From Chtrbox’s ambition to become the engine powering India’s creator economy to Sumit Jain’s departure amid upGrad’s impending acquisition,YourStorybrings you today’s headlines with the latest developments across sectors. India’s Union Budget 2026–27 emphasised on the country’s “Orange Economy”, the fast-growing world of content, creativity, gaming, and media. It is a recognition that ideas, culture and creators are no longer side industries, but serious economic engines. A Boston Consulting Group report predicts India’s creator economy will top $1 trillion in annual spending by 2030. That shift is visible in influencer marketing: what began as brands experimenting with internet creators has evolved into a structured business with measurable outcomes, rising budgets, and specialised technology. Unacademy Co-founder Sumit Jain, who serves as chief executive officer of the company’s test preparation business, is leaving the edtech firm as it moves towards being acquired by upGrad. He was elevated to lead test-prep business in September last year. Jain, who leads Graphy, the creator-focused SaaS platform owned by Unacademy, was named a co-founder of the edtech firm in August 2023. Aeravti Ventures, the early-stage venture capital firm, has led a $1.2 million pre-Series A funding round in Agri-Finance startup ONO. The round also saw participation from Angels and Tremis Capital. This also marks Aeravti Ventures’ second investment in ONO. The fresh capital will be put towards strengthening ONO’s technology platform, expanding its presence across newer markets, deepening its lending infrastructure and accelerating ecosystem growth across the agricultural value chain. Impensus, an IIT Madras Research Park-incubated deep-tech startup, has raised Rs 1.6 crore in its pre-Series A round with participation from angel investors affiliated with Keiretsu Forum Chennai Chapter and IN44 Capital. The startup plans to use the capital raised to scale post-harvest cold chain technology. The firm’s focus is on helping reduce post-harvest losses through more precise control of biological processes during ripening and storage. Trackk raised $3.7 million in a seed funding round led by Lightspeed, with participation from Info Edge Ventures and angel investors including Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, Tanmay Bhatt, Varun Mayya, and Gaurav Kapoor. The company will use the fresh capital to strengthen its broking infrastructure, expand product capabilities, accelerate user acquisition and customer onboarding, grow its team across key functions, and build additional financial products aimed at younger Indian investors. Exotel has announced five senior leadership appointments and promotions as it expands its AI-led customer experience business. Rohan Shanbagh has been elevated to COO, Sanjeeth R appointed CPO, and Ananda Kumar named CFO. Udit Agarwal has been promoted to SVP and Global Head of Partnerships & Marketing, while Sumithra Sivaramakrishnan will lead People & Culture. Wad
