WLSA 2025 Winpe Marks Five Years of Championing Diversity in PE-VC
Mumbai, 11th March 2025: Marking five years of championing gender diversity in private equity (PE-VC) and venture capital, Winpe, a gender diversity-focused not-for-profit platform, is all set to host the third edition of its Winpe Leadership Summit and Awards. The event will take place on 20th March 2025 at Taj Lands End, Mumbai.
At a time when diversity commitments in global investing are being questioned, WLSA 2025 stands as a timely and necessary counterpoint. With a strong track record of impactful programs, WLSA 2025 will showcase how integrating DEI with financial performance is shaping the future of investing. As the PE-VC industry evolves, diversity is no longer just a moral imperative—it’s a business advantage. In this dynamic landscape, WLSA 2025 will build on the success of its two previous editions, which collectively saw over 850 attendees, 275 firms, and 100 speakers. This year, the summit will feature insightful discussions on global economic trends, business scaling, and the evolving PE-VC landscape, highlighting the role of diversity in driving sustainable success.
At the heart of the event are the Winpe Leadership Awards, recognising firms and individuals across 10 categories for their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). These awards uniquely blend financial performance with DEI progress, reinforcing how inclusive leadership fosters long-term industry growth.
“Over the past five years, Winpe has worked relentlessly to turn conversations on diversity into concrete action. While women-led startups in India raised over $930 million in 2024—a remarkable 94% YoY surge—these numbers are just the beginning. True impact lies in sustained industry-wide commitment to inclusion, where diverse leadership is not an exception but the norm. With WLSA 2025, we aim to set new benchmarks for diversity in investing, ensuring that equitable representation becomes a fundamental driver of financial success,” said Nupur Garg, Founder, Winpe.
India ranked 129th out of 146 countries in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024, underscoring the urgency for stronger DEI efforts across sectors. With WLSA 2025, Winpe is not just sparking conversations but driving measurable change. By bringing together thought leaders, investors, and entrepreneurs, the event seeks to shape a more inclusive, forward-looking investment landscape—where diversity is embedded in decision-making, not just discussed as an aspiration
Handpickd turns EBITDA positive in Gurugram, enters Bangalore
Gurugram/Bangalore, March 10, 2025: Handpickd, India’s first match-making platform for fruits and vegetables, has turned EBITDA positive in Gurugram and has entered into Bangalore. Launched in Gurugram in April 2024 by Anant Goel of Milkbasket with Nitin and Sahil (also ex-Milkbasket), Handpickd enables consumers to buy ‘any quantity of any quality’ of fresh produce as per their personal preference, akin to offline buying and hence a favorite of consumer households in Gurugram.
Anant Goel, who previously co-founded Milkbasket, has been instrumental in disrupting the online grocery space with unique consumer insights and creating a one-of-a-kind supply chain to cater to those specific consumer needs. What Milkbasket did for daily needs like milk, bread, and butter, Handpickd is doing for fruits & vegetables with its zero inventory and tech-driven match-making model.
“Our entry into Bangalore is a strategic step in scaling Handpickd’s match-making platform to new markets,” said Anant Goel, Founder, Handpickd. “We hypothesised that we do not know what is a good quality for a given family. Every family is unique, and so is their F&V. They tell us what they like, we match-make and deliver exactly that to them! And we now know that we can do it at scale and profitably. Our advanced technology, processes, and unique learnings from every order we deliver are our core differentiators, and with every order, we just keep getting better at it.”
“Customers, on average, spend around ₹4,000 monthly on buying fruits and vegetables from Handpickd, which is ~10x of what they spend on any quick commerce channel. It’s 5x of traditional e-grocers. For the first time, the online spend on fresh produce for a family has exceeded that of offline,” he added.
The expansion comes after the company’s successful operations in Gurugram, where it has effectively captured the fresh wallet share of consumers like no other platform has been able to till date. Expansion into Bangalore is an early attempt to further refine its supply chain and discover any shortcomings that might have escaped the founding team’s attention in Gurugram.
The company is betting big on its ‘match-making’ system, where families get handpicked fruits and vegetables specific to their family needs within 7-8 hours of harvest. The zero inventory model ensures that there is no dump after the sales cycle and hence yielding into profitable operations even at a small scale within a short span of launch.
Looking ahead, Handpickd plans to expand its footprint across key Indian cities, targeting 30 new micro-markets by the end of 2025. The company is betting on technology-driven solutions to drive efficiencies, cut down supply chain wastage, and cater to the evolving preferences of urban consumers.
Civis Hosts 2nd Edition of Public Consultation Awards CIPCA 2025
New Delhi, India, March 7 – Civis, supported by Rohini Nilekani Philanthropies, Indian School of Public Policy, and Shri Vinay Toshniwal Memorial Trust, hosted the 2nd edition of Civis’ Public Consultation Awards (CIPCA 2025) on March 5, 2025. The initiative honors ministries, state governments, and statutory bodies for their exemplary efforts in conducting democratic, transparent, and inclusive public consultations in lawmaking. Bringing together luminaries from public administration, governance, and policy-making, CIPCA 2025 aims to foster discourse on participatory governance and highlight exemplary public consultations that have facilitated meaningful citizen engagement in the lawmaking process.
The event witnessed participation of distinguished experts from governance and policy research, including, Dr. K. P. Krishnan, Former Secretary, Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship; Shri P. K. Malhotra, Former Secretary, Ministry of Law and Justice; Dr. Deepak Mohanty, Chairman, PFRDA; Shri Adil Zainulbhai, Chairperson, Capacity Building Commission, and Smt. Snehlata Shrivastava, Former Secretary General, Lok Sabha and Jury Member, Civis’ Public Consultation Awards among others.
Speaking at the event, Antaraa Vasudev, Founder, Civis, emphasized the critical role of public consultations in shaping effective governance “In 2025, the awards have recorded a 60.8% increase in public consultations, not just in number, but our consultations have scored higher on quality indicators as well – for example 71.4% consultations were available in more than one language. This underscores the importance of creating a robust methodology to measure consultations – and the importance of putting the spotlight on best practices – both of which Civis’ Public Consultation Awards aim to do.”
In the category of ‘Best Consultation: Ministry’, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change stood as winner for the public consultation on Draft Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Amendment Rules, 2023.
In the category of ‘Best Consultation: State’, the Government of Kerala stood as winner for the public consultation on Draft Kerala IT Policy 2023.
In the category of ‘Best Consultation: Statutory Body’, the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) stood as winner for the public consultation on Draft Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (Terms and Conditions of Tariff) Regulations, 2024.
In the category of ‘Special Mention for Citizen Government Engagement, the Food Safety and Standards Authority India (FSSAI) stood as winner for the public consultation on Draft Food Safety and Standards (Alcoholic Beverages) Amendment Regulations, 2023.
In the category of ‘Special Mention for Responsive Governance’, we have two winners which are The Competition Commission of India (CCI) for the public consultation on Draft CCI (Lesser Penalty)
Regulations 2023 and The Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) for the public consultation on Draft Amendments to the PFRDA (Redressal of Subscriber Grievance) Regulations, 2015.
Over the past decade, the number of policies and laws undergoing public consultation in India has increased by 2112.5% since 2014. While this growth is commendable, ensuring the quality and inclusiveness of these consultations remains a priority. Civis launched the Public Consultation Awards in 2024 to evaluate the effectiveness of public consultations across ten key metrics. These metrics include the quality of the consultation document (measured by the presence of factors like the justification for the new policy, impact assessment, readability), extent of outreach conducted, duration for which the policy was open to feedback, presence of translations and transparency concerning responses received.
These metrics have been developed using internationally recognized frameworks, including India’s Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy, OECD guidelines, and the UN Public Consultation Index, in collaboration with a panel of experts including Dr. M. S. Sahoo, Founding Chairperson, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI); Dr. Ajay Shah, Senior Research Fellow and Co-founder, XKDR Forum; Smt. Snehalata Srivastava, Former Secretary General, Lok Sabha and TrustBridge Rule of Law Foundation.
Dr. Jyoti Kapoor & Riddhi Bhagat on Empowering Women’s Well-being
Dr. Jyoti Kapoor, Founder-Director and Senior Psychiatrist, Manasthali
Women balancing work and home often face stress and burnout, making mental well-being essential. Prioritising self-care through regular exercise, healthy eating, and quality sleep helps sustain energy. Setting boundaries at work and home prevents exhaustion, while delegating tasks reduces overload. Practicing mindfulness and relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing can ease stress. Building a strong support system, family, friends, or professional network offers emotional relief. Normalise mental health discussions in families, workplaces, and social circles. Creating a judgment-free environment empowers women to prioritise their mental health without fear.
Ms. Riddhi Bhagat, Founder, Binge on Baked (BoB)
“It’s high time that there should be collective forge to build a more inclusive world for women. Even today, women do not receive the same level of confidence as men when managing certain affairs. This is especially true in tier-two cities, where workplaces and businesses are men-dominated. Same level of confidence is not being placed in women workers/entrepreneurs. Therefore, you need to bring the change in yourself and stand up for injustice. Whatever you aspire to be in your professional life, be clear about it in your mind. The universe works in your favor only when you know exactly what you want. Don’t give up—define your strategy and align it with your goals. Sometimes, success may take a little longer because we, as women, are not always encouraged to be self-centric. But women can manage everything—family, personal space, and business—beautifully. The key is clarity, persistence, and the belief that you can have it all with the right balance.”
Entertainers Cricket League Season 2 A Month of Action with Top Celebs
Delhi, 5th March 2025: The highly anticipated second season of the Entertainers Cricket League (ECL) is set to kick off on 5th March 2025. The new iteration of the league will feature a total of eight teams, battling it out for the ultimate glory. The teams participating in ECL 2025 include Haryanvi Hunters, Lucknow Lions, Mumbai Disruptors, Dynamic Delhi, Bangalore Bashers, Kolkata Superstars, Chennai Smashers, and Rajasthan Rangers, each led by renowned captains such as Elvish Yadav, Anurag Dwivedi, Munawar Faruqui, Sonu Sharma, Abhishek Malhan, Pushkar Raj Thakur, Mahesh Keshwala, and Zayn Saifi, respectively. The new season will broadcast live on Sony Ten 5 channels and ECLT10’s YouTube channel.
With the finale scheduled for 16th March 2025, the league will feature a total of 32 matches at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium, ensuring a packed schedule of action and excitement for fans. With an addition of two new teams, the league will feature 161 content creators from various industries, including tech, finance, infotainment, gaming, fashion, and lifestyle.
With the upcoming season, Entertainers Cricket League will continue its partnership with Sony Sports Network for the broadcast of the league. Fans can catch all the on-ground action on Sony Ten 5 channels and ECLT10’s YouTube channel. Fans eager to witness their favourite content creators perform, can get tickets on District.in.
Following the success of the first season, Entertainers Cricket League attracts and onboards sponsors across verticals. HaaNaa becomes the official Title sponsor. The league will be Powered and Co-Powered by Waves and Vision11, respectively. Additionally, 1XBAT will be the Official partner for ECL Season 2 and Fusion Cars will be the Luxury car partner.
Talking about the schedule launch, Himanshu Chandnani, Founder, Entertainers Cricket League, said, “The response to ECL Season 1 was beyond anything we could have imagined. What started as a passion project to merge cricket with entertainment quickly turned into a movement, with fans rallying behind their favorite creators and players. Seeing the energy on the ground reaffirmed our belief in the format. This year, we’re taking it a notch higher, expanding to eight teams, increasing the number of matches, and ensuring that every game is an unforgettable experience. With three matches a day and an action-packed schedule, ECL Season 2 is set to redefine digital sports entertainment.”
Sharing his views on the schedule launch, Anil Kumar, Founder, Entertainers Cricket League, said, “What made ECL truly special last season was the passion of the players and the overwhelming support from the fans. The camaraderie, the rivalries, and the sheer energy on and off the field turned it into something bigger than just a cricket league. This season, with more teams joining the mix and most of our players returning, we’re building on that same spirit. We’ve worked hard to make Season 2 even more dynamic, and we can’t wait to see the competition unfold. The goal has always been to create an experience where fans feel connected to the game in a way they’ve never seen before, and this season promises just that.”
Date Teams Time S.No March 5th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Rajasthan Rangers 6PM Match 1 March 5th Lucknow Lions v/s Mumbai Disrupters 9PM Match 2 March 6th Dynamic Delhi v/s Chennai Smashers 3PM Match 3 March 6th Bangalore Bashers v/s Kolkata Superstars 6PM Match 4 March 6th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Mumbai Disrupters 9PM Match 5 March 7th Rajasthan Rangers v/s Kolkata Superstars 3PM Match 6 March 7th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Dynamic Delhi 6PM Match 7 March 7th Lucknow Lions v/s Bangalore Bashers 9PM Match 8 March 8th Mumbai Disrupters v/s Dynamic Delhi 3PM Match 9 March 8th Lucknow Lions v/s Kolkata Superstars 6PM Match 10 March 8th Bangalore Bashers v/s Rajasthan Rangers 9PM Match 11 March 9th Kolkata Superstars v/s Mumbai Disrupters 3PM Match 12 March 9th Rajasthan Rangers v/s Dynamic Delhi 6PM Match 13 March 9th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Chennai Smashers 9PM Match 14 March 10th Bangalore Bashers v/s Dynamic Delhi 3PM Match 15 March 10th Rajasthan Rangers v/s Chennai Smashers 6PM Match 16 March 10th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Lucknow Lions 9PM Match 17 March 11th Kolkata Superstars v/s Dynamic Delhi 3PM Match 18 March 11th Lucknow Lions v/s Rajasthan Rangers 6PM Match 19 March 11th Bangalore Bashers v/s Chennai Smashers 9PM Match 20 March 12th Lucknow Lions v/s Chennai Smashers 3PM Match 21 March 12th Rajasthan Rangers v/s Mumbai Disrupters 6PM Match 22 March 12th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Bangalore Bashers 9PM Match 23 March 13th Lucknow Lions v/s Dynamic Delhi 3PM Match 24 March 13th Mumbai Disrupters v/s Chennai Smashers 6PM Match 25 March 13th Haryanvi Hunters v/s Kolkata Superstars 9PM Match 26 March 14th Bangalore Bashers v/s Mumbai Disrupters 6PM Match 27 March 14th Kokata Superstars v/s Chennai Smashers 9PM Match 28 March 18th QUALIFIER 1 3PM Match 29 March 18th ELIMINATOR 6PM Match 30 March 18th QUALIFIER 2 9PM Match 31 March 19th FINAL 9PM Match 32
DotMe Hits INR 1.25M Valuation with INR 150K Investment from Mirza L. Baig
National, March 04: DotMe, the leading link-in-bio platform for creators, has raised $150,000 in funding, propelling its valuation to $1.25 million. The investment round was led by strategic investor and ex-cofounder of Jimmy Cocktails, Mirza L. Baig, whose expertise in brand-building and business incubation will play a pivotal role in DotMe’s growth trajectory.
With over 100,000 unique monthly users, DotMe has evolved beyond a tool; it’s now a cultural hub. From top collectives like Sunburn Union to breakout creators like Justin Joy (Hyperfitx), DJs like Almost Human, and popular venues like FLO and Chin Lungs, the platform has become the go-to destination for those shaping audience engagement. The newly raised capital will enable DotMe to enhance its platform, simplify monetization, and strengthen connections between creators and brands.
This investment represents a strategic alignment for DotMe. “The creator economy is evolving rapidly, and DotMe is at the forefront of this transformation,” said Mirza. “They’re not just developing tools; they’re shaping the future of how creators and brands connect.”
A seasoned industry leader with 28 years of experience in building and scaling global brands, Baig brings a wealth of expertise to the table. As the ex-cofounder and former CMO of Jimmy’s Cocktails, he drove 300% year-on-year growth. He also leads Hammerhead Global, an award-winning experiential marketing firm, and his deep connections in the creator ecosystem further strengthen DotMe’s trajectory. With his backing, DotMe is not just positioned for growth—it is set to lead.
DotMe, under the dynamic leadership of Harsh Vijaykumar, Founder, and CEO, and his visionary co-founders Ajay Ghanti, Pranay Jain, and Akshay ND, is poised to dramatically reshape the link-in-bio landscape for the burgeoning creator economy. The team’s prior achievement in establishing Brandemic, a leading creative and tech transformation agency, demonstrates their ability to innovate and execute at a high level. “The creator economy is evolving beyond content into a powerful ecosystem of commerce and community. At DotMe, we’re building the infrastructure that helps creators not only showcase their work but also monetize effectively and forge stronger connections with their audiences.” said Harsh. “With Mirza’s strategic backing and industry expertise, we are poised to scale rapidly, introduce innovative features, and transform how creators and brands collaborate in the digital space.”
The creator economy is witnessing unprecedented growth, with the global market projected to expand from $127.65 billion in 2023 to $528.39 billion by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 22.5%. In India alone, the digital content creation market is expected to reach $4.40 billion by 2030, driven by a rapidly growing community of over 100 million creators.
As more creators look for streamlined ways to monetize and engage their audiences, platforms like DotMe are becoming essential tools for enabling these connections. With fresh funding and strategic backing, DotMe is well-positioned to capitalize on this momentum and redefine how creators and brands collaborate in the evolving digital landscape.
Akvarious Productions Celebrates 25 Years with Two-Day Festival at NCPA
Mumbai, 24th February 2025: Akvarious Productions, one of India’s most prolific theatre companies, is marking 25 years of storytelling with a special two-day celebration at the National Centre for the Performing Arts (NCPA), Mumbai. Since its inception, Akvarious has staged over 80 plays across multiple languages and genres, with seven nominations and two wins at the prestigious Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards. With over 1,600 performances across 30 cities, including international stages, the company has also carved a niche in children’s theatre with ten productions.
As part of the anniversary festivities, the lineup includes four acclaimed plays — In the Beginning Was the Word, Teen Kahaaniya, The Verdict, and It’s a Wonderful Life — and an engaging ‘Explore, Apply, Perform’ workshop with theatre veteran Shaun Williams. The celebration also introduces new initiatives such as rehearsed readings, open auditions, and even a theatre cricket tournament—bringing together artists in both performance and play.
Reflecting on the milestone, Akarsh Khurana, Founder, Akvarious Productions, said: “I think the gravity of the achievement gets clearer when people react to the number and think it’s a big deal. Which is when we’re like, hey, that’s true. We’re constantly rehearsing or performing, because it’s what we love, and we want to do much more of the same this year. But yes, because we should celebrate the journey, we’re looking back, taking stock, scaling up, taking some risks as well, and just going a little above and beyond. These microfests, the first of which the NCPA has been wonderful enough to collaborate with us on, are a new idea. We’re also doing new plays, rehearsed readings, workshops, open auditions, and even a theatre cricket tournament.”
Cybersecurity in the AI Era: Protecting a Hyperconnected World
By: Mr. Ashutosh Upadhyay, Founder, Cognio Labs
In the ever-evolving landscape of modern finance and cybersecurity, artificial intelligence stands at a fascinating crossroads. Like a guardian angel equipped with quantum-speed processing power and superhuman pattern recognition abilities, AI offers unprecedented protection. Yet, this same power harbors potential for sophisticated deception and attack. For auditors and accountants, understanding this duality isn’t just academic—it’s becoming a critical professional necessity.
The Protective Shield: How AI Safeguards Systems
The days of sample-based auditing are fading into history. Modern AI systems analyze every transaction in real-time, identifying anomalies that would take human teams months to uncover. Consider a recent case at a global manufacturing firm: an AI system detected a complex accounts payable fraud scheme by identifying subtle patterns in seemingly legitimate vendor payments—patterns invisible to traditional audit procedures.
In fraud prevention, AI systems are revolutionizing detection capabilities. Neural networks don’t just match known fraud patterns; they predict new ones. A European bank recently prevented a massive fraud attempt when its AI system detected anomalous patterns in international wire transfers that appeared legitimate but deviated microscopically from established business relationships.
Security protocol automation has evolved from convenience to necessity. AI-driven continuous monitoring adapts in real-time to emerging threats, learning from every transaction, login attempt, and data access pattern to build an increasingly sophisticated understanding of normal versus suspicious behavior.
The Dark Side: AI as a Weapon
However, this same sophistication that makes AI an effective guardian also makes it a formidable weapon in the wrong hands. Criminals now deploy AI systems to create nearly undetectable fraudulent transactions that mirror legitimate patterns. In a striking example, an AI-generated deepfake voice recently convinced a bank manager to authorize a $35 million transfer by perfectly mimicking a trusted client’s voice and speech patterns.
The rise of polymorphic fraud schemes—attacks that constantly evolve to evade detection—represents a new frontier in financial crime. These AI-driven systems automatically adjust their patterns based on success and failure, learning from each attempt to become more effective. Traditional rule-based fraud detection systems increasingly struggle against these adaptive threats.
Professional Implications: The New Frontier
This technological arms race has profound implications for audit professionals. The traditional sampling approach to audit evidence is becoming obsolete. Today’s auditors must understand:
– How AI models make decisions and what constitutes appropriate evidence
– The potential for AI systems to be compromised or manipulated
– The importance of maintaining professional skepticism even with AI-generated conclusions
– Methods for validating AI model outputs
– Techniques for documenting and justifying AI-assisted decisions
Future Outlook: Evolution of Professional Judgment
The future of auditing lies not in replacing professional judgment with AI, but in augmenting it. Tomorrow’s auditors must be as comfortable evaluating AI systems as they are analyzing financial statements. This includes developing expertise in:
– AI model validation techniques
– Risk assessment of AI-generated conclusions
– Documentation standards for AI-assisted auditing
– Ethical considerations in AI deployment
Conclusion
The AI safety net in financial security is neither inherently good nor evil—it is a sophisticated tool whose impact depends entirely on its deployment and monitoring. For audit professionals, the challenge extends beyond learning to work with AI systems to developing the wisdom to know when to trust them and when to question their conclusions.
In this new landscape, professional scepticism remains your most valuable asset. As AI systems become more sophisticated, the ability to question, validate, and understand their conclusions becomes not just valuable, but essential for professional survival. The future belongs not to those who simply embrace AI, but to those who understand both its promise and its perils.
Budget Expectations: Alok Dubey & Ganesh Raju
“The upcoming budget should prioritize India’s digital and technological growth by focusing on key areas such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, and 5G infrastructure. Strengthening these areas will drive innovation and help bridge the digital divide between urban and rural India. We anticipate measures to boost R&D, semiconductor manufacturing, and green technologies, which are crucial for enhancing India’s position as a global technology hub. Policies that support startups, MSMEs, and local manufacturing—through refined PLI schemes and targeted subsidies—will play a pivotal role in strengthening the ‘Make in India’ initiative and reducing import dependency. Additionally, simplifying tax structures and investing in skill development will empower the tech ecosystem, driving long-term, sustainable growth. We are optimistic about the government’s continued focus on digital transformation, sustainability, and self-reliance, which align with our commitment to innovation and eco-friendly practices.”
By: Alok Dubey, Chief Finance Officer, Acer India.
“The upcoming budget needs to recognize a crucial shift in India’s startup landscape. While we have mastered software innovation, the next wave of value creation will come from hard-tech – startups solving complex industrial, agricultural, and healthcare challenges. To enable this, we need more than just tax benefits. We should consider creating specialized funding pools for R&D-intensive startups, particularly those working on deep tech solutions. The government could introduce matching funds for early-stage investments in sectors like semiconductor design, biotech, and advanced materials. This would help de-risk private investment in areas that typically have longer gestation periods but higher impact potential. Additionally, simplifying the process for academic institutions to become startup shareholders could unlock a wealth of untapped innovation. Many breakthrough technologies remain within lab walls due to complex commercialization pathways. The focus should shift from creating more startups to enabling the right kind of startups – ones that solve India’s core challenges while building for global markets,”
By: Ganesh Raju, Founder, Turbostart Global.