VCs look to the future; Women entrepreneurs’ Budget wishlist

Hello,

After months of uncertainty, there may finally be an update on the US tariffs front: US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent hinted at the possible removal of the additional 25% tariffs on Indian goods after Indian imports of Russian oil dropped sharply.

Meanwhile, India and the European Union are set to announce the conclusion of talks towards a free trade pact next week. What that means for India: cheaper European cars and wine due to reduced tariffs, and an expanded market for Indian electronics, textiles, and chemicals.

In other news, the race for the weight loss market is heating up. 

Following approvals granted to Dr Reddy's Laboratories, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries, Zydus Lifesciences, and Alkem Laboratories have received approval from India's regulator to manufacture and sell generic versions of weight-loss and diabetes drugs Wegovy and Ozempic.

Lastly, large swathes of the US East Coast are preparing for a winter storm, which is expected to blanket dozens of states in ice, sleet and snow. From multiple airlines cancelling flights to cities making preparations to deal with power demand, it’s clear that this is a climate phenomenon at an unprecedented geographic scale. 

Amid meteorological forecasts, there’s one index all of the United States has its eye on: how long will the Waffle House stay open this time?

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• VCs look to the future
• Women entrepreneurs’ Budget 2026 wishlist
• Healing through melodies

Here’s your trivia for today: Under which pseudonym did J. K. Rowling publish "The Cuckoo's Calling" in 2013?

Investor

VCs look to the future

Venture capital has always been about taking bets others can’t yet see. As Prime Venture Partners’ Brij Bhushan put it plainly, “The VC world is about taking bets that others can’t see. And if you’re wrong, so be it.” What’s changing is where those bets are being placed.

At the start of 2026, Prime Venture Partners looked into the future in a wide-ranging conversation, which also reflects where startup building itself stands today in 2026.

Key takeaways:

• Bhushan believes biotech in India could quietly become one of the most surprising success stories of the next decade, as he believes India has an R&D edge, the cost of scientists is far cheaper than in developed economies, and the country now has a manufacturing edge as well.
• While the world obsesses over humanoid robots, Shripati Acharya sees massive potential in constrained, specialised automation, such as robots that inspect pipelines, clean water systems, or operate in hazardous environments.
• One clear message to founders starting in 2026 was: don’t try to predict too far ahead. Instead, according to Shripati, founders should anchor on near-term value, while still thinking deeply about moats.

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Union Budget

Women entrepreneurs’ Budget 2026 wishlist

According to government data, women run 2.2 crore MSMEs, reflecting a remarkable surge in women-led enterprises. These enterprises generated over 89 lakh additional jobs for women from FY21 to FY23. 

As the Union Budget 2026 approaches, HerStory spoke to women founders and leaders to understand what they want. Women entrepreneurs leading growth-oriented businesses expect not just access to credit but also scale capital, simplified compliance, market integration, and policy continuity.

Sustained investments:

• Despite women owning nearly 20% of MSMEs in India, they receive less than 7% of formal credit, highlighting a significant scale gap. Addressing access to growth capital beyond early stages through targeted credit guarantees and incentives for institutional funding can unlock scaling and job creation.
• Investments in the care economy, including quality childcare, safe mobility, and digital skilling, can create enabling conditions for women to lead and innovate with confidence. Women’s health, too, is a powerful economic catalyst.
• By supporting indigenous AI-driven diagnostics and scalable digital health platforms tailored to women’s health needs and designed to complement the clinical workforce, the government can unlock faster and more equitable access to care.

Music 

Healing through melodies

From the time he was a child, British-Indian sarod artist Soumik Datta has practiced music not merely as performance but as a way to regulate and repair. It is how he listened to his body when the world felt too loud.

His own experience of music acting as scaffolding while navigating a constantly changing world also guides his seven-month India tour, Melodies in Slow Motion, and his immersive show Travellers, which is a moving soundscape bringing together Indian classical music, field recordings, spoken word, and the echoes of global conflict. 

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News & updates

• Parental controls: Meta Platforms said on Friday it will suspend teenagers' access to its existing AI characters across all of its apps worldwide, as it builds an updated iteration of those for teen users.
• Executive compensation: Goldman Sachs said on Friday CEO David Solomon's total annual compensation rose 20.5% to $47 million in 2025 after a strong year ​for the bank, making him one of the highest-paid chief executives on Wall Street.
• Dismissed: The US Securities and Exchange Commission on Friday agreed to dismiss its enforcement case against a cryptocurrency exchange founded by billionaire twins Tyler and ​Cameron Winklevoss, after investors in its lending programme recovered their assets ‌in full.

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Under which pseudonym did J. K. Rowling publish "The Cuckoo's Calling" in 2013?

Answer: Robert Galbraith

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