e-commerce
Arjun Vaidya spices up Kiranapro’s future with investment and mentoring role
MUMBAI: Arjun Vaidya, the entrepreneurial mind behind Dr. Vaidya’s Ayurvedic success, has stepped into Kiranapro’s corner with an undisclosed investment, promising a tech-infused retail revolution. India’s quick commerce platform powered by AI and integrated with ONDC, Kiranapro welcomed Vaidya aboard as mentor and investor, fueling its ambition to digitally empower 12 million kirana stores nationwide.
Leveraging his knack for scaling consumer brands, Vaidya will guide strategic partnerships with leading D2C labels and enhance Kiranapro’s AI tech. His past achievements, notably scaling Dr. Vaidya’s to 5,000 daily orders and serving two million customers across 16,500 pin codes, underscore his value to Kiranapro.
Kiranapro founder & CEO Deepak Ravindran expressed enthusiasm about the move,“Arjun’s journey as a D2C pioneer and his deep understanding of India’s consumer landscape make him an invaluable addition to our leadership circle. His decision to back our vision is a shot in the arm for the entire team. Arjun’s mentorship will accelerate our efforts to build strategic brand partnerships and will help us scale Kiranapro into a nationwide movement for kirana empowerment.”
Vaidya shared his perspective, “Kiranapro is redefining how technology can uplift India’s most trusted retail format—the kirana store.
Having built and scaled a D2C brand from the ground up, I understand the power of combining digital innovation with deep consumer trust. I’m excited to support Kiranapro’s mission to empower millions of small retailers while bringing modern commerce to every corner of India.”
Already showing impressive traction, Kiranapro has onboarded over 30,000 kirana stores, achieving close to 1,000 daily orders in 35 cities. By the end of 2025, Kiranapro aims to expand to 1 million stores, serving nearly 100 million customers. With Vaidya’s seasoned guidance and strategic backing, the company looks set for a robust retail revival.
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
