For the first time in history, four Indian cities – Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Ahmedabad – lit up in unison with spectacular drone shows performed by BotLab Dynamics to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. 

BotLab Dynamics celebrates PM Narendra Modi’s 75th birthday across India with Multi-City Drone Shows

The PM Modi Birthday Drone Show, designed and executed by BotLab Dynamics, an IIT Delhi Startup, showcased the scale, precision, and vision of India’s homegrown drone technology. For the first time ever, four cities witnessed coordinated multi-city drone shows, making this celebration as iconic as the leader it honored. The showcase proved that Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), once seen primarily through the lens of defense, are now redefining entertainment and public celebrations in India at an unprecedented scale.

About the Prime Minister Narendra Modi Birthday Drone Show
The formations carried deep symbolic significance. A glowing portrait of Prime Minister Modi opened the show, followed by the Indian Map and Globe, reflecting India’s expanding global influence. The fighter jet salute symbolized national defence and pride, while the commanding Made in India lion embodied Atmanirbhar Bharat. This formation was especially significant as every drone in the performance was designed and manufactured in India by BotLab Dynamics.

The journey continued with depictions of Digital India and Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan, cornerstones of Modi Ji’s leadership. This was followed by a powerful formation of the Prime Minister as “The People’s Champion” – addressing the nation as a visionary leader who has driven India’s development while honoring its rich history and cultural roots.

From there, the skies transitioned to the image of a Global Leader through “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam – One World, One Family,” symbolizing India’s role in uniting the world. The show culminated in the message “Happy Birthday Modi Ji – From Citizens of India,” creating a deeply emotional and unifying moment across all four cities.

These Prime Minister Birthday Drone Shows demonstrated that India now leads in deploying drone technology for large-scale celebrations, setting a benchmark for the world in how technology can honor leadership, culture, and collective pride.

About the Drone Show Company
Speaking on the achievement, a BotLab Dynamics spokesperson said, “We are proud that this tribute, made possible with our drones designed and built in India, reflects the spirit of Atmanirbharta, that our PM supports. This achievement would not have been possible without the support of the Government of India, and we see it as an opportunity to showcase India’s innovation on the global stage.”

Another spokesperson highlighted “This show came to us just last Saturday, and in three days our team pulled off four simultaneous drone shows at this scale….honestly, we’re amazed ourselves. No one else in India could have taken this on in terms of tech, scale, or ambition. If we hadn’t said yes, it simply wouldn’t have happened.”

The IIT startup is best known for working with brands like Mercedes, Zomato, TATA, Mahindra etc. They have also performed drone shows in India for events like Mahakumbh 2025, IPL, ICC Cricket World Cup, IIFA, National Games, Ayodhya Deepotsav, Beating Retreat etc. In 2024, the company also secured five Guinness World Records during the Amaravati Drone Summit, cementing its reputation as India’s leader in drone light shows.

Click here to learn more about the company: www.botlabdynamics.com

Show Locations: Delhi (Yamuna Ghatt), Mumbai (Wankhede Stadium), Bengaluru (RBNMS Ground), and Ahmedabad (Sabarmati Riverfront).

Gold prices worldwide have surged past US$3,000/oz, touching record highs as global debt concerns, geopolitical uncertainties, and monetary easing expectations reshape the bullion landscape. In India, this has translated into domestic prices hovering around Rs. 1,01–1,02 lakh per 10 grams. Despite the elevated levels, demand remains resilient, with families pawning old jewellery, Jewellers innovating with lighter designs, and investors increasingly shifting toward financial gold products reflecting a dynamic consumer market adapting to affordability without severing cultural ties.
 

Mohit Kamboj, CEO, Aspect Global Ventures and Former National President, IBJA outlines reforms, consumer assurance, and future opportunities for India in bullion markets
 

One of the most significant structural changes this year has been the reduction of import duties 6% on refined gold and 5.35% on gold doré. This reform, hailed as the most consequential in a decade, has curbed smuggling, encouraged legal imports, and strengthened transparency in the retail ecosystem. Alongside, regulatory measures such as hallmarking of 9K gold and the extension of HUID-based hallmarking to silver are reinforcing consumer trust by ensuring product quality and minimizing disputes.
 

Institutional infrastructure is also maturing. The India International Bullion Exchange (IIBX) has expanded into silver and gold futures, providing exporters and jewellers with vital hedging tools while gradually positioning India as a participant in global price discovery. If participation deepens, IIBX could be a critical lever in shifting India’s role from a price taker to a price influencer on the global stage.
 

“India has already made path-breaking reforms that put the bullion industry on a transparent and resilient basis. If we persist with disciplined policy implementation, hallmarking, risk management, and extended use of infrastructure such as IIBX, India can not only withstand global pressures but also emerge as a reliable leader in bullion markets worldwide,” said Mohit Kamboj, CEO, Aspect Global Ventures and Former National President of the India Bullion and Jewellers Association (IBJA).

Key words: Mohit Kamboj, Aspect Global Ventures, Aspect Bullion & Refinery, Mohit Kamboj Bharatiya

BharatGen, India’s first government-backed multimodal Sovereign AI flagship initiative, has been awarded funding of Rs. 988.6 crore by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY). The formal announcement was made by Hon’ble Union Minister of Electronics G IT, Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, during an event at Hotel The Ashok, New Delhi.

Hon’ble Union Minister of Electronics & IT, Ashwini Vaishnaw, made the formal announcement at an event held in Delhi

The allocation positions BharatGen as the foremost beneficiary of the Rs. 1,500 crore IndiaAI Mission 2025, highlighting its central role in building India’s sovereign AI ecosystem.

The funding will help BharatGen create powerful AI models, including Large Language and Multimodal Models with up to one trillion parameters, as well as smaller models designed for specific uses. It will also boost the development of India-focused technologies like text-to-speech, speech recognition, and vision-language tools. The models are expected to support real-world applications across key areas such as agriculture, governance, finance, healthcare, and education. To make this possible, BharatGen will train the models on advanced supercomputing clusters, while also setting aside resources for other essential needs.

Earlier this year, BharatGen launched Param-1, a bilingual LLM with 2.9 billion parameters, pretrained on 5 trillion tokens in English and Hindi. The next phase will expand to multilingual and multimodal AI systems across all 22 scheduled Indian languages, ensuring equitable access for every citizen. The BharatGen consortium includes leading institutions such as IIT Bombay, IIT Madras, IIIT Hyderabad, IIT Kanpur, IIT Hyderabad, IIT Mandi, IIM Indore, IIIT Delhi, and IIT Kharagpur, strengthening the mission’s collaborative foundation.

Sharing his excitement on the announcement, Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, IIT Bombay & Principal Investigator stated, “The allocation will empower BharatGen to advance its foundational models, strengthen India’s AI infrastructure, drive enterprise adoption, and enable developers through our Sovereign AI stack, while ensuring inclusive access across the country’s diverse linguistic and cultural landscape. As a national sovereign AI ecosystem, BharatGen brings together a consortium of dedicated faculty members committed to this vision.”

Commenting on the development, Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President, BharatGen stated, “This landmark allocation by MeitY signals India’s resolve to build sovereign AI at scale. With BharatGen, we are laying the foundations of an AI ecosystem that reflects the diversity of our nation while advancing India’s leadership in the global technology landscape.”

Prof Abhay Karandikar, Secretary DST also expressed his enthusiasm, “I extend my heartfelt congratulations to the entire BharatGen team for this well-deserved support by India AI Mission for scaling the technology. It’s truly inspiring to witness the remarkable scale and speed of the progress that the BharatGen team has achieved. We at the Department of Science & Technology are proud to have been a part of the revolutionary journey for sovereign LLM and we are confident that with this ‘whole of government’ approach, BharatGen is poised for an even brighter and greater future.”

Professor Kedare, Director, IIT Bombay stated, “At IIT Bombay, we are very happy to host BharatGen as a National Sovereign AI Ecosystem that works laterally across academia and industry. It is to the credit of Team BharatGen’s leadership of Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan and Mr. Rishi Bal that IIT Bombay will play a central role in India’s sovereign AI journey. We are extremely grateful to the India AI Mission, MeitY and the Department of Science and Technology for helping set up this initiative through BharatGen.”

Mr. Krishnan, Secretary MeitY states, “I am delighted to see BharatGen taking on the crucial responsibility of developing a sovereign GenAI stack for our nation. The India AI mission is delighted to facilitate their effort through 988.6 Cr of funding over 1 year to build LLM models in the range of 1 trillion parameters. This unique consortium has set a good precedent for effectively bridging the gap between academic research and downstream applications. We are proud to see this completely government-funded mission thriving in its goal to build a robust Gen AI ecosystem for India. We are looking up to Team BharatGen to make a mark globally as India’s Sovereign AI.”

BharatGen is led by Rishi Bal, Executive Vice President, and Prof. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, IIT Bombay, Principal Investigator. Their combined leadership bridges cutting-edge academic rigor with enterprise-scale execution.

About BharatGen

BharatGen is a pioneering initiative by the BharatGen Consortium, envisioned as a comprehensive suite of Generative AI technologies designed to serve India’s diverse socio-cultural, linguistic, and industrial needs. Anchored under the Technology Innovation Hub (TIH), IIT Bombay, and supported by the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, BharatGen is the nation’s first government-funded Multimodal Large Language Model (LLM) project. The initiative is developing inclusive and efficient AI across 22 Indian languages, integrating text, speech, and images to create robust AI solutions built for India’s realities.

Beanery Foods, a Hyderabad-based startup, has launched a range of lactose-free, no refined sugar, clean-label milkshakes, crafted for those with lactose intolerance, digestive sensitivities and the fast-growing community of health-conscious Indians seeking smarter indulgences. Launched under the brand name ‘Zumi’, the naturally creamier and sweeter lactose-free formula is gentler on the gut and sweetened with monk fruit and jaggery, making it a healthier alternative. The product is now available across three cities, including Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Chennai via www.zumifoods.com and amazon and will soon be available on quick commerce platforms.

Tetra Pak start-up challenge winner, ZUMI, launches Lactose-Free, No Refined Sugar Milkshakes

ZUMI is one of the winners of Startup Challenge 2024 by Tetra Pak India, in partnership with Startup India, an initiative aimed at fostering innovation in India’s F&B ecosystem. Through the programme, Zumi received comprehensive support in product development, mentorship, and commercialization, along with access to Tetra Pak’s Product Development Centre in Chakan for hands-on assistance in product formulation and testing.

The milkshakes come in three delectable flavours inspired by the Indian desserts including Rose Kulfi, Rasmalai, and Chocolate- catering to varied palates across the country. Packaged in convenient, hygienic, ready-to-drink Tetra Pak packaging, Zumi’s milkshakes are designed for today’s on-the-go consumer, with each 200ml package serving delivers 6–7 grams of protein.

Lactose-Free Formula for Everyone

Lactose-free milk delivers the same rich nutritional profile as regular milk, while being easier to digest. This makes it a smarter everyday choice for a spectrum of consumers – from fitness enthusiasts, schoolchildren, and working professionals, to individuals with digestive sensitivities, and anyone seeking a healthier lifestyle. Milk is a dietary staple in India, and nearly 30% of consumers recognize their lactose intolerance—despite studies indicating that up to 70% may actually be affected. Zumi’s products are thoughtfully crafted to meet these varied dietary needs, transforming everyday indulgences into healthier, functional choices—without compromising on taste or experience.

Naturally Sweeter, Makes for a Dessert with No Guilt
Lactose-free milk is made by adding lactase [naturally occurring enzyme], which breaks down lactose into simpler sugars (glucose and galactose), making it naturally sweeter than regular milk. Combining lactose-free milk with natural zero GI sweeteners like monk fruit gives ZUMI Milkshakes it’s creamy rich taste which makes these milkshakes an ideal alternative to calorie-heavy desserts. Perfect when served straight from the pack, or even as a base for smoothies and healthy dessert recipes, Zumi’s shakes bring convenience, nutrition and delectable flavour to the table.

Commenting on the launch, Thapasya Vijayaraghavan, Founder, Zumi Foods, said, “We are excited to serve the ever-conscious Indian consumer with our clean, lactose-free, no refined sugar milkshakes and redefine how India snacks and indulges. At ZUMI, our vision is to make better-for-you indulgence a joyful, guilt-free choice for everyone, combining nutrition with exceptional taste. Lactose-free milk retains all the nutrition of regular milk while being gentler on the gut and naturally sweeter, making it a healthier choice for everyone-not just those with lactose intolerance. With the extraordinary support and mentorship of Tetra Pak and Startup India, we’ve transformed our vision into reality-redefining indulgence in India-where taste meets health, without compromise.”

Cassio Simoes, MD, Tetra Pak South Asia, added, “At Tetra Pak, we see it as our responsibility as an industry leader to nurture India’s food and beverage ecosystem. Zumi brings a refreshing perspective to India’s beverage space, combining functionality and flavour, and we are delighted to have supported their journey from concept to shelf through our Startup Challenge—providing access to our global expertise, infrastructure, and mentorship. As we continue to collaborate with promising entrepreneurs, our goal is to build a stronger, more sustainable F&B ecosystem that benefits consumers, startups, and the industry.”

Sanjiv Singh, Joint Secretary, Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Startup India said, “India’s startup ecosystem has become one of the most dynamic in the world, with over 180,000+ recognised startups across 770+ districts (as of August 2025). Nearly 52% of them are from tier-2 and 3 cities.

Home-grown startups are therefore in a unique position to combine global best practices with local insights, creating products that resonate with modern Indian consumers and push India’s reputation as a hub for food & beverage innovation. We are proud to support initiatives like Tetra Pak’s Start-Up Challenge and remain committed to fostering an ecosystem where these startups can scale, generate meaningful employment, and help India capture even greater value from its innovation landscape.”

With the launch of its no refined sugar, lactose-free milkshakes, Zumi Foods is setting a new benchmark for healthy indulgence in India. Over the coming year, the brand aims to expand its footprint across more cities, introduce new flavours, in paper-based Tetra Pak packaging – continuing its mission to make functional, clean-label beverages accessible to all.

Know more about Tetra Pak’s technology here: Tetra Pak – lactose-free milk production.

About Zumi Foods

Zumi Foods is a Hyderabad-based startup redefining everyday dairy with its range of lactose-free, no refined sugar, protein-rich, clean-label milkshakes. Founded by a young entrepreneur, Thapasya Vijay, who discovered her own lactose intolerance, the brand was born out of a need to create indulgent yet functional alternatives in a country where dairy beverages is a staple. Over time, she realized that lactose-free milk isn’t just for lactose intolerant, it can be gentler on the gut, naturally sweeter, and a healthier choice for everyone. With flavours inspired by India’s culinary heritage and crafted for the modern, health-conscious consumer, Zumi Foods is on a mission to make smarter, healthier indulgence accessible to all.

Zen Mobility, an emerging player in sustainable urban mobility solutions, announced the launch of its latest electric vehicles — Pixi Pod and Pico Pod. This expansion adds to the company’s range of solutions for India’s micro-mobility and short-haul logistics sector.

Zen Mobility launches Pico and Pixi Pod

Over the past year, Zen Mobility’s three-wheeler Micro Pod has been adopted by platforms including Zomato, Blinkit, Porter, Flipkart, Amazon, and Delhivery. Developed over seven years, the Micro Pod addressed practical challenges in ‘large order’ deliveries, providing an alternative to overloaded two-wheelers and underutilised vans. From concept to category-creator: Zen Micro Pods have logged 8.5 million+ km in just two years, completing over 5.6 million deliveries.

The launch of Pixi Pod and Pico Pod comes at a time of rapid change in urban transport and delivery patterns. These vehicles are built for durability and practical use, aiming to serve personal mobility and urban logistics networks in the future.

Product Highlights

Pixi Pod

• The Urban Workhorse: Sleek two-wheeler designed for personal use, shared mobility, or light cargo transport.

• Capacity: Passenger 1+1 or 1+light cargo box | Battery: 2.3 kWh swappable LFP | Speed: up to 45 km/hr | Range: 80-100 km

• Starting Price: Rs. 65,000

Pico Pod

• The Ultimate Delivery Beast: Next-Gen two-wheeler designed for heavier loads and enhanced stability

• Capacity: Rider + Cargo (up to 50kg) | Battery: 3.8 kWh swappable LFP | Speed: up to 45 km/hr | Range: 80–100 km | Cargo volume: 15 cu. ft.

• Starting Price: Rs. 1,11,000

Both vehicles include suspension systems, LED lighting, and options for refrigerated or insulated cargo boxes for food, pharma, and cold-chain deliveries.

Commenting on the launch, Namit Jain, CEO and Founder of Zen Mobility, said, “Consumers today expect fast deliveries, convenience, and affordability—it’s no longer a luxury, it’s the standard. With our new Pico Pod and Pixi Pod, we’re introducing vehicles that are nimble, long-lasting, and highly affordable—built to support the gig economy, personal mobility, and last-mile delivery networks. Our approach is simple: deliver the highest quality and reliability at the lowest cost. These vehicles reflect that promise. Designed for India with global potential, they cater to the evolving needs of our domestic market while also serving the fast-growing regions in the MENA and Southeast Asia. At Zen, this isn’t just the launch of new vehicles—it’s the start of a mobility movement: making sustainable, efficient, and dependable transport accessible to all, while shaping the future of urban commerce worldwide.”

Availability

Pre-bookings open 25 September 2025, with deliveries starting 7 October 2025 through Zen Mobility’s official channels and authorized partners across major urban centers in India.

About Zen Mobility

Zen Mobility is a visionary electric vehicle company committed to redefining sustainable mobility in India. Focused on innovation, design, and impact, Zen develops tailored EV solutions that empower businesses, reduce emissions, and transform urban transportation. From purpose-built logistics vehicles to smart personal mobility solutions, Zen is accelerating India’s transition to a cleaner, greener, and more efficient future.

• Bhavesh will advise on Strategy, Growth, Product & Technology and User Experience

• From 200,000 users today, SaveSage is on track to serve 1 million by March 2026

SaveSage, India’s leading AI-driven platform for credit card and loyalty programs optimisation, today announced the appointment of Bhavesh Gupta as Senior Advisor and Anchor Investor.

SaveSage Welcomes Paytm Ex-COO Bhavesh Gupta as Senior Advisor and Anchor Investor

Bhavesh previously was President & COO at Paytm helping it scale financial services and payments to dominant position. Before that, he led Clix Capital (a leading NBFC) as its founding CEO and had senior roles at IDFC First Bank and ICICI Bank in areas of retail banking in a career spanning over 27 years.

His appointment comes at a critical moment for India’s credit card market. The country has over 112 million^ credit cards across 75 million* unique users, yet more than 50%** of reward points go unredeemed each year due to low awareness or complicated redemption processes.  SaveSage is tackling this challenge through its AI-driven platform that helps users seamlessly track, manage, and maximise rewards.

Bhavesh Gupta said, “The credit card and loyalty rewards space in India is at an inflection point. With increased rewards awareness, evolving customer preferences, and digital adoption, SaveSage is poised for exponential growth. The opportunity to help users derive maximum value from their credit cards and loyalty programs is massive, and I’m excited to partner with the team to shape this journey.”

Ashish Lath, Founder & CEO of SaveSage, said, “We are thrilled to have Bhavesh Sir guide us as we scale our efforts to empower users across India. His experience and strategic insights will help us deepen our impact and ensure that users are not just using their credit cards for expenses, but optimising them intelligently. With over 200,000 users already leveraging our platform, his guidance will enable us to hyperscale and bring even more value to our community.”

Since launching in October 2024, the SaveSage app has already grown to 200,000 users, ranging from students to professionals to UHNIs, and is on track to reach 1 million users by March 2026. With Bhavesh’s guidance, SaveSage is doubling down on its mission to make every credit card in India work harder for its users.

About SaveSage

SaveSage is a mobile application that empowers users to track, manage, and maximize the value of their credit cards and loyalty program reward points. Launched in October 2024, SaveSage has quickly scaled to over 200,000 users and is on track to reach one million by March 2026. With a 4.8 rating on the Google Play Store, SaveSage is trusted by a fast-growing community of savvy consumers. The company is backed by leading investors including DSP Family Office, iSeed, Atrium Ventures, LV Fund, and prominent angels such as Bhavesh Gupta, Dr. Shriram Nene, Ravi Narayanan amongst others.

To know more, visit www.savesage.club

^As per RBI monthly data release for July 2025

*SaveSage internal estimates

**SaveSage Credit Card Survey 2025