Highlights
Tata Elxsi Partners with National Aerospace Laboratories for Advanced Air Mobility
Tata Elxsi and CSIR-National Aerospace Laboratories (CSIR-NAL) have formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate on advanced air mobility initiatives. This partnership will concentrate on:
- Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)
- Urban Air Mobility (UAM)
- Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft
The collaboration aims to accelerate product development by providing access to cutting-edge testing facilities and technical expertise. Tata Elxsi and CSIR-NAL will work together on several technologies including:
- Aerodynamic design
- Autonomous systems
- Secure communications for both manned and unmanned air mobility systems
Fundalogical Ventures Launches FV Trailblazers Programme
Fundalogical Ventures, a fund focused on sustainable supply chains and logistics, has introduced the inaugural FV Trailblazers programme. This initiative intends to assist companies in obtaining up to $5 million in growth capital, along with:
- Mentorship from industry leaders
- Strategic guidance
The programme will primarily target organisations in essential sectors including:
- Supply chain optimisation
- Logistics
- Automation
- Green logistics
Applications for the programme will close on January 18, 2025, with shortlisted candidates being notified within two weeks after the deadline, as stated in a recent announcement. The fund has the backing of notable industry figures such as:
- Krishna Kotak (JM Baxi Group)
- Tushar Jani (Blue Dart Express)
- Suryakant Parekh (Parekh Group)
- Khalid Vohra (Sai Shipping)
- Mehernosh Currawalla (Fak Cargo)
BluSmart Expands to Mumbai
The electric vehicle ride-hailing startup BluSmart has extended its services to Mumbai, complementing its existing operations in Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, and Dubai. The initial offerings will include rentals and airport transportation, servicing key areas from Goregaon to Bandra, which includes the commercial centre of Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC). Plans for gradual citywide growth are also in place.
Founded in 2019, BluSmart operates as a fully electric ride-hailing platform and maintains its own EV charging infrastructure network.
Myntra Partners with GetVantage for the D2C Rising Star Initiative
Fashion marketplace Myntra has joined forces with growth capital provider GetVantage to offer exclusive access to the D2C Rising Star initiative for the latter’s portfolio brands. In this partnership, select brands from GetVantage—such as Tjori, Valkyre, Ornaz, Nua Woman, Jade Forest, and Elaver Sports—will join Myntra’s exclusive D2C Rising Star initiative, enabling them to leverage:
- Platform scale
- Trend-based insights
- Dedicated account management
Myntra aims to onboard 500 D2C brands within the fashion, beauty, and grooming sectors through its D2C Rising Star initiative by the end of the year. Previous participating brands have seen an average of 2X growth in demand.
New Relic Appoints Ved Antani as SVP of Engineering
AI platform New Relic has announced the appointment of Ved Antani as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Managing Director of the Hyderabad Innovation Centre, as part of its expansion strategy in the region. Antani brings over 15 years of experience in scalable platform and product development across various sectors, including:
- Ecommerce
- Gaming
- Enterprise technology
In his new role, he will concentrate on attracting top engineering talent and facilitating broader business growth. Prior to joining New Relic, Antani held significant positions including Chief Product and Technology Officer at BetterPlace and Managing Director of Twilio India. His career also includes leadership roles in growth and engineering at SendGrid, JioCinema, Myntra, and Electronic Arts.
(This article will be updated with the latest news throughout the day.)