline.
Global shipping giants are bracing for a potentially challenging 2025 due to new US tariffs and the reopening of the Red Sea route. Shipping rates and earnings are expected to decline significantly, with major players like Maersk and Cosco facing a difficult year ahead.
Following the second-warmest February in a century, the weather department predicts more heat waves and potential impacts on wheat production and electricity demand.
This issue has forced many smaller chocolatiers to close, while larger companies mitigate through cost-cutting measures.
The new 25 percent customs duties, set to be imposed soon, could either force manufacturers to absorb costs or raise prices, impacting their profits and market dynamics.
The Trump administration and Republicans plan to overturn California's ban on gasoline-powered car sales by 2035 using the Congressional Review Act, though experts say the move is illegal. The ban is part of a broader effort by California to address climate change and reduce emissions.