Category: Business

Aurora Ventures launches with backing from inDrive – a global mobility and delivery platform scaled to unicorn status across the same emerging markets the program is investing in – for its 2026 pilot year. Egypt is one of the priority markets for the project.
 
The launch follows the successful conclusion of the 2026 Aurora Tech Award in Santiago, Chile, where a Nigerian, Adeola Ayoola-Famasi, was named among the top 10 finalists from a record-breaking field of 3,400 applicants.
 
Other women founders that make up the 2026 Aurora Tech Award top 10 finalists include: Adriana Gonzalez-Tizo (Panama), Angela Acosta-Morado(Colombia), Catalina Isaza- Innmetec (Colombia), Estefania Abello- Muta(Colombia), Maria Kawas- DomestikCo(Chile), Mariana Zuliani-OncoAI (Brazil), Mercedes Bidart- Quipu(Colombia), Patricia Florencia- Pilou (Mexico), and Penny Musengi- Pesira Technologies (Kenya).

 
Aurora Ventures, an early-stage investment program, is designed to leverage one of the world’s largest pipelines of underserved female talent. It is built on a proprietary sourcing advantage derived from five years of Aurora Tech Award data.  
 
With applications exploding by nearly 30 times since 2021, the Award noticed a persistent gap in market inefficiency  fuelled by high-traction, high-growth businesses led by women in MENA, Africa, and Latin America, which are consistently undervalued and overlooked by traditional venture capital.
 
A new Aurora research study involving 900+ founders across 127 countries found that women founders face systemic “competence scepticism” and higher traction standards.
 
The program, Aurora Ventures, aims to capture the “mispricing” faced by women founders by investing $180k–$250k at the pre-seed and seed stages. The program also utilises the Aurora Tech Award’s network to identify companies before their valuations fully reflect their performance, creating a repeatable model for generating alpha in emerging markets.
 
Speaking on the initiative, Head of Aurora Ventures, Isabella Ghassemi-Smith, described the launch of Aurora Ventures as a disciplined investment program built on the conviction that women founders are one of the most overlooked opportunities in venture capital today.
 
“Over the past five years, we’ve seen a repeating pattern: exceptional women building rigorous businesses but reaching institutional capital later and on worse terms than their performance justifies,” says Ghassemi-Smith.
 
She stated that the success stories of the top 10  finalists underscore the calibre of startups the initiative intends to back.
 
Also speaking, Chief Growth Businesses Officer, inDrive, Andries Smit, explained that “We built inDrive against all odds, competing against better-funded incumbents. We see the same thing playing out with women founders in emerging markets today. Backing Aurora Ventures is not charity; it is the same bet we made on ourselves.”
 
The 2026 pilot program focuses on building an initial portfolio and generating the track record necessary to transition into a formal GP/LP fund structure. By providing capital, network access, and operational guidance, Aurora Ventures seeks to accelerate portfolio companies toward subsequent funding rounds on more equitable terms.

Total income rises 17% YoY to ₹291.14 crore in FY26; PAT jumps to ₹43.38 crore vs ₹34.70 crore in FY25, driven by broad-based business momentum and operational efficiencies 

Mysore, May 22, 2026: Excelsoft Technologies Ltd., a global provider of next-generation digital learning, assessment, and education technology solutions, announced its audited consolidated financial results for the quarter and full year ended March 31, 2026. The key highlights are as follows:

Consolidated Financial Highlights – FY26

• Total Income: ₹291.13 crore, up 17% YoY from ₹248.80 crore in FY25
• EBITDA: ₹73.13 crore, up 1% YoY
• Net Profit: ₹43.38 crore, up 25% YoY from ₹34.70 crore in FY25
• EPS: ₹4.12 (vs ₹3.47 in FY25)

The improved profitability was driven by scale benefits, stronger performance in high-margin segments, and disciplined cost management.

Operational & Strategic Highlights

• Balanced Revenue Mix (Q4 & FY):
• Educational Technology Services contributed 53.67% (Q4) and 56.37% (FY)
• Assessment & Proctoring Solutions 29.30% (Q4) and 27.29% (FY)
• Learning & Student Success Solutions 14.31% (Q4) and 11.80% (FY)
• Learning Design & Content Solutions 2.73% (Q4) and 4.54% (FY)

• Geographical Diversification:
• North America contributed 62.75% (Q4) and 64.86% (FY)
• Europe & UK 25.41% (Q4) and 22.70% (FY)
• India 5.02% (Q4) and 5.94% (FY)
• Asia ex-India 6.08% (Q4) and 5.71% (FY);
• Australia 0.73% (Q4) and 0.79% (FY) 

• Client Base Strength & Retention: Top 5 clients contributed 63.00% in Q4, while Top 10 contributed 72.03%, with an average client relationship tenure of 11 years among the top 10.
• Operational Scale & Delivery Strength: Workforce stood at 1,109 employees, supported by stable delivery capabilities across engineering, platform services, assessment operations, and content development.
• Continued Client Expansion: The Company added 4 new clients during this full year period, reinforcing our relevance across education, assessment, and enterprise segments.
• During the year we finalized one of the largest engagements in Excelsoft’s history — a landmark partnership with a leading examination body in the United Kingdom. This engagement is expected to go live in the coming quarter and represents a transformational milestone for the Company, both from a revenue perspective and in terms of strategic positioning within the UK and European assessment ecosystem.
• Within Learning Design and Content Solutions, we secured a strategic engagement with one of the world’s leading online course content providers in the United States. This partnership is particularly significant because it reflects increasing recognition of Excelsoft’s AI-led content transformation capabilities and deep domain expertise in digital learning workflows.

Commenting on the Company’s performance, Mr. Dhananjaya Sudhanva, Managing Director, Excelsoft Technologies, said: “FY2026 was a landmark year for Excelsoft Technologies — one defined by our successful public listing, strong operational execution, strategic leadership appointments, and transformational client wins that further cemented our standing as a trusted global partner in education technology and assessment solutions.

We were pleased to welcome Mr. Doreswamy Palaniswamy as Chief Executive Officer, whose extensive global experience will be instrumental in accelerating our international expansion and realising our long-term growth ambitions. 

On the business front, we secured some of the most significant engagements in our history — including a major partnership with a leading UK examination body and a prominent US online course content provider — demonstrating both the depth of our capabilities and our growing relevance on the world stage. We further strengthened our partner ecosystem through key collaborations with VTCT Skills (UK) and the Civil Service Commission of the Philippines. 

Growth across the year was underpinned by strong momentum in Educational Technology Services, increasing adoption of our assessment platforms, and rising demand for AI-led digital learning solutions. In parallel, we continued to invest meaningfully in AI capabilities, secure infrastructure, talent, and innovation — building the foundation for sustained long-term competitiveness.

With deepening client relationships, an expanding global footprint, and a maturing suite of AI-driven capabilities, Excelsoft enters the next phase of its journey well positioned for sustainable growth and enduring value creation.”

Telangana, 23 May 2026 :  For generations, Tupperware has been a part of every modern kitchen, known for its premium quality, durability, smart storage solutions, and commitment towards sustainable living. Today, Tupperware continues to empower families and women entrepreneurs with innovative products and exciting business opportunities.

From kitchen organization to smart cooking and storage solutions, Tupperware products are designed to make everyday life simpler, healthier, more convenient, and environmentally responsible.

Empowering women and transforming kitchens has been at the heart of Tupperware for over 30 years. Celebrating a proud milestone, Tupperware marks 30 years of success in India  transforming Indian kitchens into smart kitchens and creating a ripple effect in society by empowering women across the country.

Looking to start your own business? Want to earn additional income?

Then Tupperware is the smart choice  built on three decades of trust and driven by women!

Whether you are looking to purchase Tupperware products or interested in becoming a consultant and building your own business, please contact• T H R Laxmi – 93903 88856 (Andhra Pradesh) • Uma V – 98663 86851 (Andhra Pradesh) • P Padma Sudha – 80081 15509 (Telangana) • Neeharika Katikaneni – 98481 95940 (Telangana)

Join the Tupperware family today and build your future with an 80-year globally trusted brand.

Research from UTHealth Houston School of Dentistry is orbiting Earth aboard the International Space Station as part of an innovative project studying how to preserve bone health in space.

The project, known as VIBES — Vibration-Induced Bone Exercise Stimulation — will examine whether low-intensity vibration can help counteract the aging-like bone loss associated with microgravity.

The study uses 3D-printed tissue-engineered bone marrow analogs designed to model the effects of aging and bone loss in space. Researchers aim to better understand whether low-intensity mechanical vibration can serve as a countermeasure to preserve bone tissue during extended spaceflight.

Some samples aboard the International Space Station will receive low-intensity vibration twice daily during the 21-day mission, while others will serve as non-stimulated controls for comparison.

Launched May 15 aboard SpaceX’s CRS-34 resupply mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida, the experiment will operate aboard the International Space Station for 21 days using Space Tango’s automated bioreactor system.

Led by Gunes Uzer, PhD, of Boise State University’s College of Engineering, the $1.2 million National Science Foundation-funded project includes researchers, graduate students, and undergraduate students from multiple institutions, including Rice University and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Representing the School of Dentistry on the interdisciplinary research team are Mary C. “Cindy” Farach-Carson, PhD, professor and associate dean for research, and Danielle Wu, PhD, assistant professor, from the Department of Diagnostic and Biomedical Sciences.

“This project represents an exciting opportunity to study bone biology in a completely unique environment,” Farach-Carson said. “The findings could have important implications not only for astronauts during long-duration missions, including missions to Mars or permanent stations on the moon, but also for aging populations and individuals experiencing bone loss here on Earth.”

Microgravity conditions in space can accelerate bone deterioration, making astronauts more susceptible to fractures and other skeletal complications. Researchers hope the study will provide insights into strategies that may reduce those effects and contribute to future treatments for osteoporosis and age-related bone disease.

Wu said the collaboration reflects the project’s interdisciplinary nature.

“Participating in a project aboard the International Space Station underscores how collaboration among engineers, biomedical scientists, and biologists drives transformative discovery, all while preparing the next generation of researchers to work seamlessly across disciplines to solve complex health challenges,” Wu said.

The VIBES mission brings together expertise in tissue engineering, biomechanics, space biology, and regenerative medicine, with the goal of advancing human health in space and on Earth.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft launched at 5:05 p.m. CT on May 15. After an approximately 36-hour flight, Dragon autonomously docked with the International Space Station on May 17.

US Formulations

Formulation sales in the US were US$ 459 million, lower by 1.1%. Innovative Medicines continued to grow offsetting the decline in generics business. US sales accounted for approximately 28.8% of total consolidated sales. For the full year FY26, sales were US$ 1,904 million.

Emerging Markets (EM) Formulations

Emerging Markets formulations sales were US$ 306 million, up by 17.4% and accounted for 19.2% of total consolidated sales. For the full year FY26, sales were US$ 1,265 million, growing 13.6%.

Rest of World (ROW) Formulations

Formulation sales in Rest of World markets were US$ 220 million, up by 10% and accounted for 13.8% of total consolidated sales. For the full year FY26, sales were US$ 969 million, up 14.4%.

Innovative Medicines

Global Innovative Medicines sales were US$ 354 million for Q4FY26, up 20.1% and accounted for 22.2% of sales. For the full year FY26, sales were US$ 1,420 million, up 16.8%.

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API)

Our API portfolio supports our formulation business and API customers across geographies. External sales of API were Rs. 6,739 million, up 26.4%. For the full year FY26, API sales were Rs. 21,853 million, up 2.6%.

R&D Update

Sun Pharma’s R&D efforts span across both innovative and generic businesses and the company continues to invest in building the pipeline for various markets. Sun’s innovative R&D pipeline includes five novel entities in clinical stage. Sun has a comprehensive product offering in the US market consisting of approved ANDAs for 552 products while filings for 122 ANDAs await US FDA approval, including 28 tentative approvals. During the quarter, 7 ANDAs were filed, and approval received for 2 ANDAs.

Sun’s portfolio includes 57 approved NDAs while 13 NDAs await US FDA approval.

Uttarakhand, Roorkee, May 22: Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee has signed two Technology Transfer Agreements for innovative lithium ion battery electrode technologies developed by Prof. Anjan Sil, marking another significant step toward strengthening India’s advanced energy storage ecosystem. Both technologies have been transferred to Cathion Energy Private Limited for further development and commercialisation.

The two transferred technologies are titled:

1.      A Novel Electrode Composite for High Power and High Energy Application in Rechargeable Lithium-ion Battery

2.      A High-Performance Composite Electrode for Li–ion Battery

These technologies focus on enhancing the electrochemical performance, energy density, charging capability, and overall efficiency of rechargeable lithium-ion batteries. The innovations are expected to contribute toward the growing demand for efficient and sustainable energy storage solutions across sectors, including electric mobility, portable electronics, and renewable energy systems. 

Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Anjan Sil, inventor of both technologies, said, “The transfer of these technologies represents an important step toward translating laboratory-scale research into impactful industrial applications. Our objective has been to develop advanced electrode materials that can address the increasing demand for high-performance and reliable energy storage systems.”

Dr Hari Raj, CEO, Cathion Energy Private Limited, expressed enthusiasm regarding the collaboration and stated, “We are pleased to collaborate with IIT Roorkee for the commercialisation of these advanced Li–ion battery technologies. The innovations hold strong potential for improving battery performance and supporting the rapidly evolving energy storage and electric mobility sectors.”

Prof. Vivek K. Malik, Dean, Sponsored Research & Industrial Consultancy (SRIC), Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, commented, “Technology transfer is a critical component of the innovation ecosystem at IIT Roorkee. Such collaborations facilitate the translation of cutting-edge research into real-world solutions and contribute significantly toward industrial advancement and national technological growth.”

Prof. Kamal K. Pant, Director, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, stated, “IIT Roorkee remains committed to fostering impactful research and promoting industry-academia collaboration. The transfer of these battery technologies reflects the institute’s continued efforts toward supporting innovation in strategic and emerging sectors.”

The technology transfer agreements were facilitated by the Intellectual Property Rights Cell of SRIC at IIT Roorkee, reinforcing the institute’s commitment to promoting innovation, entrepreneurship, and industry engagement.

Bangalore: The grand inauguration of the 19th outlet of Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor was successfully held in Koramangala, marking a significant milestone in the brand’s continued expansion.

The evening was graced by renowned personalities including actor and singer Ambarish Bhattacharya, actor, director, and singer Anirban Bhattacharya, and acclaimed artist Sreenanda Shankar, whose presence added to the celebratory spirit of the occasion.

The inauguration ceremony, illuminated with traditional lamps, reflected a vibrant blend of culture, music, and celebration. The guests of honour marked the occasion with heartfelt interactions and engaging performances, creating a memorable evening for all attendees.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rajib Paul, the driving force behind the brand, shared his vision of bringing the rich culinary heritage of Bengal to audiences across India and beyond. His continued commitment to authenticity and innovation has been instrumental in the brand’s growing success.

Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor is not just a restaurant; it is an emotion deeply connected to Bengal’s culture, nostalgia, and flavours. With every new outlet, our vision is to bring people closer to authentic Bengali culinary experiences while preserving the warmth and spirit of our heritage,” said Rajib Paul.

Inspired by the imaginative worlds of Bhooter Raja and Shundi Raja, the new outlet in Koramangala has been thoughtfully designed to reflect the charm, warmth, and cultural essence of Bengal.

With this launch, Bhooter Raja Dilo Bor continues its journey of celebrating authentic flavours and warm hospitality, welcoming food lovers from all backgrounds to experience its distinctive culinary offerings.

The brand looks forward to strengthening its presence and continuing its growth across new markets in the coming years.