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Amul Emerges as the Strongest Global Food Brand in 2024

Amul has achieved significant recognition by being ranked as the strongest food brand globally in the Brand Finance Food & Drink report for 2024, moving up from the second position the previous year. The report highlights Amul’s brand value, which has grown by 11 percent to USD 3.3 billion, along with a Brand Strength Index (BSI) of 91.0 out of 100, earning the brand an AAA+ rating.

Jayen Mehta, the managing director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), which owns Amul, credited this achievement to the efforts of 3.6 million dairy farmers. He also noted that Amul’s organizational structure and effective marketing strategies have contributed to its widespread recognition in India.

Amul continues to be the strongest dairy brand while ranking as the 30th most valuable food brand globally and the only farmer-owned brand within the top 100. The company dominates 85% of India’s butter market and 66% of the cheese market. Consumers trust Amul’s branding, confident that they are purchasing pure and fresh products.

The Brand Finance report evaluates brand strength based on more than 35 criteria, including the effectiveness of advertising campaigns, product range, and consumer sentiment. This comprehensive approach ensures that brands like Amul are recognized not only for market performance but also for their corporate social responsibility efforts.

Savio D’Souza, valuation director at Brand Finance, noted that the food and beverage industry is undergoing significant changes due to evolving consumer trends. Brands that are adaptable and have a clear purpose are likely to succeed in this dynamic market.

Amul’s position as the strongest food brand is a result of its strategic marketing and strong customer loyalty. With over seven decades in the market, Amul continues to set standards in the dairy industry, maintaining its leadership both in India and globally.

InvestorAi Secures Rs 80 Crore to Expand AI-Driven Investment Platform

InvestorAi, an AI-powered equity investment platform, has secured Rs 80 crore in funding from stock market investor Ashish Kacholia, founder of Lucky Investment Manager, and his associates. The company announced that the newly raised capital will be utilized to expand business operations and introduce new products.

InvestorAi, founded in 2018 by Akshaya Bhargava, operates under Bridgeweave and is registered with Sebi as a research analyst. The platform leverages artificial intelligence and advanced technology to create successful investment strategies tailored for tech-savvy millennials. The platform currently offers over 15 equity baskets, each following different strategies, some of which have been in operation for three years. According to the company, these baskets have outperformed the market index over the last 12 months and since their inception.

Akshaya Bhargava, Chairman and cofounder of InvestorAi, highlighted the significant growth potential in India, citing the country’s robust digital infrastructure, a tech-friendly investor base, and the rapid increase in retail investor accounts. He emphasized that InvestorAi was established with the goal of making advanced AI technology accessible to retail investors, showcasing a strong three-year track record of delivering superior investment returns.

India, with its growing retail investor base of around 150 million, is experiencing rapid growth, with three million new accounts being added each month. The Indian stock market is projected to reach a market capitalization of $10 trillion by 2030, up from the current $4.8 trillion. Despite only 7% of household income being invested in direct equities, InvestorAi sees a significant opportunity in AI-driven equity financing.

Bruce Keith, cofounder and CEO of InvestorAi, mentioned that their AI models, which have been trained using 14 years of stock market data, have consistently delivered market-beating returns since 2022. He also noted that these models are integrated with InvestorAi YouTrade, a next-generation delivery engine that provides a seamless one-click trading experience within the broker’s mobile or online platform.

The transaction was advised by Positron, a Mumbai-based Consulting and Capital Advisory firm.

Opkey Secures $47M in Series B Funding to Revolutionize AI-Powered ERP Test Automation

Opkey Raises $47M in Series B Featured Products Opkey, an AI-driven continuous test automation platform for enterprise systems has raised a total of $57 million following the completion their latest round adding to its existing portfolio with support from new lead investor PeakSpan Capital. This strategic investment will be used to further Opkey’s ongoing commitment to continuous assurance, as well as enable teams integrating cloud ERP transformation programs with streamlined technology innovations and a culture of innovation at the company. Opkey will also use this capital to predominantly increase its sales and marketing staff around the world in addition to continued investment in R&D.

The company is committed to expanding its engineering and AI research teams at our Noida, as well as Bangalore R&D center for building a category defining product The financing, said Pankaj Goel, CEO and CO-Founder of Opkey, will extend the company’s technical capability to better serve a wider customer base seeking support in transitioning their legacy ERP systems into the cloud safely with unbroken quality & performance assurance; two things essential for successful business outcomes.

When enterprises are in the process of modernizing their ERP, they almost certainly will face some difficulty when it comes to managing multiple best-of-breed applications; this phenomenon is sometimes referred as a “SaaS mess”. And applications need to be constantly revisited and updated, tested over time in order for the business of doing business never truly stop. Opkey uses AI & Machine Learning that significantly reduces time and effort for ERP Testing. The AI-based assistant, Wilfred, is able to immediately analyze client configurations as well as customizations and uses a patent-pending GenAI Test Mining algorithm for the dynamic generation of specific tests. This enables organizations to speed up the pace of ERP changes by 50% and lower defect rates by more than 70%.

Sanket Merchant, partner at PeakSpan CapitalSanket notes that the struggles in each stage of an ERP life cycle underscore: “why there is another generation of opportunity for AI-powered solutions.” The solutions address the high rate of failure cloud transformations are experiencing today, and thus automate key aspects including implementation, testing as well as support. Which has more than 200 enterprise customers on the Opkey platform today — with approximately 72 percent ranked in the Fortune 1000. The company works with top consultants, systems integrators enabling the highest level of AI in implementation and managed services projects.

AI-Powered Sales Disruptor ‘Revrag’ Secures $600K from Powerhouse Ventures to Turbocharge Growth

B2B sales startup Revrag has raised $600k in a pre-seed funding led by Powerhouse Ventures, with participation from marquee investors like Viral Bajaria, Kunal Shah (CRED), Deepak Anchala, Vetri Vellore among other angel investors.

In a press release, the startup says that it will use this funding to roll out its AI-BDR product and improve processes for sales/marketing as well as explore new markets.

Revrag (2022) founded by Ashutosh Prakash Singh, Neeraj Gupta and Pankaj Gupta is on a mission to empower revenue teams with sales efficiency in mindà they automate the repetitive tasks which do not close deals. Their first product which is an AI-BDR will change the way businesses create revenue.

Revrag, which is established in Bengaluru, says its AI tools software and esepacially the product of vice president optimize initial client outreach to make sure it stays linked while allowing sales teams to concentrate on more fine-grained facets of customer interactions throughout what can be a lengthy selling process. The AI agent will automatically prospect massive scale and reach out, qualify leads in a smart way; set up meetings to save sales time from tedious conversations meanwhile provide data-driven insights for making better decisions. Already, the first AI agent on that platform—Emma—is helping businesses respond to emerging technological change.

Revrag helps skilled salespeople expand themselves to become top sellers, by taking care of repetitive tasks and at the same time using AI agents in identifying right prospects, writing personalized emails which are catchy with relevant contents as well solving difficult areas for a better picture of Sales land scape.

Google’s $110 Million Newsroom Deal Faces Backlash from Jouralists and Democrats

Google has announced that it will give big cash to California legislatures to give to local newsrooms, which has sparked some unease among journalists over AI’s effects on their employment. The transactions are worth millions of dollars and have caused quite a stir among the journalists and some Democrats.

This agreement is part of the Google’s global program to support the media industry, which has been discussed, for example, in the context of Australia and Canada. Such measures have come into force as the media industry faces shrinking circulation and cutbacks in advertising thus laying off thousands of employments globally.

The work of the undertaking pertains to Google and California who are to provide funding over several years for local newsrooms without broadcasters. This funding will be channelled through what is known as a ‘‘News Transformation Fund’’ which will be located at the University of California Berkeley’s journalism school. It also lacks public financing explicitly, even though Google is to contribute $110 million and the state $70 million.

The funding for artificial intelligence has stoked alarm among journalists because the tasks they perform may soon be automated by AI systems. Also, some Democrats have complained about what they refer to as Google using its muscle to gain concessions from Sacramento. Nonetheless, the California News Publishers Association has supported the deal by reckoning the deal as a good start towards fixing the structurally flawed business model of journalism. On the same, the Media Guild of the West, a journalist union however expresses skepticism arguing that the deal is silent on how Google exercises so much control over newsrooms.

Scooping Up Opportunities: Hangyo Ice Creams Secures ₹211 Crore for Nationwide Expansion

Hangyo Ice Creams, a manufacturer based in Mangaluru, has been able to finalise approximately Rs 211 crore of funding from private equity major Faering Capital. The company plans on using this new cash to advance the productivity, innovation of new products, and geographical penetration in particular over southern India.

This fundraising occurs at a period when novel ice cream manufacturers are gradually attracting the attention of venture capital firms.

In June, an Ahmedabad-based ice cream brand raised Rs 100 crore ($12 million) in a fresh funding round from its ‘promoter group’ as well as existing investors. Likewise, another new ice cream firm recently launched a $1. $5 million from its existing investors.

Hangyo Ice Creams & Baked Foods started in the year 2003, has carved out a strong market in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Goa, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Maharashtra. Currently, it has around 350 distributors and 30,000 dealers, which provide its products in different flavors and pack sizes cups cones, sorbets, sticks, tubs both in the general trade, modem trade and online.

Having two manufacturing facilities in Karnataka Hangyo Ice Creams makes 120000 liters of ice cream on daily basis.

Being a $5 billion industry in India this year, the market has seen a number of new brands entering the segment in the last few years. These emerging players are fighting for their relevancy in the market that large brands have for a long time dominated.

Lead Group Soars to EBITDA Profitability in Q1 FY25, Boosts Revenue by 25% to Rs 370 Crore in FY24

Edtech unicorn Lead Group posted a 25% growth in revenue at Rs 370 crore for the financial year ending March,31March2024. The company asked to delivered EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization) positive in the first quarter of FY25 and remains firmly on track to deliver annual EBITDA break-even during fiscal 2024-25. Lead Group managed an operating revenue of Rs 273 crore in the last fiscal year, FY23.

This growth is largely due to growing interest in technology-led holistic solutions aligning with the National Curriculum Framework (NCF) for different school segments. Commenting on the content and their approach, the leadership of this Company believes that they have owed much time to get where it is today leveraging a highly focused commitment towards transforming classroom learning through NCERT 2023 directives. They are stepping on the gas to drive large-scale school transformation using a researched blend of pedagogy, EdTech and School Operating Systems.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Mumbai, Lead Group has presence across India through its association with over 8000 schools. Through their Integrated School Edtech System, the solution is present in more than 400 towns and cities around India impacting over 3.5M students with more than 50K teachers using it on daily basis. Punya Publishing, the parent company of LEAD School was founded in 2012 by Sumeet Mehta and featured on a mission to deliver tech-enabled solutions that promote digital learning through online or hybrid classroom models (combination of physical elements with digital intervention).

The acquisition of K-12 India business from a British educational services company in January last year had also strengthened Lead Group’s position the market. The acquisition is indicative of a wider trend in the Indian edtech sector, with over a dozen startups having been acquired last year due to difficult funding conditions for smaller firms and resulting industry consolidation

The January 2022 funding appeared to push Lead Group into unicorn status, as the company’s valuation topped $1 billion. Their goal — by January 24, the group is committed to doubling their reach and deliver high quality, integrated school edtech solutions in national level agar more than 60k schools by calendar year-end of 2028.

Venture Catalysts Leads Seed Funding for NxtQube to Revolutionize Drone Infrastructure with Universal Docking Stations

Venture Catalysts, a leading integrated incubator and accelerator platform in India, recently announced its role as the lead investor in a seed funding round for NxtQube, India’s foremost drone infrastructure company. This investment round also saw participation from Pontaq VC (STPI NxtVentures), Ananta Bizcon LLP, Rushikesh Bhandari, and other angel investors, marking a significant milestone in NxtQube’s journey towards transforming drone operations.

NxtQube is the industry leader in April 2022 and provides forward thinking automation solutions to drone manufacturers, service providers and end users. The firm’s proprietary product, the world first universal drone docking and charging station will cut across application market such as surveillance, monitoring or logistics fulfilling expectation of taking pilot off-field for a seamless fully integrated global industrial revolution using drones.

Its drone docking station is an autonomous robotic enclosure that handles important pilot functions like landing and takeoff, flight observance, recharging a battery of drones as well as data gathering. The modular nature of the AGX710 also helps to ensure that it can be easily adapted into a slew of drone segments, across multiple manufacturers.

According to Dr. Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, Co-founder and Managing Director of Venture Catalysts this innovative outlook is well-timed against the back-drop of a rapidly transforming drone market – making NxtQube’s strategy highly strategic in nature while packed with all potential elements under one roof. The company says its universal docking station should help cut operational costs and improve efficiency in drone deployments. This solution is infinitely scaleable beyond drone operations, and NxtQube aims to be the global leader for future-proofing your drones. NxtQube is ready and poised to hold the string as India progresses towards a drone hub.

The Co-Founder and CEO of NxtQube, Nikhil Rajput welcomed the funding highlighting that they look forward to support the existing drone ecosystem. This seed round represents market validation around the integral need for strong foundation of infrastructure to scale drone operations. Backed by Venture Catalysts and other investors, NxtQube aspires to take the lead in the drone infrastructure sector with accelerated product development supported with wide market expansion.

NxtQube’s model combines capital expenditure on docking stations and has software subscription options to perpetual license(access) options Rapid will focus its product sales on the 2 million drones in both defense and enterprise sectors across Asia Pacific, Europe, and US markets especially within applications where an autonomy intervention may be required.

PhysicsWallah Launches $5 Million Startup School to Empower Aspiring Entrepreneurs

PhysicsWallah (PW), a prominent edtech unicorn, has launched the PW School of Startups (SOS) with a $5 million fund to support 100 startups over the next five years. This initiative, under the PW Foundation, aims to nurture entrepreneurial skills by providing aspiring entrepreneurs with practical training, strategic mentorship, and access to capital.

PW SOS offers three tailored programs: Aarambh for beginners, Prarambh for those with some entrepreneurial experience, and Hopes Alive for seed-funded or bootstrapped startups. These programs focus on essential aspects such as business model development, branding, budgeting, and scaling to ensure long-term success.

Alakh Pandey, Founder and CEO of PW, highlighted the potential of startups emerging from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities in driving India’s economic growth. He emphasized the need for guidance and a supportive community to help these entrepreneurs succeed.

In the coming year, PW SOS plans to enroll 1,000 aspiring entrepreneurs in Aarambh and 100 in Prarambh, offering them opportunities to refine their ideas and access mentorship from experienced founders.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Noida, PW has expanded beyond test preparation into various educational segments, including skilling, higher education, and physical schools. With initiatives like PW SOS, the firm aims to continue its mission of being a lifelong learning partner for students.

Shilpa Shetty Becomes Investor and Brand Ambassador for Nutrispray, Championing Accessible Wellness

Bollywood actor Shilpa Shetty has joined Nutrispray, a company in the wellness industry, as both an investor and the brand ambassador. Shilpa’s endorsement reflects her belief in Nutrispray’s health approach, which aims to simplify the process of maintaining a balanced lifestyle in today’s fast-paced world.

The Indian wellness market was ranked 12th among the top 20 global wellness markets in 2020, with a valuation of nearly $78 billion that year. The Asia Pacific region was the largest market within this sector, accounting for an estimated $1.5 trillion during the same period. In this context, Shetty has invested an undisclosed amount in Nutrispray, emphasizing a shared vision of making health solutions accessible to everyone. Her investment aligns with her long-standing belief in integrating wellness into daily life. Nutrispray’s innovative approach offers products that are not only convenient but also ensure the effective absorption of essential nutrients, making a positive impact on how people approach their health.

Nutrispray’s advanced supplement sprays are designed to deliver essential nutrients efficiently. The product range includes formulations that promote immunity with Iron, enhance skin health with Glutathione and Vitamin C, and ensure rapid absorption for maximum effectiveness. The brand’s dedication to making wellness accessible is evident in its easy-to-use sprays, which are perfect for those looking to maintain a healthy lifestyle with minimal effort. Nutrispray’s goal is to bridge the gap between science and everyday wellness, offering products that are both effective and convenient for modern consumers. The launch marks a new chapter in accessible health, with Shilpa Shetty playing a key role in advancing the brand’s mission.