5214: Weak rupee trips up VCs; L'Oreal buys Innovist; and Can Krishna Byre Gowda make Bengaluru great again? | MC Tech3

This World MSME Day, Moneycontrol, in association with Federal Bank, brought together two entrepreneurs whose journeys span different industries but share a common thread: resilience. Subhash Agarwal, Chairman and Managing Director of Kaushalesh Group, has spent more than four decades in the steel business, while Vasu Anamalai, Managing Partner of SKS Industries, represents the second generation of a furniture manufacturing business that serves both corporate and government clients. Tune in to watch the full episode.

In today’s Tech3 from Moneycontrol, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy announces a fresh $13 billion investment in India, taking the company's planned investments between 2026 and 2030 to $48 billion as it doubles down on AI, cloud and quick commerce. We also unpack the AI-led acquisition spree reshaping India's IT industry, revisit Kunal Shah's prolific journey as one of the country's most active angel investors before taking charge of WhatsApp, and explain how SEBI's proposed advertising code could change the rules for finance influencers with large social media followings.

In today’s Tech3 from Moneycontrol, Meta’s decision to put Kunal Shah at the helm of WhatsApp highlights just how important India has become to the messaging giant’s future. We also look at why Amazon and Flipkart are taking their quick commerce battle beyond metros and into smaller cities, SEBI’s proposal to classify influencers with over five lakh followers as celebrities, and the latest leadership shake-up at Swiggy Instamart as competition in quick commerce intensifies.

In today's Tech3 from Moneycontrol, we discuss why Kunal Shah's move to WhatsApp feels like a full-circle moment and what Meta expects from the Cred founder. We also look at India's AI hiring boom despite fears of disruption, why crypto exchanges are betting on tokenised US stocks, and why Infosys chairman Nandan Nilekani believes AI will amplify, not replace, IT services companies. Tune in for all this and more from the world of startups and technology.

In today’s Tech3 from Moneycontrol, our scoop confirmed: Meta is investing around $900 million Cred and Cred’s founder, Kunal Shah, will take over as global CEO of WhatsApp. We also unpack Sebi’s new GARUDA framework that promises faster launches for venture capital funds and angel investors. They also discuss the five contenders shortlisted for the government’s AI-powered tender drafting platform, why Big Tech hiring in India is becoming more selective despite continued growth, and Moneycontrol’s report on Nandan Nilekani-backed Fundamentum Partnership preparing a new fund with a target corpus of Rs 1,800 crore to Rs 2,500 crore as investor appetite for growth-stage startups shows signs of returning.

India’s real estate sector is undergoing a profound transformation, driven by rising property prices, evolving consumer expectations, and rapid advances in technology. At the center of this shift are platforms that are reimagining how people discover, evaluate, and purchase homes.In this episode of Unusual Suspects, Hitesh Singla, Co-founder and Chief Information Officer of Square Yards, joins Gaurav Choudhury to discuss emerging growth hotspots, the future of real estate, and how technology is transforming the homebuying journey from discovery to purchase. 

In today’s episode of Moneycontrol Tech3, we unpack Reliance’s push to make AI more affordable and accessible through a new suite of India-focused AI products, alongside strong growth ahead of a potential public listing. We also dive into Meta’s talks to invest in Kunal Shah-led Cred at a valuation of around $4 billion and what that could mean for India’s payments ecosystem. Plus, why India is becoming central to Meta’s global AI infrastructure plans, and how L’Oréal’s Rs 4,000 crore acquisition of Innovist could hand founders nearly Rs 1,800 crore and deliver bumper returns to early investors.

As India lays the groundwork to become a developed nation by 2047, it must nurture the individuals who will inhabit the future we are building today. That transformation begins at Anganwadi centres, empowering parents and teachers on the ground so that the children we raise today become the torchbearers of a developed India. Through AI and WhatsApp, Rocket Learning is making this education measurable, scalable, and sustainable.On this episode of Unusual Suspects, host Gaurav Choudhury sits down with Rocket Learning co-founders Namya Mahajan and Utsav Kheria to explore their journeys, what brought them together to build Rocket Learning, and why the time for such a movement is now.

In today’s episode of Moneycontrol Tech3, we discuss how a weakening rupee is making fundraising tougher for Indian VCs, and why domestic capital is becoming more important. They also unpack L'Oréal’s acquisition of Innovist, a deal first reported by Moneycontrol. Plus, Indian deeptech startups find customers and partners in Europe at Bharat Innovates 2026, Bengaluru Development Minister Krishna Byre Gowda outlines his governance priorities, and the AI talent war heats up with Google DeepMind veteran Noam Shazeer heading to OpenAI.

In today’s episode of Tech3 by Moneycontrol, we unpack how PhonePe and Google Pay’s combined UPI market share has slipped below 80% for the first time as smaller rivals gain ground. We also look at Bengaluru’s position as Asia’s third-largest startup ecosystem, now valued at nearly $153 billion. Plus, Starlink’s India launch faces fresh regulatory and security scrutiny, while Telegram moves the Delhi High Court against the Centre’s temporary restriction ahead of the NEET-UG retest.