9 FINANCEOUTLOOKINDIAMAY, 2026INDIAN STARTUP FUNDING JUMPS 85% TO $292 MILLION IN THE LATEST WEEKGOLD PRICES HIT ONE-MONTH LOW: CHECK CITY-WISE LATEST RATESPM MODI PITCHES INDIA'S INVESTMENT VISION TO EUROPE'S TOP CEOSPAYTM LAUNCHES POCKET MONEY FOR TEEN UPI PAYMENTS WITHOUT BANK ACCOUNTIndian startup funding bounced back significantly in the latest week as 20 startups secured a total of $292.52 million, a 85% increase from the $158.8 million raised by 24 startups in the previous week. Investors in India's technology-Global gold prices fell sharply on Monday, hitting their lowest level in more than a month as escalating geopolitical tensions in West Asia pushed crude oil prices higher, intensifying inflation concerns and strengthening expectations that global central banks could keep interest rates elevated for longer.Spot gold declined 1.1% to $4,488.99 per ounce as of 0052 GMT, marking its weakest level since March 30. US gold futures for June delivery also slipped 1.5% to $4,493.30 per ounce, reflecting mounting pressure on the precious metal as investors recalibrated expectations around monetary tightening. Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a strong investment pitch to some of Europe's most influential business leaders during the European Round Table for Industry (ERT) session in Gothenburg, Sweden, positioning India as one of the world's most compelling long-term investment destinations. The high-level meeting, held during the third leg of Modi's six-day multi-nation diplomatic tour, was co-hosted by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, bringing together chief executives from Europe's biggest corporations across technology, telecom, advanced manufacturing, clean energy, pharmaceuticals and digital innovation sectors. Paytm has introduced `Pocket Money,' a new digital payments feature that allows teenagers to make UPI payments without opening bank accounts, marking a significant step toward expanding supervised digital financial access for younger users in India. Built on the National Payments Corporation of India's (NPCI) UPI Circle framework, the feature enables parents and trusted family members to delegate controlled spending access directly through the Paytm app.The launch comes as India's digital payments ecosystem continues to evolve rapidly, with fintech firms increasingly focusing on financial literacy and supervised payment solutions for younger consumers. Paytm's latest move positions the company directly within the emerging teen-fintech segment, offering an alternative to prepaid wallet and card-based products previously introduced by startups such as Fam, Walrus, and Junio. of the day's damage. The Sensex rebounded nearly 1,200 points from its intraday low, while the Nifty 50 managed to close above the crucial 23,650 mark, signaling resilience despite mounting macroeconomic pressures.The trading session began on a weak note, with investors reacting nervously to rising crude oil prices, a weakening rupee, and broader global uncertainty. During intraday trade, the Sensex plunged over 1,000 points to touch 74,180, while the Nifty slipped over 1% to hit the day's low of 23,317. driven and fast-growing digital mobility sector continued to trust the sector in spite of a conservative funding market across the globe, as seen with the $240 million mega round that has been unveiled by Rapido, backed by Prosus.The majority of the funding, $240m, was raised by the ride-hailing platform Rapido in a new round of funding led by Prosus with an estimated valuation of $3bn. Food and beverage company Wingreens raised $12.6 million with Ashish Kacholia as the lead investor, and NBFC Sindhuja Microcredit raised $5 million in its pre-Series D round with Abler Nordic, GAWA Capital and Oikocredit being the lead investors.
< Page 8 | Page 10 >