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Alibaba, Temasek and Fosun In Talks To Pick Up Stake In BigBasket

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Alibaba,Temasek and Fosun Stake in Bigbasket, Chinese ecommerce Alibaba,Paytm Mall,Temasek Holdings,Sanjiang Shopping Club,2017 Latest Business New,Startup News India

The Chinese ecommerce major Alibaba has reportedly joined investee Paytm Mall in their talks to pick up a stake in the online grocery retail startup, BigBasket. The Economic Times reported the online grocer is also holding talks with Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings and China’s Fosun Group along with Alibaba.

Paytm Mall, according to media reports, was also in talks with BigBasket for buying a minority stake by investing about $ 200 million in the homegrown startup. Alibaba Group Holdings have a majority ownership of the digital payment platform Paytm’s ecommerce arm.

According to Economic Times, Alibaba and Paytm plan to invest $ 200 million in BigBasket at a post investment valuation of nearly $ 900 million. They have also started the due diligence for this potential investment. Kinzon Capital which is the venture capital arm of Fosun is in discussions with BigBasket to join the ongoing funding round with an investment of about $ 20 – $ 30 million.

It is unclear if the Singapore based wealth fund, Temasek will join this round of funding or if they will directly invest in BigBasket later. Economic Times also reported, an associate on behalf of Temasek said, “As matter of policy, we do not comment on market speculation and rumours,” in response to their queries.

BigBasket was also reportedly in talks with Amazon for a sellout which fell through due to differences over valuation. The global ecommerce giant recently also got the government’s approval to invest $ 500 million in the food retail sector. Ecommerce rival Alibaba has also been doubling down on grocery and physical retail investments globally. They recently acquired the Singapore based online grocer RedMart and have invested $ 305 million in offline discount supermarket chain Sanjiang Shopping Club in China.

Hari Menon, Abhinay Choudhari, V.S. Sudhakar, Vipul Parekh and V.S. Ramesh founded the online grocery retail startup in 2011. Investment bank Morgan Stanley is advising BigBasket in these talks.

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Deep-Tech Startup EndureAir Raises INR 25 Crore from IAN Alpha Fund to Boost Drone Innovation

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EndureAir, a deep-tech drone startup specializing in UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) and aerial robotics solutions, has successfully raised INR 25 crore in a funding round led by IAN Alpha Fund, with participation from IAN Angel Fund. The fresh capital infusion will enable EndureAir to enhance its advanced drone technologies for defense applications, broaden its reach in enterprise markets, and accelerate the development of next-generation high-altitude logistics and aerial robotics platforms.

Founded in 2018 by Dr. Abhishek, a professor of Aerospace Engineering at IIT Kanpur, along with his former students Rama Krishna and Chirag Jain, EndureAir stands out in India’s indigenous UAV sector by developing both hardware and software in-house. Backed by over 15 years of rotorcraft research and holding eight patents in flight dynamics and autonomous systems, the company has rapidly established itself as a pioneer in the deep-tech drone ecosystem.

EndureAir’s flagship drone platforms, including the Sabal heavy-lift UAV family inducted by the Indian Army’s Eastern Command and the Vibhram drone supporting Telangana’s Medicine from the Sky program, are deployed in critical operations. The startup also collaborates with Bharat Electronics Limited for co-developing high-altitude drones and works with Bhutan’s Druk Holding & Investments on remote logistics missions. With this funding, EndureAir aims to position India as a global leader in UAV innovation, advancing resilient domestic drone systems for defense and enterprise applications.

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Venture Catalysts Raises Rs 150 Crore to Boost Multi-Stage VC Platform and AI Capabilities

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Venture Catalysts, a leading Mumbai-based venture capital platform, has secured Rs 150 crore (around $18 million) through a strategic mix of primary and secondary transactions. This fresh round of funding resulted in a company valuation of approximately $200 million and drew participation from high-profile investors such as Ashish Kacholia, the Shah Rukh Khan family office, Aishwarya Rai, as well as several established capital market veterans and renowned business houses. The move not only demonstrates strong investor confidence but also positions Venture Catalysts at the forefront of India’s rapidly evolving startup landscape.

The infusion of capital is earmarked to accelerate key initiatives, including expanding Venture Catalysts’ leadership team, launching new investment funds, and exploring advanced technology solutions with an emphasis on AI-enabled due diligence and reporting tools. Additionally, the firm aims to strengthen its footprint across major Indian startup hubs and grow its suite of Category II alternative investment funds, harnessing this growth to support a new wave of promising startups and founders within the ecosystem.

Since its inception in 2016, Venture Catalysts has evolved from an angel network to a multi-fund powerhouse, managing over $500 million in assets and deploying nearly $200 million across more than 400 startups, including industry leaders like BharatPe, Renee Cosmetics, and InsuranceDekho. This latest funding round reinforces Venture Catalysts’ pivotal role in nurturing and scaling some of India’s most innovative startups, catalyzing growth throughout the country’s thriving entrepreneurial sector.

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U.S. AI Startup Anthropic Expands Global Ban to Tackle Chinese Tech Influence

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U.S. AI leader Anthropic has expanded its restrictions on Chinese entities, taking a firm stance against access to its advanced AI models—including the renowned Claude chatbot—by any company or subsidiary more than 50% owned, directly or indirectly, by Chinese organizations. This updated AI policy is designed to block loopholes that previously allowed access to powerful AI tools via overseas affiliates, joint ventures, or cloud providers, reinforcing Anthropic’s commitment to responsible technology governance and the protection of sensitive data.

Driven by rising national security and regulatory concerns, Anthropic’s move highlights potential risks involving companies subject to Chinese jurisdiction, which could be compelled to cooperate with state intelligence and share critical information. The sweeping policy marks the first public, formal ban by a major U.S. AI company based on entity ownership and control, rather than only geographic boundaries, ultimately intensifying scrutiny on AI exports and global tech supply chains.

While the immediate business impact is expected to be modest, experts consider this a landmark decision that may set industry-wide precedents, prompting other U.S. tech giants to reevaluate their own AI export and usage policies. This development not only heightens the U.S.–China tech rivalry but also shapes the future landscape of AI governance, data security, and international compliance in a rapidly evolving digital world.

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