Business

India added over 55,000 DPIIT-recognised startups in FY26, the highest annual figure since the Startup India launch, taking the cumulative count past 2.23 lakh. The surge is backed by a Rs 10,000 crore Fund of Funds 2.0 and Rs 19,000 crore in Government e-Marketplace orders, signalling expanding public and

DPIIT recognised a record 55,200 startups in FY26, a 51.6% jump from FY25, lifting the cumulative total to 2.23 lakh with over 23.36 lakh direct jobs created. The government simultaneously launched FoF 2.0, a ₹10,000 crore fund targeting deeptech, micro VCs, and manufacturing startups from April 13. Roughly 50 new-age

Airwallex and Stripe are shifting from parallel operators to direct competitors as their geographic and customer-segment expansions converge. The collision is relevant for enterprise buyers of cross-border payment infrastructure, where competition between the two could improve pricing and switching leverage. Both

Gautam Adani has overtaken Mukesh Ambani to become Asia's wealthiest individual, with a net worth of $92.6 billion as of April 16. The ranking shift, placing Adani 19th on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, reflects a broad rally in Adani Group stocks following the conglomerate's earlier difficulties.

SpaceX's Starlink is posting accelerating user growth as the company eyes a potential public market debut, per a new report. Faster subscriber additions bolster the satellite broadband unit's standalone valuation case and could intensify pressure for a formal IPO timeline. No listing date or structure has been

CinemaCon convenes in Las Vegas this week, bringing together studio executives and theater owners for slate previews and screen commitment discussions. The event serves as a key distribution checkpoint, with studio presentations directly influencing exhibitor booking decisions ahead of major releases.

Sundance winner 'Ricky' is self-distributing after star Sheryl Lee Ralph said traditional buyers were reluctant to acquire the film due to its subject matter. The filmmakers are framing the move as a deliberate new model for independent distribution in a tight acquisitions market.

Elon Musk is conditioning SpaceX IPO advisory roles on banks subscribing to Grok, the AI chatbot from his company xAI. The requirement leverages SpaceX's massive deal value to drive enterprise adoption of a separate Musk product, complicating banks' typical advisory selection calculus. No timeline for the IPO has been

California AG Rob Bonta unsealed records in the state's antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, allegedly revealing internal documentation of price-fixing tactics used to suppress competition among third-party sellers. The disclosure raises Amazon's litigation exposure and could fuel parallel federal or state enforcement

Visakhapatnam pharmaceutical distributors are warning of a 30, 40% rise in medicine prices, including paracetamol, driven by raw material cost shocks linked to the Iran conflict. India's reliance on West Asian active pharmaceutical ingredients makes domestic drug pricing directly vulnerable to regional supply disruption

Ian Katz, Channel 4's longest-serving chief content officer, is departing within months, triggering a high-stakes succession search under new CEO Priya Dogra. The role controls commissioning and independent production relationships at a broadcaster facing structural pressure on its ad-funded model.

The FDA is examining expanded testosterone therapy approvals for libido while GLP-1's grip on obesity treatment faces a scientific challenge from its own pioneers. Researchers now argue GIP-glucagon dual targeting may match GLP-1 efficacy with better tolerability. Kailera Therapeutics raised $625 million in what is

Jio Financial Services reported Q4 FY26 net profit of ₹272 crore, down 14% year-on-year, despite revenue surging to ₹1,018.51 crore from ₹493.24 crore the prior quarter. The profit decline amid strong revenue growth points to rising costs as the company expands its financial services operations. The board declared a

Jio Financial Services reported Q4 FY26 net profit of ₹272.2 Cr, down 14% year-on-year despite operating revenue surging 107% YoY to ₹1,018.5 Cr. Total expenses spiked 327% YoY to ₹720 Cr, compressing margins even as top-line scale accelerated. Sequential PAT rose marginally by 1%, indicating some stabilization at the

Pernod Ricard India grew revenue 11% in the March quarter, supported by a premiumisation push across brands including Absolut, Chivas Regal, and Glenlivet. India is the French group's largest market by volume and second-largest by value, making the subsidiary a key earnings lever. State-level excise policy remains a

Flipkart plans to launch a ticketing vertical for movies and live events as early as May, targeting BookMyShow and Eternal's District. The move is part of a broader diversification strategy ahead of a domestic IPO targeted within 12 to 18 months, supported by a planned $2 billion to $2.5 billion pre-IPO fundraise.

Zee Studios will distribute T-Series' Pati Patni Aur Woh Do, starring Ayushmann Khurrana, for a May 15 theatrical release, only the second such cross-company distribution deal between the two, after Jhund in 2022. The rare arrangement signals flexible deal-making in Bollywood's distribution landscape. A teaser is

China's State Administration for Market Regulation fined food delivery platforms 4.87 billion yuan ($671 million) for recording fictitious 'ghost' deliveries that were never fulfilled. Legal representatives of the companies face an additional 19.7 million yuan in personal fines, marking an escalation to individual

Roche is launching a new Phase III placebo-controlled trial for DMD gene therapy Elevidys after the EMA rejected the treatment last year following two patient deaths. The 72-plus-week study of roughly 100 boys is designed to meet the EMA's data requirements for a regulatory re-submission. A successful outcome would

Flipkart is targeting a May launch into India's movie and concert ticketing market, competing directly with BookMyShow and Zomato's District. The entry, alongside a food delivery pilot, reflects a strategy to build high-frequency consumer touchpoints beyond core e-commerce. Both verticals carry low margins but are