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Time of India
36 minutes ago
- Time of India
108 cr CFC gets nod in Nava Raipur to boost electronic infra
Raipur: Ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) has approved Rs 108.43 crore common facility centre (CFC) in Nava Raipur. The CFC will house high-end electronics infrastructure such as Printed Circuit Board (PCB) prototyping, 3D printing, electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) testing, and product validation labs. Cm Vishnu Deo Sai said, "This Common Facility Centre will position the state as a powerhouse in electronics manufacturing, offering world-class testing and prototyping infrastructure. It will catalyze innovation, support startups, and generate new employment opportunities for our youth" It is expected to support a wide array of electronics-based production sectors including semiconductors, LED lamps, electric vehicle (EV) components, solar charge controllers, and automation systems. Spread over 3.23 acres in Sector-22 of Nava Raipur Atal Nagar, the CFC will be developed under the EMC 2.0 scheme with Rs 75 crore sanctioned by MeitY. The remaining Rs 33.43 crore will be funded by the state govt, while the land has been allotted by Nava Raipur Atal Nagar Vikas Pradhikaran (NRANVP). Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Gujarat startups raise 400 crore in 4 months
Ahmedabad: Nearly Rs 400 crore in venture funding and strategic capital flowed into Gujarat-based startups since April, reflecting a measured but meaningful revival in the startup landscape. As the ecosystem cautiously emerges from a funding winter, ventures from Gujarat are drawing investor attention for their capital efficiency and sectoral focus. Leading the chart is direct-to-consumer beauty brand RENÉE Cosmetics, which raised $30 million in a Series C round led by Playbook, with secondary investment from Midas. With over 200 SKUs, the brand plans to expand its portfolio, scale omnichannel presence across tier I and II cities, invest in tech and warehousing, and grow offline through standalone stores. International market strengthening in the US, Australia, and GCC is also on the cards. "We plan to increase our product portfolio, focus on branding—both ATL and BTL— grow offline through standalone stores, and implement tech for warehousing. We're also eyeing the US, Australia, GCC, and potentially a few other countries," said Ashutosh Valani, co-founder, RENÉE Cosmetics. You Can Also Check: Ahmedabad AQI | Weather in Ahmedabad | Bank Holidays in Ahmedabad | Public Holidays in Ahmedabad Also in the spotlight is QRL Bioscience, which raised Rs 3 crore from GVFL to advance its personalised, cell-based therapies for chronic degenerative diseases. The Ahmedabad-based biotech startup is currently focused on clinical trials for its diabetic foot ulcer (DFU) treatment and preclinical development of an osteoarthritis therapy. From biotechnology and semiconductors to agritech, space tech and consumer products, a diverse mix of companies has attracted investor interest from within and beyond Gujarat. A case in point is Indie Semic, which recently closed a Rs 4 crore pre-Series A round. "We've recently closed a pre-Series A round of up to Rs 4 crore and are targeting a Series A raise in the range of $5–8 million by November. Our focus is on strengthening R&D, building the team, and scaling module production. We've developed proprietary IPs under the Make in India initiative, which we plan to integrate into chips for defence, DRDO, drones, medical devices, and more," said Jinal Shah, co-founder, IndieSemic. Ahmedabad-based Baby Organo, a direct-to-consumer Ayurvedic baby care brand, is also set to close a nearly Rs 15 crore round in the coming weeks, according to industry sources. Last week, GVFL invested Rs 4 crore in seed funding in Vadodara-based Genexis Biotech, which produces animal-origin-free recombinant proteins. GVFL also backed Surat-based agritech venture GrowIT and packaging material supplier DCGpac, with Rs 10 crore each. "We're seeing strong sectoral depth in Gujarat, from biotech startups to uniquely positioned B2B and agritech ventures. The ecosystem now offers a full spectrum—from SpaceTech to MedTech, renewables to industrial engineering, chemicals to AI, and scalable B2B platforms. What's driving investor interest is twofold: technology-led disruption that makes business models more scalable, and a maturing startup ecosystem with active angel participation. For the right startups, funding is no longer a constraint," said Mihir Joshi, CEO, GVFL. In July, Omspace Rocket & Exploration Private Limited, a space-tech startup incubated at CrAdLE of EDII, raised $3 million (approx Rs 26 crore) in pre-seed funding. "We have developed our own cryogenic engine, for which design and fabrication are complete. Testing and calibration is a major part for which a substantial fund will be utilised. We have opted for a liquid oxygen and biomethane engine. We eye a year-end sounding rocket trial in the state, which will be a major milestone for the SpaceTech industry," said Ravindra Raj, founder and MD, Omspace. Another space-tech startup, Orbit Space—founded by former ISRO scientists—raised $1 million (Rs 8.5 crore) from Pi Ventures and IIMA Ventures. Meanwhile, maritime surveillance-focused PierSight recently raised close to $2 million (Rs 17.2 crore), taking its total seed funding to $8 million (Rs 68 crore). In April, Ahmedabad-based B2B industrial solutions provider Magma raised $5 million (Rs 42.8 crore) in a Series A round. "We've backed startups in both the semiconductor and Ayurvedic consumer product spaces—sectors we see as sunrise industries with immense long-term potential. With strong tailwinds from government policies and targeted incentives, these domains are poised for accelerated growth. The ecosystem is maturing, and capital is flowing into ventures that combine innovation with strategic alignment to national priorities," said Umesh Uttamchandani, co-founder of DevX. Other notable deals in the past four months include Bull Agro (Rs 1.1 crore) and Ener comp (Rs 2 crore). Even as funding slowed significantly in 2023 and 2024, momentum has picked up of late—though with ample caution. "Capital is surely available, but only for high-conviction businesses. The mood among investors is certainly constructive, but cautious for sure, with funding doled out to ventures that show product-market fit, IP-led differentiation, and alignment with large macro ambitions such as AI, renewable energy, semiconductors, fintech and agritech, among others. That said, the funding scenario remains dry for very early-stage startups," explained Shrijay Sheth, co-founder, and also an investor. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Dial-up to DPI in 30 years: An Indian odyssey
India's transformation from a low‐density fixed telephony by the state monopoly in the 1990s to one of the world's largest and most dynamic mobile‐Internet ecosystems has been underpinned by infrastructure roll‐out, entrepreneurial zeal and rapid consumer adoption - shaped by visionary policies and innovative regulations, even if at times in response to a crisis. August 15, 1995 saw the launch of Internet services across six metros, days after the first mobile call in Kolkata on July 31. The rollercoaster experience over the past three decades offers useful cues and clues in the quest for Viksit Bharat by 2047. Monopoly to Market The National Telecom Policy, 1994 broke government's monopoly, promised a telephone in every village by 1997 and invited private investment. The handset cost Rs. 40,000, a one-minute mobile call was Rs. 16.40 for outgoing and Rs. 8.20 for incoming. Department of Telecommunications ( DoT ) was the policymaker and licensor, operator and regulator – all rolled into one. Though Telecom Regulatory Authority of India ( TRAI ) was established in 1997, the private operators were gasping for breath by 1998 - defaulting both in network rollout and payment of license fees. March 1999 saw two significant developments – TRAI rationalised tariffs – upto 94% reduction, and the New Telecom Policy allowed migration to revenue-sharing model from fixed license fees, formalised 'Universal Service Obligation'. In 2003, TRAI put an end to the incoming call charges on mobile, leading to rapid adoption – thanks to other enablers - enhanced competition and bundling of devices. Internet, Broadband and Beyond November 1998 saw ISP licenses for one rupee per annum – blacklisting only Internet telephony in contrast to a short whitelist earlier including Archie and Veroinca! International bandwidth was augmented with multiple submarine cables. Internet telephony, albeit with restrictions, was also allowed in 2002. Established in 2003, National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) began online registration of '.in' domain names. While the ambitious targets for 2010 in the Broadband Policy, 2004, remained unfulfilled, growth was fuelled by 3G and 4G, following the spectrum auctions in 2010 and later. National Plans and Policies Galore In 2006, National e-Governance Action Plan proposed about 30 Mission Mode digitization projects– including Ministry of Corporate Affairs and passport. Digital India Programme , launched in 2015, expanded the scope further. Out of 2.65 lakh Gram Panchayats, 2.15 lakh have already been connected by Bharat Net. However, less than 3.5 lakh public Wi-Fi hotspots against the target of one crore under the National Digital Communications Policy (NDCP), 2018 could be due to wide availability and highly affordable tariffs for mobile data on 4G as well as 5G networks. Legacy and Legislation Recognizing 'convergence of both markets and technologies across telecom, IT, consumer electronics and media', NTP 1999 had underlined the need for a forward-looking law to replace the archaic laws of 1885 and 1933 vintage. After almost quarter century, The Telecommunications Act, 2023 did so even as its scope remained narrower than the Convergence Communications Bill, 2001 ,which had lapsed in 2004. It is noteworthy, however, that Right of Way remained one of the common motivations in 2023 just like it was in 1885. Though originally contemplated to support fixed line only, USO Fund scope was expanded to include mobile and Internet in 2006 even it remains overtly focused on supply-side interventions and underutilized with Rs. 80,000 crore in its corpus. Spectrum Management & Auctions Initially bundled with licenses, spectrum auction has become the norm, following the 2012 Supreme Court ruling. However, many chunks of spectrum remain unbid, while others are sold at reserved prices, indicating scope for significant improvement. In addition, there is demand for de-licensed additional bands for new versions of Wi-Fi and other applications. Aadhaar enrolment of 1.4 billion, more than half of global real-time digital payments on UPI, digital vaccination certificates on CoWin – these DPIs were impossible without robust telecom network. While India quickly adopted remote working – including Work From Home, telemedicine and distance education, the pandemic also highlighted the acute challenges faced by the unconnected ones – amplified further on account of disparities across gender, geography and generation. Carriage, Content and Conduct Telecom was for carriage of content – telegraphic messages to telephonic voice. However, the Internet – and, more importantly, the world wide web – enabled creation and collation, curation and circulation of content en masse. However, the Ministry of Information & Broadcasting and the Ministry of Electronics & IT oversee regulation - implying overlaps and gaps. On the other hand, conduct is becoming more important – whether it is cybersecurity or data protection, competition or sustainability. India's tryst with mobile and Internet is a testament to bold policy and enabling regulations, technological advances and innovative business models. To drive the next wave of inclusive growth, the forthcoming policy should embrace convergence and restructure institutional architecture to corral and align 'All for Broadband', not just 'Broadband for All'. (DISCLAIMER: Views expressed are the author's personal.)
