Conflicting accounts about how violence broke out around vehicles reportedly part of minister Ajay Mishra’s convoyNine people have been killed in violent clashes during a protest by hundreds of farmers in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, in a d…
Indian edtech giant Byju’s valued at $18 billion in new funding
Byju’s has raised about $300 million as part of a larger round of new investment as the Indian edtech giant focuses on expanding its international business and aggressively explores merger and acquisition opportunities. A filing, supplied to TechCrunch by research firm Tofler, showed that the new investment values the startup at $18 billion, up from […]
B Capital in talks to back Indian neobank Fi
B Capital Group, which last week co-led Indian social commerce Meesho’s $570 million funding, is in advanced stages of talks to back Bangalore-based neobank Fi (formerly known as epiFi), many aware of the talks told me. Fi offers a neobanking service for millennials in India. The startup, which early last year raised $13.2 million in […]
India’s Christians living in fear as claims of ‘forced conversions’ swirl
Christians in Chhattisgarh say Hindu nationalist BJP has revived claims to tarnish reputation of rival CongressIt was a stifling July afternoon when the crowd moved into the small district of Lakholi, in the Indian state of Chhattisgarh, and gathered o…
‘Renting the Taj Mahal’: the fight to save Darjeeling’s toy train
India’s tiny train has puffed up the Himalayas since 1881 but now the world heritage site is under threat“Darjeeling ko sano rail, hirna lai abo tyari cha / Guard le shuna bhai siti bajayo” (Darjeeling’s dainty train is all set to chug off / Oh, listen…
China roundup: Tesla supplier CATL to buy Canada’s Millennial Lithium
Hello and welcome back to TechCrunch’s China roundup, a digest of recent events shaping the Chinese tech landscape and what they mean to people in the rest of the world. China’s anti-competition tech crackdown continues to redefine the dynamics among the country’s internet giants, leading to collaboration between Alibaba and Tencent in the payments race. In […]
Coronavirus treatments: the potential ‘game-changers’ in development
After positive clinical trials for antiviral drug Molnupiravir, it joins other medicines that have shown promiseCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe first clinical trial results showing a positive effect for a pill that can b…
SoftBank-backed Oyo files for $1.16 billion IPO
Oyo is ready to explore the public markets. The eight-year-old Indian budget hotel giant has filed the paperworks (PDF) with the local market regulator for an initial public offering, in which it is seeking to raise about $1.16 billion. The Gurgaon-headquartered startup — which offers an operating system of sorts to help hoteliers accept digital bookings, payments, […]
Tech giants brace for impact in India as new payments rule goes into effect
Apple, Sony, Google, Zoom, PayPal and several other tech companies as well as scores of banks have cautioned customers and partners in India to expect a surge in declined transactions as the world’s second-largest internet market’s central bank enforces a new directive for the way recurring payments are processed in the country. The Reserve Bank […]
Indian social commerce Meesho raises $570 million at $4.9 billion valuation
Meesho has more than doubled its valuation in less than six months, to $4.9 billion, as a growing number of high-profile investors back the Indian social commerce startup that is reporting strong growth despite the pandemic. The Bangalore-headquartered firm said on Thursday it has raised $570 million in its Series F financing round, following a […]