VC investments in India at $3.5-bn mark in Q2, 2025: KPMG
"VC investment in India rose from USD 2.8 billion across 456 deals to USD 3.5 billion across 355 deals quarter-over-quarter," it said. On a broader canvas, the global venture capital investment slipped to USD 101.05 billion in Q2, 2025 from USD 128.4 billion in Q1, 2025. The drop notwithstanding, "Q2'25 remained a relatively strong quarter despite ongoing geopolitical conflicts, trade tensions, and macroeconomic uncertainty", as per the report. The focus remained primarily on large-scale opportunities, especially in the AI and defencetech space, it further said. Heading into Q3'25, VC investors globally are expected to remain cautious given the continued delay in exits across many sectors, rising geopolitical tensions, and ongoing uncertainties related to tariffs and other global trade policies.
"AI will likely remain the hottest sector of VC investment globally -- particularly as governments continue to introduce large-scale funding programs to attract AI startups and drive ecosystem development and technology sovereignty," according to KPMG.
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Indian Express
40 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Trade deal brings some cheer to Surat's gems and jewellery sector; many plan on exploring opportunities in the UK
The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between India and the United Kingdom, signed on Thursday, has come as a shot in the arm for Surat's gems and jewellery industry, which has been reeling under a slump triggered by the Russia-Ukraine conflict since 2022. Though the scale of export to the UK in the sector is not as high as it is in the case of the United States, industry stakeholders in Surat said the FTA has brought some cheer to those involved in gems and jewellery trade in the city. Some industry leaders said the FTA has prompted them to explore trade options with the UK. Last year, gems and jewellery worth 9,236.46 million US Dollars were exported to the US – the highest among other countries. The exports to the UK stood at 941 million USD. 'Now with the duty concessions, this figure is poised to surge to USD 2.5 billion in the next three years, elevating overall bilateral trade in the gems and jewellery sector to an estimated USD 7 billion,' according to a statement from Kirit Bhansali, Chairman of Gems & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC). Following the conflict with Ukraine, sanctions were imposed on Alrosa, the Russia-based diamond mining giant, which directly impacted livelihoods in Surat – a major centre for polishing diamonds in the world. Talking to The Indian Express from the UK, Bhansali said, 'Three years ago, India did an FTA with the UAE, and we have seen immense growth in the business between both countries with an annual growth rate of 12% to 14%. In the last three years, the total growth rate has been around 30%. Similarly, we are hoping that FTA with the UK will also boost the gems and jewellery sector in the coming years.' Sources said that in terms of exports from India to the UK, the highest value is of studded gold jewellery, closely followed by polished natural diamonds, and then lab grown diamond (LGDs). The UK ranks fifth in the value of exports in this sector while the US brings in the maximum business. Vallabhbhai Lakhani of Kiran Gems, a natural diamonds manufacturer and promoter, said, 'India's gems and jewellery business with the UK is not huge so the scale of impact of the FTA is difficult to guess. But something is better than nothing. The US is a major consumer of gems and jewellery. As of now, we have no presence in the UK but will explore an opportunity in the coming days.' Nagjibhai Sakariya, promoter of HVK diamonds, too, said the company is hoping to explore business opportunities in the UK following the FTA. 'We are doing business of diamond-studded jewellery worldwide, but due to lower demand from the UK, we haven't touched that market so far,' he said. 'A major consumer is the US market, and we have come to know that India and the US will be coming up with a trade agreement next month. A decision on such an agreement will impact the gems and jewellery industry,' he added. According to figures from GJEPC , the gross exports of gems and jewellery stood at USD 28.67 billion in the financial year 2024-2025. This marks an 11.2% decline from USD 32.29 billion recorded in 2023 -2024. Industry players blamed this dip in exports to the introduction of a 26% tariff on India under the US Fair and Reciprocal Tariff Plan. The other reasons that they cited were weak global demand and uncertainty in major markets, particularly the US, China and Europe. Many suppliers also held excess inventory from previous quarters due to slower offtakes, which limited the placement of new orders. The retailers worldwide adopted a wait-and-watch approach due to price volatility and geopolitical uncertainty, they said. Talking to The Indian Express, Vipul Shah, Managing Director of Asian Star Company, a natural diamonds dealer, said, 'The FTA between India and the UK will be a win-win situation for both countries. We began doing business with the Middle East three years ago, following the establishment of the FTA. We have received a good response, as we have gained new customers and our business has prospered. Now with FTA with the UK, we are also planning to move into the UK market and look for business opportunities. We will send a team to the UK next week to seek new customers.' Smit Patel, director of Green Lab Diamonds, which makes lab-grown diamonds, said, 'We have been doing business of loose lab-grown diamonds with the UK for the last few years. Now that the FTA has come into existence, we will also expand into the jewellery business, which we are currently operating with the Middle East, the US, Hong Kong, and other countries. Earlier, due to the impact of import duty in the UK, we would send fewer quantities of diamonds. Now, we will take full advantage of the zero duty and reach out to customers in the UK.'
The Print
2 hours ago
- The Print
Rupee weakens 12 paise to settle at 86.52 against US dollar
At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 86.59 and hit the lowest level of 86.63 against the greenback. The unit touched the intra-day peak of 86.47 before ending the session at 86.52, registering a loss of 12 paise from its previous closing level. A strengthening American currency overseas and foreign fund outflows further weighed on the local unit, forex traders said. Mumbai, Jul 25 (PTI) The rupee declined 12 paise to settle at 86.52 against the US dollar on Friday, tracking negative domestic equity markets and surging global crude oil prices. On Thursday, the rupee saw some initial recovery but ended the session just 1 paisa higher at 86.40 against the US dollar. Anuj Choudhary, Research Analyst at Mirae Asset Sharekhan, said the rupee weakened due to a surge in crude oil prices and weakness in the domestic markets, which also fuelled the withdrawal of foreign institutional investors. He said the rupee is expected to trade with a slight negative bias amid uncertainty ahead of the August 1 trade deal deadline and geopolitical tensions between Thailand and Cambodia. 'Traders may take cues from the durable goods orders data from the US. Investors may remain cautious ahead of the US Federal Reserve and Bank of Japan's monetary policy decisions next week. USD-INR spot price is expected to trade in a range of Rs 86.30 to Rs 86.90,' Choudhary added. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, rose 0.33 per cent to 97.44. Analysts attributed the recovery in the dollar index to favourable employment data in the US. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, went up by 0.42 per cent to USD 69.47 per barrel in futures trade, as developing trade agreements have supported the upward movement in Brent oil prices. Forex traders said the uncertainty over the India-US trade deal has been an overhang for the forex market. If the discussions fail or get delayed, Indian exporters could face fresh pressure — adding to the rupee's challenges. However, if a deal is reached, it could offer a much-needed breather. Until then, the uncertainty is likely to keep market participants cautious. Meanwhile, in the domestic equity market, Sensex crashed 721.08 points or 0.88 per cent to 81,463.09, while Nifty tanked 225.10 points or 0.90 per cent to 24,837. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) offloaded equities worth Rs 1,979.96 crore on a net basis on Friday, according to exchange data. The latest RBI data released on Friday showed India's forex reserve declined by USD 1.183 billion to USD 695.489 billion during the week ended July 18. PTI HVA SHW This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Ben Stokes good but Ravindra Jadeja far better. He's well ahead': Kapil Dev shuts best all-rounder debate
The Pretoria Capitals will lead the auction for the SA20 league's fourth edition with the largest budget of USD 1.8 million. All six franchises have finalized their retained players and wildcard signings, totaling a combined purse of USD 7.4 million for 84 slots in the September 9 auction. Notable South African players available include Aiden Markram and Quinton de Kock.
