Agilent and C‑CAMP Expand Collaboration to Boost India’s Biopharma Research Infrastructure

Agilent Technologies, a global leader in analytical and laboratory solutions, today announced an expansion of its collaboration with the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (C‑CAMP), a Department of Biotechnology supported initiative. The expanded engagement broadens access to advanced analytical and mass spectrometry‑based capabilities that support life sciences and therapeutic research across India.

Through this collaboration, high‑resolution analytical platforms will be made available via C‑CAMP’s shared infrastructure, supporting applications such as biotherapeutic characterization, oligonucleotide research, and quantitative biomolecular analysis. The model is designed to enable researchers from startups, academia and industry to access advanced analytical workflows and deep domain expertise without the need for direct capital investment in specialized instruments or facilities.

As India continues to strengthen its focus on translational research and the development of advanced therapeutics, access to high‑quality analytical infrastructure has become increasingly critical. By expanding this collaboration, Agilent and C‑CAMP aim to help reduce entry barriers and support reliable, reproducible science across the research‑to‑development continuum.

Agilent’s collaboration with C‑CAMP has played a catalytic role in advancing India’s biopharma ecosystem by enabling world‑class, regulatory‑aligned characterization of biologics and biosimilars across therapeutic applications. Building on this momentum, the expanded collaboration deepens Agilent and C‑CAMP’s shared commitment to accelerating next‑generation biotherapeutics and reinforcing India’s ambition to emerge as a globally competitive biopharma hub.

The engagement aligns with C‑CAMP’s vision towards building a connected ecosystem that supports science‑to‑impact pathways, while leveraging Agilent’s expertise in analytical workflows and technology enablement.

“India is a strategic priority for Agilent, and partnerships like this are central to how we expand access to critical scientific capabilities,” said Nandakumar Kalathil, Country General Manager, Agilent India. “Working with C‑CAMP allows a broader community of researchers to leverage advanced analytical workflows that support high‑quality, reproducible science across discovery and translational research.”

“Across Asia Pacific, we are seeing a strong shift toward collaborative, shared infrastructure models that enable broader participation in advanced scientific research,” said Bharat Bhardwaj, Vice President and General Manager, Asia Pacific, Agilent Technologies. “Our expanded engagement with C CAMP reflects Agilent’s commitment to building inclusive innovation ecosystems—where startups, academia, and industry can accelerate high quality research and translate science into meaningful impact.”

“Partnerships with frontier science and technology leaders such as Agilent will help C-CAMP build cutting-edge capabilities in India to support researchers and innovators across the country. In the coming years, we believe such collaborations will play a key role in enabling technology development and accelerating science-led innovation,” said Dr Taslimarif Saiyed, Director and CEO, C‑CAMP. “The engagement also aligns with C-CAMP’s vision of building a connected ecosystem that supports science-to-impact pathways, while leveraging Agilent’s expertise in analytical workflows and technology enablement.”

The expanded collaboration reflects Agilent’s continued commitment to supporting India’s life sciences landscape by enabling scalable access to advanced analytical capabilities through trusted shared platforms.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: A) is a global leader in analytical and clinical laboratory technologies, delivering insights and innovation that help our customers bring great science to life. Agilent’s full range of solutions includes instruments, software, services, and expertise that provide trusted answers to our customers' most challenging questions. The company generated revenue of $6.95 billion in fiscal year 2025 and employs approximately 18,000 people worldwide. Information about Agilent is available at www.agilent.com.

JSW MG Motor India Expands into Nepal with Golchha Partnership

JSW MG Motor India today announced that they have strengthened their presence in Nepal through a strategic distribution partnership with the Golchha Organization. The association marks a significant step towards building a more structured and customer-focused presence for the brand in Nepalese market.

Akash Golchha, Managing Director & Aryaman Golchha,Sales Director

As part of this partnership, a new MG dealership has been inaugurated, offering customers access to MG’s range of technologically advanced and feature-rich vehicles. The showroom will showcase key models including the MG Hector, MG Windsor, and MG Comet, catering to diverse mobility needs across segments. Nepal continues to emerge as an important market with evolving customer expectations and increasing demand for smart and sustainable mobility solutions. With this partnership, MG aims to bring its portfolio closer to customers while establishing a more robust and accessible service and aftersales ecosystem in the country. The focus is on delivering a seamless, reliable, and reassuring ownership experience through a strong local presence and enhanced customer support.

Speaking at the launch, Akash Golchha, Dealer Principal, Nepal said: “We are delighted to partner with JSW MG Motor India and introduce MG’s globally recognised range of vehicles to customers in Nepal. This dealership is designed to offer a comprehensive and elevated customer experience, backed by modern infrastructure and a strong focus on service excellence. We believe MG’s portfolio, with its blend of technology, design, and sustainability, is well aligned with the aspirations of customers in Nepal, and we look forward to building a strong and enduring presence for the brand in the market.”

About GO Automobiles Pvt. Ltd.:

G.O. Automobiles Pvt. Ltd., a part of the prestigious Golchha Organization established in 1930, is one of Nepal’s leading automotive importers and distributors. With a strong legacy in industrial growth, the organization has played a key role in shaping Nepal’s modern mobility landscape through trusted global partnerships and brand leadership. G.O. Automobiles Pvt. Ltd., represents globally recognized brands strengthening its commitment to delivering both legacy performance and next-generation mobility solutions to the Nepali market. A strong nationwide network and in-depth market expertise enable the company to drive innovation and consistently enhance the mobility experience for customers across Nepal.

About JSW MG Motor India

SAIC Motor, a global Fortune 500 company with a presence in over 100 countries and JSW Group (India's leading conglomerate with interests across B2B and B2C sectors) formed a joint venture - JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. in 2023. The joint venture aims to build a smart and sustainable automotive ecosystem while staying focused on developing a diverse portfolio of vehicles to give car buyers better access to advanced technologies and futuristic products with attractive value propositions. JSW MG Motor India Pvt. Ltd. is committed to introducing world-class technology, strengthening the manufacturing landscape, bringing the best of innovation across its business operations, and generating significant employment opportunities through extensive localisation.

About Morris Garages

Founded in the UK in 1924, Morris Garages vehicles were world-famous for their sports cars, roadsters, and cabriolet series. MG vehicles were much sought after by celebrities, including British Prime Ministers and even the British Royal Family, for their styling, elegance, and spirited performance. The MG Car Club, set up in 1930 at Abingdon in the UK, has thousands of loyal fans, making it one of the world’s largest clubs for a car brand. MG has evolved into a modern, futuristic, and innovative brand over the last 100 years. Its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Halol, Gujarat, has an annual production capacity of 1,00,000 plus vehicles and 6,000 direct and indirect employees. Driven by its vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility, the innovative automaker has augmented across-the-board ‘experiences’ within the automobile segment today. It has introduced several ‘firsts’ in India, including India’s first Internet SUV – MG Hector, India’s first Pure Electric Internet SUV – MG ZS EV, India’s first Autonomous (Level 1) Premium SUV – MG Gloster, the Astor- India’s first SUV with personal AI assistant and Autonomous (Level 2) technology, MG Comet – The Street-Smart Car and India’s first Intelligent CUV – MG Windsor.

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Partners with Synopsys to Accelerate AI-Enabled Intelligent Power Module Development

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (LTSCT), a leading Indian fabless semiconductor company and a wholly-owned subsidiary of Larsen & Toubro (L&T), today announced a multiyear license agreement with Synopsys Inc., a leader in engineering solutions from silicon to systems, to strengthen its advanced power electronics design capabilities and support India’s growing semiconductor ecosystem.

Under the multiyear agreement, LTSCT will adopt Synopsys’ simulation software to accelerate AI-enabled design and optimisation of next-generation power modules and intelligent power modules (IPMs). The collaboration is expected to enhance design efficiency, improve reliability and reduce development cycles by integrating simulation, physics-based modelling and data intelligence across the design workflow.

“The agreement with Synopsys is a pivotal step toward accelerating next-generation power solutions, designed and optimised through AI-driven multiphysics simulation. This collaboration enables LTSCT to design at the chip, package and system levels seamlessly. It will thereby enhance reliability, reduce development cycles and accelerate our time to market. Together, we are shaping a new paradigm in power electronics, one where intelligence, performance and sustainability converge”, said Sandeep Kumar, Chief Executive - LTSCT.

The agreement enables LTSCT to leverage Synopsys’ multiphysics simulation technologies to enhance its design workflows across chip, package and system levels. As voltage levels scale from 1.2 kV to 10 kV, accelerating development timelines while ensuring design for reliability and design for manufacturing requires advanced modelling that integrates material science, metallurgical, thermo-mechanical and electro-mechanical properties. AIenabled simulation will support optimisation across electrical, thermal and mechanical domains, enabling improved performance and reliability while reducing prototyping costs.

Speaking about the agreement, Padmesh Mandloi, Regional VP - Ansys Customer Excellence, Synopsys, said: “This agreement enables a significant leap in the evolution of India’s semiconductor design capabilities, especially in the fast-growing domain of intelligent power modules. Following Synopsys’ acquisition of Ansys, the combined portfolio of industry-leading multiphysics simulation technologies with AI-accelerated design platforms, offering solutions from silicon to systems, will empower LTSCT to innovate at the intersection of physics, data and intelligence. We enable innovators like LTSCT to redefine how power modules are designed and enable faster, more reliable and energy-efficient solutions that will power India’s journey toward sustainable mobility and smart manufacturing”.

The collaboration will empower innovation across key sectors, including electric mobility, renewable energy and industrial automation, advancing the next generation of intelligent power solutions.

LTSCT’s work will focus on developing integrated module architectures that combine power devices, gate drivers, protection circuits and control logic in compact form factors. Through AI-accelerated multiphysics modelling, LTSCT will now be able to simulate chip, package and system-level performance concurrently, improving design robustness while reducing prototyping costs.

This multiyear agreement reflects LTSCT’s continued investment in advanced design technologies and its commitment to strengthening India’s power electronics and semiconductor design ecosystem.

About LTSCT

L&T Semiconductor Technologies Ltd (LTSCT), a wholly-owned subsidiary of L&T, is the first major Indian semiconductor products company - a fabless enterprise for designing and delivering smart devices for global customers. LTSCT is a company that provides semiconductor devices and technology partnerships by helping customers realise energy-efficient, high-performance systems to benefit from data, electrification and software-defined technology trends.

Our aim is to build an India-based semiconductor portfolio of smart devices across MEMS Sensors, Power, Analog Mixed Signal and RF products, to support automotive, industrial, energy and telecommunication verticals. We are present in four prominent geographies, i.e., the US, Europe, Japan and India, with offices in Austin, Munich, Tokyo, Bangaluru and Chennai. For more, visit https://www.ltsct.com/about-us/

Ex-Google, Amazon Execs-Founded SwishX Launches World’s Ist Agentic AI Platform for Pharma & Medtech

• Bengaluru-based startup seed-funded for $2.2 million backed by Powerhouse Ventures, Blume Ventures, Sadev Ventures, Atrium Ventures, and others
• Targets $5M ARR and 100+ enterprise clients
• Plans expansion across emerging markets including Latin America, Southeast Asia, Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe

SwishX today announced its launch, introducing the World’s first Agentic AI platform built exclusively for pharmaceutical and medtech companies, aimed at transforming sales, marketing, distribution, and business growth through artificial intelligence.

The Bengaluru-headquartered startup is targeting $5 million in contracted ARR and 100+ Enterprise clients by end of current FY 2026-27, and plans expansion into Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and Eastern Europe. SwishX has also raised $2.2 million in seed funding backed by Powerhouse Ventures, Blume Ventures, Sadev Ventures, Atrium Ventures, and other investors. These emerging markets, along with India, represent a $400 billion pharma and medtech opportunity, with commercial operations expected to grow to $770 billion by 2033 at a CAGR exceeding 12%.

India, dubbed as the ‘pharmacy of the world’, alone supplies 20% of the world’s medicines, and exports to over 200 countries, and is home to the highest number of US FDA-approved manufacturing plants outside the United States. However, most companies still lack real-time visibility into key business questions - which public tenders out of thousands they have a real shot at winning, where is the revenue leakage happening, what is actually selling at the retailer level, whether marketing efforts to engage doctors are generating results? All this is part of a long-standing problem in the pharma industry, where many critical commercial decisions still depend on spreadsheets, disconnected software, manual workflows, and delayed reporting. SwishX aims to address these gaps through AI Agent-led solutions and improve revenue outcomes by up to 30%.

SwishX’s specialized AI Agents capture siloed data, automate business workflows, learn nuances of every decision and build a functional memory to help business teams accelerate their execution.

While starting with India, SwishX is helping the pharma companies to further grow in other countries as well by combining AI with local market data of different countries. The platform autonomously evaluates thousands of tenders globally, surfaces most high-probability win opportunities, analyzes complex 500+ pages documents, recommends likely winning pricing, and drafts proposals within minutes. It also enables quick conversion of long marketing PDFs into highly engaging personalized video reels for doctors - reducing the time taken from weeks to just one day.

Dushyant Sapre, Founder & CEO, SwishX, said, “India’s pharma sector, recognized as the Pharmacy of the World, drives revenues of over USD 65 billion and Emerging Markets combined drive USD 400 billion while distributing into over 200 countries. Manufacturing and R&D have become genuinely world-class, but how these companies sell, market, and distribute, is still stuck in the past. Companies often struggle to know where losses are happening, what is selling, which tenders matter most, or how effectively teams are executing in the market. AI Agents change that completely. The next big transformation in this industry is not going to happen in the lab. It is going to happen in how these companies go to market. For the first time, companies can move to real-time autonomous execution.”

SwishX is purpose built specifically for the complexity of emerging markets. India alone has over 1.2 million pharmacies, compared to just ~1,00,000 in the US. Additionally, 30-60% of procurement happens through government tenders, rate contracts and generic competition is significantly more intense.

SwishX is being launched at a time when pharma companies are accelerating AI adoption with industry estimates suggesting that AI could unlock $60–110 billion in annual value globally in this sector.

SwishX is not a traditional CRM or reporting tool, but a complete Agentic AI-platform combining intelligence and execution. Over the long term, SwishX aims to build a vertically integrated AI system for the entire value chain of life sciences companies - faster generic and biosimilar drug discovery, drug development, and autonomous multi-market commercial execution. For now, SwishX is anchored where the pain is most immediate and most measurable.

About SwishX

SwishX is a Bengaluru-based Agentic AI startup building “outcome first” solutions for pharmaceutical, medtech, and life sciences companies across Emerging Markets. It is the world's first agentic AI platform designed as a system of action for the pharma industry, that not only turns complex data into clear decisions, but also helps teams execute those decisions faster and at scale using autonomous AI agents.

Built for the complexity of emerging markets, SwishX helps pharma companies move beyond spreadsheets and fragmented systems. It enables companies to improve sales execution, strengthen marketing and channel engagement, streamline distribution networks, and automate critical workflows through autonomous AI agents, proprietary data sets and real-time market intelligence.

The platform spans 4 products: Tender IQ (Agentic AI Tender & RFP Automation), Contract IQ (Agentic AI Hospital Rate Contract Automation), Marketing IQ (Agentic AI HCP & Rep Engagement), Channel IQ (Agentic AI Channel Engagement). The company is SOC-2 compliant with data encryption in transit and rest.

Starting with India, the company plans to expand across Latin America, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, with a long-term vision to build a vertically integrated AI platform for the life sciences sector across the full business lifecycle: from generic drug development to multi market distribution.

Mekr Technologies Secures ₹67 Crore Led By Avaana Capital to Build India’s Integrated Appliance Manufacturing Platform

• Funding to accelerate R&D, new product development, strengthen supply chain resilience, and drive global expansion, with participation from Titan Capital Winners Fund.

Mekr Technologies, a full-stack design and manufacturing company for consumer appliances, has raised ₹67 crore in its Series A round led by Avaana Capital. Founded in 2022 by Anand Yadav and Gaurang Kuchhal, Mekr is building an integrated design, engineering, and manufacturing operating system tailored for India's domestic appliance ecosystem. By combining modular architecture with tightly integrated manufacturing workflows, the company provides end-to-end solutions spanning the full product lifecycle - from concept, prototyping, and proprietary tooling to certification and mass manufacturing enabling brands to bring high-quality energy-efficient products to market in significantly compressed timelines.

Mekr Founders

Operating as a leading Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) across home & kitchen appliances, personal care, and car accessories, Mekr leverages shared core technologies - including BLDC motor systems, precision gear mechanisms, heating systems, load cells, and in-house mold design - to deliver high-performance, durable, and cost-efficient products. Backed by a deeply localized supply chain and strong in-house manufacturing capabilities, Mekr has developed 100+ SKUs and partnered with 40+ leading brands including Croma, Wipro, Amazon Basics, and Flipkart, enabling faster product development, superior quality control, and agile, design-led manufacturing for India and global markets.

“Mekr is building foundational engineering and unlocking manufacturing capabilities that directly address India’s structural reliance on imported appliance components. Its design-led, modular architecture enables faster innovation cycles, superior cost efficiency, and more resilient supply chains. We believe platforms like Mekr, which are building globally competitive, design-first production ecosystems at scale, will strengthen India’s manufacturing and supply chain resilience and position the country as a manufacturing hub for the world.” - Vikas Verma, Partner, Avaana Capital

With this fresh infusion of INR 67 crore, Mekr plans to deepen its investments in R&D, product engineering, proprietary tooling, and supplier localization. Additionally, the funds will be utilized to expand manufacturing automation, enhance quality systems, and strengthen export readiness for global market expansion.

“We are building Mekr in a technology and process-led manner, with the vision to seamlessly develop and produce high-quality products at globally competitive costs and scale. We believe India is at the beginning of a major manufacturing transformation, and Mekr is building the integrated engineering and supply chain platform needed to enable this shift at scale.” said Anand Yadav, Co-founder of Mekr.

“We are building Mekr to be India's leading ODM by unifying advanced product engineering with agile manufacturing approach. Our goal is to empower leading brands to drive innovation and script India's manufacturing success story. By making India truly self-reliant, we are setting the stage to develop world-class products for both domestic and global consumers.” said Gaurang Kuchhal, Co-founder, Mekr.

Shiv Kapoor, Vice President at Titan Capital Winners Fund, said, “As the first investors in Mekr, we have seen Gaurang and Anand evolve as founders as they have grown the company. They have come a long way and have scaled rapidly, building a multi-product portfolio with some of India's most respected brands as customers. We think the Mekr journey is just getting started, and they will be one of the pillars supporting Make In India for all electronics and appliance brands.”

India’s small home appliances market, estimated at over ₹40,000 crore and growing at 7–9% CAGR, remains heavily import-dependent. Mekr is positioned to lead the transition through a unified manufacturing platform built on modular design, advanced engineering, and localized supply ecosystem. As global supply chains continue to realign, Mekr is establishing a scalable blueprint for resilient, energy-efficient, and globally competitive appliance manufacturing from India.

About Mekr

Mekr Technologies Pvt. Ltd. is a New Delhi-based company offering a full-stack, integrated platform for the end-to-end design, development, and manufacturing of electronic products. Founded in 2022, the company is building a unified platform that brings together design, prototyping, sourcing, testing, certification, and mass manufacturing through a single interface.

The firm has worked extensively with leading brands in product design, development, and manufacturing. From embedded electronics products to consumer electronics and industrial devices, Mekr Technologies has assisted a large number of companies develop their products from scratch to manufacturing. Mekr is positioning itself as a key enabler of India’s transition into a globally competitive electronics manufacturing hub.