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Amid Outcry From Startups, Centre Exempts Healthcare, Agri Platforms From New AI Advisory

Inc42Inc42 · 1y ago
Amid Outcry From Startups, Centre Exempts Healthcare, Agri Platforms From New AI Advisory
Medial

The Indian Minister of Information Technology has clarified that the country's new mandates for AI models will not apply to startups and certain sector-specific platforms, such as healthcare and agriculture. The minister emphasized the importance of proper training for AI models to ensure the safety of citizens and democracy. The directives are not meant to be a regulatory framework but rather an advisory for platforms to test their AI models before launching. The advisory, issued by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, requires platforms to seek prior approval for AI products and warns of penalties for non-compliance. However, some AI startup founders have criticized the advisory as demotivating.

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Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch

EntrackrEntrackr · 7d ago
Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch
Medial

**Exclusive: BharatAgri shuts down operations amid funding crunch** Agritech startup BharatAgri has shut down operations after failing to secure new funding and sustain its business amid mounting losses, Entrackr has learned from multiple sources. “Most of the team was let go, and operations have been winding down over the past few weeks,” said one of the sources requesting anonymity. “The company had been struggling to raise new capital for several months, and the management had no option but to gradually scale down operations.” Founded in 2017 by Siddharth Dialani and Sai Gole, BharatAgri offered AI-led farm advisory and agri-input e-commerce services to small and mid-sized farmers across India. Despite early traction and over a million registered users, the company struggled to achieve operating profitability. According to the company’s FY24 filings with the Registrar of Companies, BharatAgri’s operating revenue stood at Rs 5.37 crore, a marginal decline from Rs 5.65 crore in FY23. Losses, however, widened to Rs 22.04 crore in FY24 from Rs 17.89 crore a year earlier. Its total expenses rose to nearly Rs 27 crore, largely steered by employee costs and marketing spends. BharatAgri had raised around $6.5 million in September 2021 and another $6 million in extended Series A funding in October 2023 from Arkam Ventures, with participation from existing investors India Quotient and Omnivore. However, the company was unable to close its next round amid a slowdown in agri-focused investments. According to sources, the firm couldn’t grow much despite early traction. “BharatAgri’s growth slowed down over the past year. High customer acquisition costs and low repeat orders made it difficult to keep the business running,” said the second source, who also requested anonymity. The development comes at a time when India’s agritech sector is going through one of its toughest fundraising phases in recent years. As per data compiled by Entrackr, agritech funding, which peaked in 2022, has seen a sharp decline since then. Indian agritech startups raised $802 million in 2022, but funding plunged 78% to $178 million in 2023 and fell further to $96 million in the first half of 2025. BharatAgri will join the likes of Fraazo, Otipy, Deep Rooted, and ReshaMandi that shut operations even after securing substantial funding. The shutdown reflects the broader pressure on agritech startups that have struggled to demonstrate consistent margins despite growing farmer adoption. Investors have increasingly shifted focus toward downstream agri-supply chains and B2B input distribution models.

Gemini Row: MoS IT Slams Google; Startups Raise Concern Over MeitY Advisory On AI

Inc42Inc42 · 1y ago
Gemini Row: MoS IT Slams Google; Startups Raise Concern Over MeitY Advisory On AI
Medial

The Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, expressed dissatisfaction with Google's response to the controversy surrounding its AI chatbot. The chatbot came under scrutiny for its answer to a question about Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which was viewed as violating the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021. Chandrasekhar emphasized that "unreliable" platforms and algorithms cannot be used to experiment on citizens. Subsequently, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology issued an advisory mandating digital platforms to seek prior approval before launching AI products. Chandrasekhar clarified that the advisory only applies to larger companies, not startups.

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