All posts by : Empowering Indians

Outstanding individual home loans grew 16.4% Y-o-Y in FY24 indicating growing demand for housing finance, but the lending process is riddled with inefficiencies, according to a latest report on housing finance released by The Digital Fifth.

Digital transformation is imperative for ironing out bottlenecks in the home loan industry, finds the report, which was launched today at the 3rd Edition of Bharat Fintech Summit.

The report titled ‘Re-imagining Home Loans: Unlocking Speed and Efficiency through Digital Transformation’ is a deep dive into the home loan industry in India and the potential of digital transformation to revolutionize it.

The report finds that the cumulative outstanding individual home loans has reached Rs 27.37 trillion but the lending process requires significant technology overhaul across the entire home loan lifecycle, from lead generation to disbursal and servicing.

The India Stack– a framework of digital public infrastructure (DPI) components that enables digital identification, payments, and data management– has transformed the country’s financial services with digital solutions such as Aadhaar-based eKYC, UPI and the Account Aggregator.

While these solutions have reduced the onboarding time, eased credit assessments and improved access to secured home loans, major bottlenecks prevail in legal verification, property valuation and land record digitization.

“The home loan sector is undergoing a major shift with players exploring technological avenues to improve customer experience, provide personalised services, ease the verification process and reduce time to disbursal. And yet, challenges persist. We believe the time is right for organizations to make a leap to provide digital-first solutions, create a system that is efficient, inclusive and future-proof,” said Sameer Singh Jaini, founder and Chief Executive Officer, The Digital Fifth, a firm that drives digital transformation for the banking, finance, services and insurance (BFSI) industry.

India currently has a severe housing shortage of 100 million and 95 million in the affordable housing category. To cater to the growing need for secured home loans, India needs a robust and seamless loan industry. Even as 80% of the secured lending processes can be automated, the remaining 20% involves complex, manual workflows that need to be digitized.

Laks Duraiswamy MD & CEO Sundaram Home Finance, said, “Digitization is set to transform the home loan landscape in India by enhancing transparency, accessibility and customer engagement across the ecosystem. By streamlining processes, reducing turnaround times and improving customer experiences, technology is simplifying the borrowing journey while empowering lenders to reach a wider audience with greater precision. This transformation will pave the way for a more robust, scalable and customer-centric housing finance market in the country.”

Digitization has been a low priority for home loans since they are infrequent. Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), automation, analytics, machine learning, can help lenders not only increase their efficiencies but also offer more personalized services to customers.
The future lies in hybrid ‘phygital’ approaches that combine digital efficiency with human support to simplify due diligence and verification.

Across the home loan lifecycle, while the disbursal process is completely digitized, some aspects such as sourcing, personal discussion, property checks, credit health check, valuation report, sanction letter, etc have been partially digitized. However, processes such as title search report, legal verification report, original document verification and mortgage charge creation are barely digitized. Solutions proposed in the report include digital application forms, real-time lead generation, digital KYC, digital credit assessment, centralized fraud detection, virtual personal discussions, digital valuation practices, automated title search reports, risk management and loan recovery.

Digital transformation leader SID Global Solutions launched a patented unified digital platform to help customers in the banking, finance, services and insurance (BFSI) industry innovate and scale their businesses with artificial intelligence (AI).

Launched at the 3rd edition of the Bharat Fintech Summit 2025, SAMi is an integrated portal that brings together the power of AI, application programming interfaces (APIs) and owner digital solutions to provide businesses with connectivity, robust security and an intelligent monetisation platform.

It can be seamlessly plugged into a business to simplify AI and API adoption and in turn reduce time-to-market, increase revenue and enhance compliance and security.

“India’s fintech ecosystem is poised for exponential growth, especially with the power of AI. SAMi is designed to help businesses in the BFSI industry seamlessly integrate AI and APIs to scale up, enhance their offerings and optimize their revenues. SID Global Solutions is committed to enabling enterprises to thrive in a digital-first era,” said Venkat M  CEO, SID Global Solution

Even as the global API management and marketplace grows, the digital solutions and APIs are often fragmented. With this market expected to grow from $9.07 billion in 2024 to $169.33 billion by 2034, at a CAGR of 34%, SAMi can help businesses leapfrog towards the future through simplified integration. Based on current API management trends, SAMi expects to capture 0.5% of this market by 2034 to have $846 million in potential revenue.

SID Global further plans to expand into specific verticals like fintech, retail and healthcare to further boost revenues.

The patented platform addresses key business challenges by eliminating the complexity of API and AI integration. The in-built AI-powered API accelerator speeds up launch, creation and deployment of digital products. It unlocks new revenue streams for API integration while maintaining enterprise-grade security and compliance.

“With SAMi, we have made it simpler and faster for companies to integrate and manage APIs and adopt AI for better results, all while maintaining the highest standards of security and regulatory compliance,” said Saurabh Pandit.Sr Director, SID Global

By leveraging Google Cloud, SAMi delivers scalability, security and reliability to empower businesses to thrive in a highly competitive market.  The platform is available for a live demonstration at the Bharat Fintech Summit, which brings together fintech innovators, financial institutions and experts from the BFSI industry.

With over 20 years of experience, SID Global Solutions is a leading AI-driven digital transformation enabler. It works across industries such as retail, banking and finance, telecommunications, public services, transport and logistics, real estate, healthcare and education. Since its inception in 2006, the company has delivered 250+ digital transformation projects for businesses worldwide.

FollowG, a B2B retail solutions provider, has launched a seller app tailored for the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC). This app aims to support small and medium-sized electronics retailers across India by connecting them with buyers nationwide via the ONDC Network.

Founded by industry veteran Poonam Gugale in early 2022, FollowG offers an integrated retail operating platform powered by AI that connects brands, retailers, and consumers.

The platform features a B2B app, a cloud-based ERP system, support for ONDC Network integration, along with Retailer Credit. This addresses critical challenges faced by small and medium-sized retailers in the digital age.

The company aims to empower retailers and enhance their sales, purchase and operations through its comprehensive digital and physical distribution system. To achieve this, FollowG is implementing blockchain, IoT, AI, and advanced technology across India.

These solutions optimize operations, enhance profitability, and facilitate seamless digital transformation. FollowG’s cutting-edge, comprehensive platform offers a user-friendly interface, robust features, and integrated tools to streamline operations, manage inventory, and fulfill orders efficiently.

“FollowG by integrating with ONDC Network is democratising e-commerce in India by providing a level playing field for electronic sellers. Our goal is to simplify the technology play for electronic retail which is biggest industry in E-commerce and retail in India and make it accessible to stakeholders at an affordable cost,” said Poonam Gugale, CEO of FollowG.

She added, “We believe ONDC Network has the potential to transform the industry. FollowG is committed to contributing to the success of ONDC Network by empowering manufacturers and retailers with the tools they need to thrive.”

By partnering with FollowG, the retailers can sell across India through their stores and online via ONDC Network. These retailers carry more inventory than the combined inventories of sellers of all significant e-commerce platforms.

FollowG’s Seller app is a key link between sellers and India’s vast market through the ONDC Network. With FollowG, businesses can quickly join the ONDC Network, set up stores, create product catalogues, and seamlessly start selling through buyer apps like Paytm.

In addition to its core seller app, FollowG offers white-label solutions for electronic brands seeking to establish their presence on ONDC Network. This strategic approach is expected to attract major players in the electronics market and further strengthen FollowG’s position within the ONDC ecosystem.

FollowG has sold over 70,000 mobile phones through its B2B platform and achieved a GMV of Rs 336 crore within a year of its B2B App launch with PAT positive.

Dressfolk, celebrated as one of India’s most loved handloom clothing brands, has secured a fresh round of undisclosed funding led by Eternal Capital, along with prominent D2C founders Ghazal Alagh (Founder, Mamaearth) and Dhruv Koli (Founder, Boba Bhai), with participation from Nobody Ventures and Eagle Wings Ventures.

Additionally, 3 Peaks Ventures also joined the round while existing investors All In Capital, Sidhant Keshwani (of Libas) and Vidur Kataria (of Master Chow) doubled down their trust in the brand.

Nitin Mehrotra, Dressfolk’s founder and CEO said “Dressfolk focuses on marrying design and comfort, which deeply resonates with our customers. Wearing authentic handlooms and craftsmanship is a matter of pride for the people and the newly raised funds will enable us to rapidly expand our offerings beyond sarees and build a broader portfolio of contemporary Indian wear.”

While many new-age fashion brands focus on fast fashion trends. Dressfolk saw a gap in the market for quality Indian wear for people over 25 that is timeless and classic. By introducing differentiated designs in natural, handwoven fabrics, the brand has introduced a fresh take on Indian wear, slowly replacing the age-old ones made in synthetic fabrics.

“Our conviction in Dressfolk comes not only from their unique business model, which places Bharat and its artisanal heritage at the core, but also from their stellar team, led by Nitin, whose deep and contextual experience gives the company an edge over its peers.” – Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl, Managing Partner at Eternal Capital.

Besides its website, the brand has scaled its distribution through leading marketplaces such as Aza Fashions, Nykaa, and Myntra, while also hosting pop-ups across India.

Having grown close to 200% in FY24, the brand has an AOV of over INR 7,000 and is on a mission to modernise timeless Indian weaves while empowering the local weavers community. Currently, it collaborates with a network of over 800 weavers and 120 artisans across six states.

Dressfolk aims to take Indian handloom global by expanding into international markets through a brand-new international website. The brand’s low order return rate is a testament to the deep customer love and trust it enjoys, including from A-list celebrities. Dressfolk’s long-term vision is to build the most desirable destination for high-quality Indian handlooms and crafts.

Bambinos Learning Solutions, an online English tutoring platform for kids between age 4-14, aims for an ARR of Rs 100 crore by the end of 2025 on the back of a major expansion plan and innovative product launches.

Bambinos distinguishes itself in the EdTech landscape with its AI-driven advanced teaching pedagogy, tailored to each child’s unique learning style focusing on essential life skills like Confidence, Problem Solving, and Character Building.

By focusing on these foundational life skills, Bambinos ensures that children are well-prepared for future challenges while excelling in literacy, numeracy and character development.

Bambinos is tackling a critical challenge in India, where less than 10% of the population speaks English fluently. By delivering high-quality education in the K-5 space, the platform aims to bridge the linguistic divide and equip children with essential skills for a globalized world.

“Our mission is to provide every child in India with the right start in life by mastering written and spoken English, which is critical for their future success,” said Ashish Gupta, co-founder and CEO of Bambinos.

Gupta co-founded Bambinos in 2020 with Gaurav Brar to address the challenges of learning English, inspired by his own experiences during school.

Recognizing this urgent need for effective English education, Bambinos aims to empower over 15 million young learners to enhance their English communication skills.

In a short period, Bambinos has established itself as a leader in the tutoring industry, with more than 6,000 monthly active students and over 250 tutors.

In 2024, the company, which is bootstrapped so far, has generated revenue of Rs 24 crore and it is one of the rare edtechs in the country that is already EBITDA positive with a 15% margin that reflects its strong financial performance.

With a mission to expand to 100 cities across India by 2025, Bambinos is positioned to play a transformative role in the early education sector. Through innovative programs and a strong commitment to excellence, Bambinos is set to empower millions of children with the skills they need for success in an increasingly interconnected world.

Sanlayan Technologies, an emerging strategic electronics startup founded in 2023, has acquired a majority stake in 20-year-old Dexcel Electronics, an embedded systems company founded in 2000, to boost innovation in Aerospace, Defense, and Space in India.

Founded by IIT/IIM alumni and former Zetwerk employees Abhijit Kothawale, Rohan Gala, and Rahul Vamsidhar, Sanlayan raised $4.4 million in its seed round last year from prominent institutional investors, including Gemba Capital, Singularity Ventures, and others, to drive its expansion into embedded systems and the vertical integration of electronics solutions across India’s Aerospace, Defence, and Space sectors.

This acquisition will strengthen Sanlayan’s ability to deliver advanced indigenous solutions that support national security and drive technological innovation in critical sectors.

Dexcel has contributed to major defence and space projects, including Jaguar and Sukhoi aircraft upgrades and ISRO’s Chandrayaan-3 and Aditya-L1 missions.

“Joining forces with Sanlayan represents a transformative step for Dexcel. This partnership will manifold our R&D investments, enabling us to deliver impactful solutions to our customers,” said Amit Kumar Sinha, CEO & Managing Director of Dexcel Electronics Designs.

“It will not only accelerate the design-to-deployment pipeline but also drive innovation and efficiency and position Dexcel to address complex challenges in Avionics, Radar electronics, Naval systems, and signal processing,” he added.

“In Dexcel, we found a company whose products and capabilities have immense potential yet have only scratched the surface. This strategic investment allows us to scale Dexcel’s core capabilities, aligning perfectly with our mission to solve end-user challenges in embedded electronic systems,” said Rohan Gala, Co-founder & CEO of Sanlayan.

“Together, we are poised to build a strong vertically integrated strategic electronics company that supports PM Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, a testament to Sanlayan’s commitment to enhancing national security with the development of indigenous product solutions for Air, Water, Land, and Space applications.”

Sanlayan and Dexcel will showcase their innovations at Aero India 2025 from February 10 to 14.

KIKO Live, India’s first live commerce platform for retailers to sell online and also on ONDC has launched its ONDC Buyer app. Through ‘kikoshop.in,’ the company aims to revolutionise the online shopping experience.

Founded in 2020, Kiko Live has been helping small retailers build, manage, and scale their home delivery businesses with innovative SaaS solutions. Users will be able to paste an entire grocery list directly into the search box, eliminating the need to search and select individual items. The app also suggests stores with inventories matching the list. The USP of the app is the seamless user experience it offers, making shopping more efficient and user-friendly. Soon users will also be able to take photos of the grocery list and directly add items to the cart.

The Kiko buyer app has launched Quick Commerce services in limited pincodes in Delhi, where buyers can get deliveries under 30 minutes from nearby stores. Prices of the products will be matching or lower than Quick commerce platforms.

With quick logistics powered by ONDC, users will get a similar experience like quick commerce platforms but sourced from local grocery stores.

“We are excited to launch the ONDC buyer app on Kiko Live. We are confident that this will take the shopping experience to the next level. The app is already loaded with innovative features, and we are in the process of rolling out quick commerce to many more pincodes in Delhi and other cities as well,” said Alok Chawla, Co- Founder & CEO, Kiko Live. The Kiko Live buyer app will be launched in other cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, and Indore in the coming quarter.

According to Forrester, the home delivery business for neighborhood retail stores is largely unorganised and is valued at $70 billion annually. Many small retailers currently rely on phone calls and WhatsApp to manage their orders, with no digital presence or reliable logistics. This results in slow deliveries, falling short of customer expectations for quick, 30-45 minute deliveries. Kiko Live is working on solving this big challenge that the industry faces. By end of 2025, Kiko targets to associating with over 10,000 stores targeting an increase of 10-15% sales.

Going forward, Kiko Live plans to add many more features on the buyer app. Through voice search, users will be able to search for products through voice commands on the app. Kiko Live is also enabling image search via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology. This technology is expected to be launched by the end of January and will allow searches from handwritten grocery lists. With these innovative solutions planned, Kiko Live intends to become the largest non dark store led Quick Commerce platform in the country. Kiko Live’s asset light model ensures that Quick Commerce can be enabled even in Tier 2 towns, and areas with low population density, and with a wide product assortment.

Kiko Live has been focused on helping Kirana stores, pharmacies, stationery shops, and electronics vendors to create digital storefronts in as little as 24 hours. The platform also supports sellers with a product repository, a user-friendly interface, and hyperlocal logistics solutions for quick deliveries.

Robot System Products (RSP), a global leader in high-performance industrial robot accessories, has officially opened its first production facility outside of Sweden, located in Chennai, India, through its subsidiary company, Scandinavian Robot Systems India Private Limited.

RSP’s Indian subsidiary began operations in November 2023 in Tamil Nadu, one of India’s primary automotive hubs. Since then, the company has been supplying its industry-leading range of robot accessories to customers across India. In 2024, RSP experienced significant growth, especially within the automotive and automotive ancillary (Tier-1) sectors in India. To further enhance customer service, the company also established a branch office in Pune, strengthening its presence in western India.

The new facility in Chennai will focus on manufacturing key products or modules such as automatic tool changers, swivels, tool parking stands, and cable & hose management solutions. RSP is leveraging the established supplier network in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka to ensure high-quality production.

According to the International Federation of Robotics (IFR), India was the fastest-growing industrial robot market in 2023, with annual installations increasing by 50%, reaching 8,500 units. This surge in demand has positioned India as the 10th largest robotics market globally. “We are confident in our decision to establish operations in India, and the rapid market growth reinforces that India will deliver on its potential,” said Eddie Eriksson, President and CEO of Robot System Products AB.

RSP’s products are designed to enhance manufacturing flexibility and reliability across all major robot brands. As a leading innovator in the industrial automation space, RSP delivers cutting-edge solutions that improve robot performance and versatility. Among its key products, the automatic tool changers stand out for their efficiency, enabling robots to seamlessly switch between various tools—such as grippers, welders, and drills—without downtime, optimizing productivity and throughput.

Arvind Vasu, Managing Director of RSP’s India subsidiary, commented, “Indian industries are poised to boost productivity through robot-based automation, particularly in automotive electric vehicles, electronics, and other manufacturing sectors. With India’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ initiative, RSP is well-positioned to offer local industries reliable, high-quality, and flexible solutions to help them automate and achieve their goals.”

Cloud-based post-production software company Postudio announced that it has raised $1 million funding in a pre-seed round led by media-tech focused venture capital firm Audacity Venture Capital. The company also has crossed a milestone of $1 million ARR within two years of its launch and plans to double the revenues in 2025 on the back of growing demand for remote collaboration and its commitment to affordability and data security measures.

The new capital will be used for rapid scale-up, product development and expansion of the team.
Founded by media veterans Dhawal Gusain and Harish Prabhu, Postudio is revolutionizing the post-production industry with its web-based platform that provides unprecedented flexibility, scalability and affordability to creators.

Commenting on Postudio’s success and expansion plan, Dhawal Gusain, Co-founder of Postudio, said “We’ve scaled quickly  in the Indian enterprise segment in a very capital efficient manner. In 2025, we plan to sustain this momentum and expand into the U.S. market in the second half of this year.”

Co-founder Harish Prabhu, added, “At Postudio, our goal has always been to empower creative teams with tools that simplify and enhance their post-production workflows. Our platform already supports key processes like virtual editing, real-time collaboration, and seamless camera-to-edit data transfer. We’re now doubling down on innovation, integrating cutting-edge AI and Gen AI workflows to redefine post-production. For instance, our AI-driven content localization tool, currently in beta testing with clients, has received promising feedback. With an ambitious roadmap for 2025, we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in cloud-based post-production.”

Given Postudio’s flexibility, scalability and affordability, Postudio is seeing rapid adoption among media enterprises as well as many independent production houses in India. Postudio is now set to expand its reach globally with a plan to launch in the US market in H2 2025.

“Postudio has found its product-market fit and is scaling rapidly. We are optimistic about the company’s future, thanks to the founders’ industry expertise and the perfect timing of their offerings. With the growing demand for scalable, AI enabled, cloud-based solutions, we believe Postudio is poised for success, and we’re committed to supporting them throughout their journey,” said Kabir Kochhar, Founder of Audacity Venture Capital.

The global post- production market, currently valued at $30 billion, is projected to surpass $50 billion by 2030. Traditional on-premise studios and offline workflows, which have long been the industry standard, are increasingly outdated—costly, rigid, and ill-suited for the rise of remote work and AI-driven tools. Postudio is disrupting this growing market by delivering a comprehensive, on-demand, cloud-based platform that covers all post-production workflows, setting it apart from competitors.

Major media enterprises have realized 20-40% cost savings by transitioning from on-premise solutions to Postudio. The platform’s turnkey design and intuitive interface make implementation seamless, while advanced security features and robust access controls ensure unparalleled content protection for enterprise clients.