Startup
Reliance Infra’s Rs.10,000 Crore Boost to India’s Defense Hub
In a bold move to bolster India’s defense manufacturing sector, Reliance Infrastructure Limited, led by the Anil Ambani family, has announced a massive ₹10,000 crore investment in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district. This project, slated to unfold over the next decade, will establish the largest integrated facility for manufacturing explosives, ammunition, and small arms in the country. The sprawling 1,000-acre site in the Watad industrial area, named the Dhirubhai Ambani Defence City (DADC), promises to redefine the landscape of India’s defense industry.
A Strategic Leap in India’s Defence Landscape
Reliance Infrastructure’s ambitious project is not just a domestic boost but also an export-driven initiative aimed at enhancing India’s footprint in the global arms market. With an extensive range of ammunition, from small-caliber to terminally guided munitions (TGM), and a portfolio of small arms targeted for both civilian and military use, the DADC project underscores India’s growing stature as a defense exporter.
In recent years, the Indian government has significantly emphasised Indigenous defense production as part of its “Atmanirbhar Bharat” (Self-Reliant India) mission. This initiative complements the broader goal of reducing reliance on foreign imports in defense and promoting home-grown solutions, making India a key player in the global defense supply chain.
Key Highlights of the Project:
- Scale: The facility will be the largest greenfield defense initiative ever undertaken by a private sector company in India. The export-oriented focus marks a significant step towards India becoming a leading defense exporter globally.
- Advanced Manufacturing Capabilities: The range of products to be manufactured includes a comprehensive spectrum of explosives, small arms, and advanced munitions, leveraging cutting-edge technology.
- Collaborations: Reliance Infrastructure plans to partner with up to six leading global defense companies to bring the latest technologies to the DADC project, though the names of these firms have not yet been disclosed. However, the company’s previous collaborations with Dassault Aviation and Thales, which have already resulted in successful joint ventures in Nagpur, hint at the potential for high-level partnerships.
- Job Creation: Over the coming years, the DADC is expected to create thousands of direct and indirect jobs, contributing to both local and national economic growth.
India’s Defence Sector: A Growing Market
India’s defense market has been on a steady rise, with the government recently opening the sector to 74% foreign direct investment (FDI) under the automatic route. The Defence Ministry has earmarked a significant portion of its budget for domestic procurement, sending a clear signal to private sector players like Reliance Infrastructure that the country is serious about building its domestic defense capabilities.
Maharashtra, already a hub for defense manufacturing, will benefit immensely from this project. The state’s strategic location and established infrastructure make it a natural choice for a venture of this magnitude.
Economic Impact: Fueling Growth in Maharashtra
Reliance Infrastructure’s investment is also poised to stimulate local economies in Maharashtra. The planned DADC facility will be instrumental in attracting auxiliary industries, fostering technological innovations, and spurring infrastructure development in the region. With the Maharashtra state government’s support, the project could also lead to enhanced industrial growth in Ratnagiri and surrounding areas, thereby contributing to the broader goal of economic decentralisation.
A Vision for the Future
The project aligns perfectly with India’s vision of becoming a global defense hub by 2040. With advanced manufacturing capabilities, export potential, and the ability to support military modernisation, Reliance Infrastructure’s DADC project will play a pivotal role in driving the country’s defense capabilities forward. As India navigates the complex geopolitical environment, building such capabilities in-house offers not only strategic advantages but also strengthens national security.
Startup
BrowserStack launches AI-driven Low Code Automation tool
Software testing platform
has rolled out Low Code Automation, a solution to simplify test automation for quality assurance teams, developers, and non-technical users.The newly launched solution will address challenges faced by software teams, including manual testing delays and complex automation frameworks, BrowserStack said in a statement.
While traditional test automation requires coding expertise by often limiting non-technical testers to contribute, this tool allows user—irrespective of their technical background—to create and manage AI-driven automated tests without writing code. Users can also use BrowserStack’s cloud infrastructure for reliable test execution.
“(The AI-powered Low-Code Automation (LCA) simplifies the process of building and maintaining test automation suites compared to traditional tools like Selenium. It reduces the steep learning curve and complexity often associated with automation projects, leading to a quicker return on investment (ROI),” Chintan Doshi, Director of Product Management at BrowserStack, told YourStory.
To support development teams worldwide, Low Code Automation speeds up testing cycles, boosts product quality, and enhances user experience by reducing technical barriers.
“Citizen testers—such as business analysts, product managers, and customer support teams—can easily add validations and create automated tests with the test recorder, without requiring coding skills. This reduces their dependency on developers and QAs and empowers them to actively contribute to testing efforts,” Doshi explained.
Founded in 2011 by Ritesh Arora and Nakul Aggarwal, BrowserStack provides a cloud-based platform for developers to test websites and mobile apps across devices, operating systems, and browsers on demand.
With headquarters in San Francisco and Mumbai, the company has expanded its product line to include over 15 products, of which 10 were launched in the past 18 months.
In August, the Accel-backed firm acquired Berlin-based Bird Eats Bug, an advanced bug-reporting tool. The acquisition aims to address the existing gaps in bug reporting and streamline fragmented testing workflows.
Startup
Flipkart’s delivery arm Instakart reports widening losses, lower revenue in FY24
Flipkart’s delivery service arm Instakart’s FY24 losses increased multifold to Rs 1718.4 crore, from Rs 324.6 crore in the previous year, hurt by higher expenses and marginally lower revenues.
The company, which is in the logistics, warehouse, courier and allied services business, clocked an operating revenue of Rs 12,115.3 crore in FY24, 5% lower than Rs 12,787.4 crore it posted a year ago, according to filings made with Toefler.
During the period, the company’s total expenses increased 6% to Rs 14,149.4 crore, mainly driven by employee benefit and other expenses.
Logistics services accounted for the majority (about 78%) of Instakart’s total operating revenues, with Rs 9,429.8 crore, marginally lower than what it collected in the previous year.
Warehousing services, which accounted for about 10% of total operating revenues, witnessed a 28.4% drop in revenue, while collection services, which accounted for 12%, remained stable.
Just a week ago, Flipkart Internet reported a 21% rise in FY24 revenue at Rs 17,907.3 crore helped by rising income from its advertising services.
Flipkart India Ltd, which is Flipkart’s business-to-business (B2B) arm, reported a 26.4% rise in revenue from operations at Rs 70,541.9 crore in FY24.
Startup
Google Cloud to boost support for early-stage AI startups with new programmes, partnerships
has rolled out a range of programmes and partnerships to accelerate the growth of AI startups In India. The initiatives, announced at an AI Startups Summit in Bengaluru, will support early-stage AI founders in building, scaling, and expanding their customer base through the utilisation of Google Cloud services.
The tech giant recently introduced Emerging ISV Partner Springboard—a 12-week programme designed to fuel growth for AI startups. Participants will benefit from hands-on support in creating go-to-market assets, consultations with Google AI experts for product refinement, guidance on technical architecture best practices, and streamlined onboarding to Google Cloud Marketplace.
“Google is committed to empowering AI startups to drive innovation and growth. These initiatives demonstrate our dedication to providing critical support and resources to early-stage founders, helping them build and scale successful AI-powered businesses,” said Manish Gupta, Senior Director, Research, Google DeepMind.
During a fireside chat at the Global Google Cloud Summit, Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian applauded startups leveraging AI and cloud technology.
“At Google Cloud, our mission is to support these pioneers by providing the essential tools, resources, and mentorship they need to thrive. Through strategic partnerships, tailored programs, and advanced infrastructure, we are committed to enabling businesses to scale their impact and drive the next wave of digital transformation,” said Kurian.
Early-stage founders will receive enhanced support through the Google for Startups Cloud Program, which will offer $200,000 in Google Cloud credits over two years. AI-based startups will receive even greater support, receiving $350,000 in credits to address the demanding computational needs of advanced AI development, the company said in a statement.
In addition, Google has collaborated with Y Combinator to provide exclusive access to NVIDIA H100 GPUs and Google Cloud TPUs, along with cloud credits, support, and mentorship for its Summer 2024 group of AI-focused startups.
Furthermore, the tech giant is also joining forces with early-stage accelerators and incubators such as 500, StartX, and Berkeley Skydeck to provide early-stage founders with a special package, including Google Cloud credits, expert advice, and technical workshops
Earlier, the California-headquartered firm also announced the launch of Startup School: GenAI, a four-week training programme designed to help startups leverage AI.
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