Welcome “India” Bulls!

The Ministry of Skill Development has rolled out SIA, an AI-powered assistant on WhatsApp designed to help young Indians explore jobs, training, and upskilling, instantly and for free. Imagine a smart career coach in your pocket, available 24/7. Think of it as “ChatGPT meets Skill India,” making personalized guidance more accessible than ever.

Dive in to stay ahead!

P.S. The Sunday Special is designed to help you discover the most important Startup insights outside of Share Markets. Our regular Share Market updates will resume as usual on Monday.

Startup Menu

• Startups this Week: WhatsApp gets Smarter, Meet SIA, India’s career guide.

• Funding Space

• Policy Talks 

• Everything else you need to know

• Life Hack in Video: How to develop an unbreakable positive mental attitude

• Founder’s Journey: Sahil Barua’s angel portfolio: Betting big beyond Logistics

STARTUPS THIS WEEK

WhatsApp Gets Smarter: Meet SIA, India’s Career Guide

In a bold leap toward inclusive digital empowerment, the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has rolled out SIA (Skill India AI Assistant), an AI-powered chatbot embedded directly into WhatsApp. SIA is designed to be a free, instant, and always-available career companion for Indian youth, especially those from underserved or remote regions.

👉 What does SIA do?
Imagine ChatGPT, but tailored for jobseekers and learners. SIA can answer queries on:

• Government training programs

• Available courses across states and sectors

• Upcoming job fairs

• Certification paths and eligibility

• Local skilling centers and career options

And it works within WhatsApp, the app over 500 million Indians already use daily. No downloads. No portals. Just a simple message away.

🎯 Why this matters:
India has a massive young workforce, but access to skilling and employment information has long been uneven. SIA aims to level that playing field, offering real-time guidance in multiple languages, 24/7. It reduces dependency on physical centers and middlemen, making career counseling as accessible as texting a friend.

💡 The Big Picture:
This is more than a chatbot, it’s digital public infrastructure at work. With AI adoption rising, SIA shows how smart, low-friction technology can unlock opportunity at scale.

Could this become India’s blueprint for AI-driven governance? If SIA scales well, it just might.

FUNDING SPACE

💰 Weekly Funding Spotlight: Major Startup Investments (May 10 - May 16)

The past week witnessed significant investments across various sectors:

▪️ Nobel Hygiene: Neo Asset Management just infused $20M into Nobel Hygiene, India’s largest adult diaper brand. It’s a bold bet on aging demographics and rising health awareness in Tier-II & III cities.

▪️ JSW One: JSW One just scored more fuel for its B2B e-commerce engine. Backed by the $23B JSW Group, it’s doubling down on digitizing India's fragmented building materials supply chain.

▪️ Medvital Raises: Skincare startup Medvital has raised ₹84 crore to redefine how India experiences skin wellness. With AI-backed diagnostics and D2C models, it's positioning itself as the "CureSkin meets Sugar Cosmetics" hybrid.

PRESENTED BY START ENGINE

StartEngine’s $30M Surge — Own a Piece Before June 26

StartEngine is the investing platform providing exposure to pre-IPO companies like OpenAI, Perplexity, and Databricks.

After doubling their revenues YoY in 2024 ($23M to $48M), StartEngine’s now tripled first quarter revenue YoY to a record $30M, based on its unaudited Q1 2025 financials. Now you can join 45K+ shareholders across all offerings before this round closes next month.

Invest in StartEngine

_{Reg A+ via StartEngine Crowdfunding, Inc. No BD/intermediary involved. Investment is speculative, illiquid & high risk. See OC and Risks on page.}

POLICY TALKS

Big Boost for Startups & Semiconductors

🏭 HCL-Foxconn’s ₹3,706 Cr Semiconductor Plant Approved in UP:
India’s sixth semiconductor unit gets the green light: a ₹3,706 crore HCL-Foxconn joint venture in Jewar, Uttar Pradesh. Set to produce 36 million display driver chips monthly, the facility aims to meet 40% of domestic demand and generate 2,000 jobs by 2027.

🧾 DPIIT Grants 100% Tax Relief to 187 Startups:
In a move to bolster innovation, DPIIT has approved 187 startups for 100% income tax exemption under Section 80-IAC. Eligible startups can claim this benefit for any three consecutive years within their first ten years, with the incorporation deadline extended to April 1, 2030.

FROM THE WAR ZONE

Everything else you need to know

🚨 Freefall: Vanguard has slashed Ola’s valuation to just $1.25 billion, down from its 2021 peak of $7.3 billion. Despite achieving EBITDA profitability, the ride-hailing giant is battling declining revenues and fierce competition.

💸 Windfall: Peak XV Partners has exited Porter with a whopping ₹1,200 Cr return on a ₹116 Cr investment. The exit came as Porter hit a $1B+ valuation, cementing logistics as a high-growth VC space.

☔️ DrizzleCharge: Zomato will now charge rain fees from Gold subscribers, ending a key perk. This cost-cutting move mirrors Swiggy and comes amid efforts to rein in rising losses.

📦 FeeSurge: PhonePe’s Pincode app has introduced a ₹9 handling fee per order, regardless of cart size. It’s a strategic shift to boost monetization as competition in quick commerce heats up.

LIFE HACKS

How to Develop an Unbreakable Positive Mental Attitude -Napoleon Hill

FOUNDER’S JOURNEY

Sahil Barua’s Angel Portfolio: Betting Big Beyond Logistics

Sahil Barua, co-founder and CEO of Delhivery, is not just revolutionizing logistics, he’s quietly assembling one of India’s most strategic angel portfolios. With over 20 early-stage bets across consumer tech, wellness, fintech, and SaaS, Barua’s approach reflects deep conviction in India’s digital-first evolution.

Here’s a peek at some of his smartest plays:

• Pratilipi: a regional storytelling platform unlocking India’s creator economy

• Magicpin: powering hyperlocal discovery for deals and experiences

• Mosaic Wellness: behind popular D2C health brands like Man Matters and Bodywise

• The Souled Store: tapping into youth culture with pop-culture fashion

• Nestasia: redefining home décor with affordable luxury

• Crest: using AI to reimagine demand forecasting

• VidyutTech: simplifying EV financing and ownership

But Sahil isn’t just cutting cheques, he brings deep operational experience, particularly around scaling logistics, product-market fit, and GTM.

His mantra? “Back founders obsessed with long-term problem-solving.”
This grounded, operator-led investing model is a lesson in clarity for India’s hyper-growth startup ecosystem.

In a landscape dominated by hype cycles, Sahil’s playbook reminds us, “Back discipline. Bet on scale. Build to last.”

PRESENTED BY SUPERHUMAN AI

Start learning AI in 2025

Keeping up with AI is hard – we get it!

That’s why over 1M professionals read Superhuman AI to stay ahead.

• Get daily AI news, tools, and tutorials

• Learn new AI skills you can use at work in 3 mins a day

• Become 10X more productive

Sign up and start mastering AI

Your Opinion Matters!

Got more feedback or just want to get in touch? Reply to this email and we’ll get back to you.

Thanks for reading.

Until tomorrow!

Mohit & the OneZero-F team

If you find the contents of this email useful, subscribe now & share with your friends.

OneZero-F Analytics is SEBI registered Research Entity in terms of SEBI (Research Analyst) Regulations, 2014 with SEBI Research Analyst No: INH000013837.

Content, news, research, tools, and securities symbols are for educational and illustrative purposes only and do not imply a recommendation or solicitation to buy or sell a particular security or to engage in any particular investment strategy. For more details, Click Here.

Click Here for Other DISCLAIMERS & DISCLOSURES