Sarvam’s Voice Stack, Layoffs At Interview Kickstart & More

Sarvam To Roll Out Voice Agents For Public

Sarvam is preparing a major commercial push. The homegrown AI giant is opening its voice AI platform to the public, moving beyond enterprise-only access. The move could bring startups and developers into its fold, but will Sarvam’s pricing be lucrative enough to win them?

Sarvam’s Voice Engine: Until now, Sarvam Samvaad has been restricted to enterprises, with clients like Tata Capital using it for multilingual customer interactions. This model is all set to change. The AI major will now likely replace its waitlist-led onboarding with a self-serve flow, allowing any business to sign up, test the platform and begin building voice AI workflows more easily.

The Pricing Test: However, Sarvam is still finalising how it will monetise the broader rollout, with usage-based billing and tiered plans under evaluation. A freemium layer with limited credits is also being considered to help first-time users experiment before converting to paid plans. 

The Voice AI Core: The broader rollout of Sarvam Samvaad also reflects where the AI major’s commercial strength now sits. While the startup initially drew attention for its Indic AI models, its voice AI stack has emerged as the main revenue engine, contributing 80% of its current $12 Mn ARR. However, Sarvam may need a distinctly India-first pricing strategy to compete, especially as it balances domestic adoption with global expansion ambitions. 

The Unicorn Leap: This expansion comes at an interesting time. Sarvam is said to be finalising a mega $250 Mn round, which could catapult it into the unicorn club. But challenges remain. The AI giant’s biggest issue lies in moving beyond sovereign AI symbolism and proving that its products can compete on raw capability, reliability and developer adoption at a global level. 

With much on its plate, can Samvaad turn Sarvam’s voice AI stack into a healthy business? Let’s find out… 

From The Editor’s Desk

Interview Kickstart Cuts Jobs

• The upskilling startup laid off 80-100 employees as part of a restructuring exercise last week, citing rising automation due to AI. However, cofounder Soham Mehta said that less than 50 employees were impacted. 
• The restructuring exercise impacted employees across teams, with operations and support functions being the most affected. 
• Founded in 2014, Interview Kickstarts is an upskilling platform that provides tailored coaching to working professionals in the tech sector to improve employability. The layoffs come two years after the startup raised $10 Mn in its maiden funding round.

Excitel Turns Profitable In FY26

• The internet service provider (ISP) said that it minted a profit after tax of ₹40 Cr in FY26 as against a loss of ₹70 Cr in the year ago period. This came despite operating revenue remaining largely flat at ₹530 Cr in the fiscal under review. 
• The company attributed the financial turnaround to shutting down its operations in non-profitable cities, improving efficiencies and increasing automation in areas like customer relation management.
• Going forward, Excitel has projected a revenue growth of 15-16% in FY27, targeting a profit after tax of ₹50 Cr and an EBITDA of ₹100 Cr.

ONDC Bags $23 Mn

• The Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) has raised ₹220 Cr from Uber, Zoho, Paytm and the BSE. The state-backed network allotted 2.2 Cr shares with a face value of ₹100 each on a private placement basis to the four investors. 
• Zoho emerged as the largest investor in the round, infusing ₹70 Cr. While Uber India and Paytm invested ₹60 Cr each, BSE infused ₹30 Cr.
• Launched in 2022, ONDC enables interoperability between buyer and seller applications, allowing any buyer app to transact with any seller on the network regardless of the platform they use. The network claims to have facilitated 21.8 Cr transactions in FY26. 

OYO Bags SEBI Nod For IPO

• The hospitality giant’s parent, PRISM, has received SEBI approval for its proposed IPO. The company is now expected to file its updated DRHP with the markets regulator in early July. 
• While there appears no clarity on the size of the IPO, PRISM’s shareholders last year had approved a plan to raise up to ₹6,650 Cr through a fresh issue of shares. The public issue could potentially value the company between $7 Bn and $8 Bn. 
• The hospitality major, which rebranded from OYO to PRISM last year, has businesses spanning hotels, resorts, vacation rentals and coworking spaces. Its portfolio includes brands such as OYO, Motel 6, Studio 6, Sunday Hotels, Palette Hotels and DanCenter.

Haryana’s New Industrial Policy

• The state government has unveiled its new industrial policy, with an eye on attracting ₹5 Lakh Cr in investments and generating 10 Lakh jobs. WIth this, the state aims to position itself as a hub for emerging technologies, data centres, and GCCs.
• A major reform under the policy is the AI-enabled ‘Single Window 2.0’ system, which will offer an AI-powered investment blueprint generator, a GIS-based land identification system, approval pathway guidance, and infrastructure and policy support.
• Under the new framework, fiscal incentives will be tied to intra-state sales, employment generation, R&D infrastructure, export turnover and green initiatives. 

Inc42 Markets

Inc42 Startup Spotlight

How BluJ Is Rewiring Logistics For India’s Hinterlands

Moving critical cargo across remote and rugged terrain in India remains slow and expensive. From defence supplies to industrial equipment, last-mile logistics in these regions is often unreliable and carbon-intensive. BluJ Aerospace is looking to change this with air mobility.

Built For Hinterlands: Founded in 2022, BluJ Aerospace is developing autonomous electric and hydrogen-powered eVTOL aircraft for regional cargo transport. The Hyderabad-based deeptech startup focuses on areas where traditional logistics struggle due to terrain or lack of infrastructure.

A Modular Architecture: At the core of BluJ’s platform is its proprietary ‘VANTIS’ architecture, a modular system combining lightweight composite airframes, autonomous navigation, and zero-emission propulsion. The design enables point-to-point cargo movement without the need for airports or long runways.

All Set For Takeoff: The startup recently unveiled its Gen-2 eVTOL prototype, which is 40% lighter and can carry payloads of up to 200 kg. With commercial deployment targeted for 2027, BluJ Aerospace is positioning its solution for critical sectors like defence, mining, infrastructure, industrial logistics, and power transmission. 

With the air mobility market projected to become a $137 Bn opportunity by 2034, can BluJ Aerospace give wings to India’s logistics sector?

Infographic Of The Day

From D2C microbrands to premium curators, a whole new generation of Indian watch brands is quietly building a market that didn’t exist a decade ago. So, who is going after the exciting ‘Made in India’ watch market?

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