National, 6^th November, 2025 – Turbostart, the Bangalore-headquartered venture capital fund and startup accelerator, has announced the opening of its new office in New Delhi. Turbostart has accelerated over 50 early-stage and 10+ later-stage startups, investing over $35 million across diverse sectors and technologies since its inception. The expansion marks a strategic move to strengthen its presence across North India — a region that now contributes to over one-third of the country’s emerging startups.

The Delhi office will serve as a key hub for sourcing high-potential early-stage ventures and building stronger collaborations with investors, institutional partners, and the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Through this new base, Turbostart aims to identify and nurture promising startups while connecting them to its global network of mentors, strategic partners, and its five domain-focused Centers of Excellence (CoEs).

“At Turbostart, we believe that innovation thrives where access, opportunity, and mentorship intersect. Expanding to Delhi strengthens our ability to connect with emerging entrepreneurs, institutional partners, and investors at the heart of India’s economic and policy ecosystem,” said Rajagopal Koushik, Founding Partner and CEO of Turbostart. “This milestone reflects our ongoing commitment to catalysing sustainable growth and creating lasting impact across India’s startup landscape.”

The Delhi office will also anchor the regional expansion Ken42, Turbostart’s AI-powered operating system for higher education institutions. Under the leadership of Abhishek Sachar, newly appointed CTO of Ken42, the platform will collaborate with universities across North India to enhance digital operations and academic management. Turbostart’s largest CoE, TSquaredC, will similarly benefit by tapping into the region’s strong base of engineering and software talent.

Piyush Arora, Head of Corporate Strategy and Investment at Turbostart, who will lead operations in the region, said, “The opening of our Delhi office marks a natural progression in Turbostart’s growth journey. The region’s entrepreneurial energy and technological depth hold immense promise, and we are committed to translating that potential into meaningful, measurable impact.” In addition to this, Arora also oversees business expansion for Turbostart’s ventures, including PiChain, an AI-native vendor onboarding and management solution, with Dhruv Khandelwal leading Optimile, an end-to-end logistics technology platform.

With established operations in Bangalore and Coimbatore, Turbostart continues to scale its national footprint. In June 2025, the company opened an office in Kolkata, led by Ramaprosad Ghosh, to strengthen sales and technology capabilities for Turbostart and its portfolio companies. The next phase of growth will see new offices in Mumbai and Pune, two of India’s fastest-growing startup centres.

Internationally, Turbostart maintains an active presence in the United States and the Middle East, with plans to expand into the United Kingdom and Singapore in the coming years. These initiatives reinforce Turbostart’s vision of building a globally connected ecosystem for early-stage founders and emerging technologies.

India’s startup ecosystem has shown a remarkable transformation in recent years. Today, India boasts the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, with over 1.5 lakh registered startups, and is expected to see consistent annual growth of 12-15%. This incline in India’s position is possible because of aLeaders across the sectors are redefining innovation while also sharing a common goal: to create impactful solutions to disrupt traditional norms. They have started a new page of ‘Entrepreneurial wave’ in the nation’s growth story. From technology to healthcare, and sustainability to e-commerce, these entrepreneurs have not only built successful businesses but have also inspired a generation to dream big and aim higher.

Anant Goel, Co-founder, ⁠Handpickd
Anant Goel, the founder of Handpickd, is a serial entrepreneur who has revolutionized the way Indians access high-quality fruits and vegetables. Anant founded Milkbasket, in 2015, which created the first online grocery network to meet consumers’ everyday household needs. Post the acquisition of Milkbasket by Reliance at $40M, Anant founded Handpickd, India’s first ‘match-making’ platform for personalized fresh produce shopping. Headquartered in Gurugram, Handpicked is a unique platform that operates a zero-inventory model, sourcing directly from farmers to ensure high-quality fruits and vegetables while minimizing waste. With a strong focus on efficiency and sustainability, Handpickd is redefining the fresh produce supply chain in India. His vision and dedication to digital connectivity have transformed the way people experience and procure fresh produce while improving the lives and livelihoods of store owners.

Deepinder Goyal – Founder of Zomato
Deepinder Goyal, Founder, MD and CEO of Zomato, a popular online food delivery and restaurant discovery platform. With a background in mathematics and computing from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, Goyal has led Zomato through significant growth to worth around $2.2 billion USD since its inception in 2008. Under his leadership, the company has become a household name, transforming the food industry through technological innovation, community engagement, and support for food entrepreneurs and businesses. With Zomato’s user-friendly mobile app, customers can effortlessly discover restaurants, browse menus, schedule dining, place orders, and track deliveries, all in one place. Deepinder’s entrepreneurial spirit and focus on leveraging mobile technology have played a crucial role in reshaping the food delivery and restaurant discovery landscape in India.

Abinav Varma Kalidindi, Founder and CEO, Ikonz
Abinav Varma Kalidindi started Ikonz Studios in 2021 with a focus on AI-driven digital experiences. Abhinav’s Ikonz is the first Indian company that builds hyper-realistic AI avatars and holographic solutions. Working with global personalities and brands, one of its biggest projects is creating the AI-powered digital avatar of Amitabh Bachchan, which was launched in partnership with IDFC FIRST Bank. Abinav, who has a background in technology and finance, has previously built and exited a consumer tech company in the U.S. before founding Ikonz. His focus now is on integrating AI-powered digital assistants into industries like banking, healthcare, education, and entertainment. Ikonz is backed by prominent investors funds that have been backed by Village Global, whose notable LPs include Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Jeff Bezos among others.

Deepak Sahni, Founder, Healthians
Deepak Sahni, founder of Healthians, started his career as a computer assembler turned digital marketer and went on to build one of India’s largest at-home diagnostic chains. He founded Healthians in 2015 to make preventive healthcare more accessible and affordable for everyone. By combining convenience with quality, Healthians became the first Indian company to ensure high-quality healthcare services to reach people’s doorsteps across India. Sahni continues to push for digital transformation in diagnostics, with AI and technology playing a bigger role in Healthians’ next phase of growth. The company has introduced AI-driven tools like Smart Report and video analysis of health reports, which simplify complex medical data and help users better understand their test results. These features empower individuals to make informed healthcare decisions, bridging the gap between diagnostic insights and actionable steps. Recently, Healthians has secured No. 1 position in Times Health Survey, operating in over 250 cities with a network of 22+ certified labs and a large fleet of trained phlebotomists, reinforcing its mission of making healthcare more accessible and user-friendly. Diagnostic startup Healthians recorded a modest 8% year-on-year growth during the fiscal year ending March 2024.

Prachi Dharani, Co-founder, PayGlocal
Prachi Dharani, Co-founder and CEO of PayGlocal, is a seasoned payments industry professional with over 20 years of experience. She leads PayGlocal in delivering innovative cross-border payment solutions, enabling Indian businesses to grow globally with secure and seamless transactions. Before founding PayGlocal, Prachi held leadership roles at Visa, First Data, and ICICI Bank. Under her leadership, PayGlocal has been a pioneering force in cross-border payments and operates a comprehensive suite of payment services and cutting-edge technology platform for payment processing and transaction risk management, specifically designed to meet the evolving needs of merchants, partners, and banks. PayGlocal has handled more than INR 22 billion worth of transactions till now, enabling over 1,300 merchants across different platforms and supporting payment acceptance from 181 countries. Through a robust transaction security based approach, the firm has thwarted more than INR 1 billion worth of fraud attempts and recorded up to a 20% hike in Payment Success Rates (PSR) for its customers. PayGlocal’s focus on innovation, security, and customer support makes it a leader in the global payments space, driving seamless and secure transactions for businesses worldwide.

Vineeta Singh – Co-founder & CEO, SUGAR Cosmetics
Vineeta Singh, Co-founder and CEO of SUGAR Cosmetics, a fast-growing D2C beauty brand valued at approximately $500 million. Known for its innovative product offerings and cutting-edge marketing strategies, SUGAR has become a go to name among young consumers since its inception in 2015. With a background in electrical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad, Vineeta has steered the brand to success through data-driven insights, social media engagement, and influencer marketing. Under her leadership, SUGAR Cosmetics has redefined beauty standards, offering trendsetting products that cater to diverse customer needs. The brand’s tech-savvy approach and commitment to inclusivity have positioned it as a leader in the competitive beauty industry. Vineeta’s entrepreneurial vision continues to drive the brand’s growth, setting new benchmarks for quality and innovation.

Kabir Jeet Singh, Founder and CEO, Burger Singh
Kabir Jeet Singh, founded one of the largest Indian homegrown QSR brands, Burger Singh, challenging a market long dominated by multinational giants. His foray into the burger business began during his MBA at Birmingham Business School when he worked at a local burger joint. Experimenting with Indian spices to enhance the otherwise bland offerings, he identified a gap in the market. This insight led to the launch of Burger Singh in 2014, blending global fast food with desi flavors. His focus on customizing flavors for different regions and expanding beyond metros has helped the brand find success even in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. With 175+ outlets across 75+ Indian cities, Burger Singh continues to compete in a segment that was once thought to be untouchable for homegrown brands.

Tarun Joshi, Founder and CEO, IGP.com
Tarun Joshi’s career started in aerospace engineering and later moved to private equity investing before he entered the e-commerce space. He founded IGP (International Gifts Platform) to solve a key problem, how to make online gifting more personalized and efficient. Under his leadership, IGP has become one of Global largest direct-to-consumer gifting platforms, delivering products to 1,000+ cities in India and 150+ countries worldwide. With services like 30-minute delivery in major cities and same-day delivery across 400+ locations, the company has built a niche in curated and customized gifting. IGP has also expanded its business offline and aims to open 140 dark stores and 22 retail stores in the next 1-2 years.

In a pioneering move set to redefine the intersection of industry, academia and policy research, the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) has entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Startup Policy Forum (SPF). This collaboration will enable the two institutions to work towards a knowledge partnership to drive data-driven and evidence-driven policy advocacy for the startup ecosystem.

This landmark partnership leverages IIT Madras’s unparalleled academic, research and innovation expertise alongside SPF’s deep engagement in working on startup policy and regulatory frameworks with startups and policymakers. As India’s leading research and academic institution, IIT Madras has gained a lot of prominence for incubating high-impact startups—such as Ather Energy, Uniphore, MediBuddy, Mindgrove Technologies and InCore Semiconductors.

As part of this collaboration, SPF will support the Centre for Research on Start-Ups and Risk Financing (CREST), which engages in high-quality research to support the financing of innovation, startups and entrepreneurship. The partnership will specifically collaborate to contribute to and promote IIT Madras’ YNOS, a startup intelligence platform that brings together information and research on various stakeholders and government schemes.

Prof. Manu Santhanam, Dean (IC & SR), said, “This collaboration with SPF aligns with our vision to translate research excellence into meaningful policy contributions. We are excited to co-create knowledge, support founders and industry leaders, and empower the next generation of entrepreneurs through impactful policymaking.”

Shweta Rajpal Kohli, President & CEO, Startup Policy Forum (SPF), said “For India to cement its position as a global startup hub, it is imperative to have a robust policy framework and data-driven policymaking. This partnership with IIT Madras is a testament to our commitment to shaping policies that are not just reactive but proactive in addressing the needs of India’s dynamic startup landscape.”

Thillai Rajan, Professor, IIT Madras, shared, “IIT Madras has been at the forefront of fostering disruptive startups and pioneering technology research. By joining forces with SPF, we are strengthening the bridge between rigorous academic research and real-world policy impact. This partnership will enable data-driven policymaking that empowers startups and fosters a thriving innovation ecosystem.”

The Growth Academy is a year-long initiative designed to support high-potential startups in scaling their AI-driven cybersecurity solutions. Participants will benefit from personalized workshops and mentoring sessions led by experts from Google AI, Mandiant, VirusTotal, and Google Cloud. The program commences on March 26 in Warsaw, Poland, offering tailored support and access to a global network of industry leaders.

“Being selected for Google’s Growth Academy is a significant milestone for IT-Harvest,” said Richard Stiennon, Co-founder and Chief Research Analyst at IT-Harvest. “This opportunity will enable us to enhance our platform and expand our reach, while supporing our enterprise customers.