News Broadcasting
Matrix Partners launches $150 million consumer services risk capital fund
MUMBAI: Matrix Partners India, co-founded by Avnish Bajaj and Rishi Navani in partnership with Matrix Partners US, today announced the closing of its first fund.
The $150 million, multi-sector, multi-stage fund will focus on early to growth stage businesses in the internet, mobile, financial services, media and entertainment, healthcare and travel and leisure sectors.
The first fund of its kind in India, it aims to partner with entrepreneurs to build market leading companies in the consumer services domain. The fund was heavily oversubscribed and current investors in the fund include leading US university endowments and family foundations.
“Matrix Partners is the first leading venture capital firm to establish a fund in India. The Indian economy is in a very exciting phase and Matrix Partners’ is looking forward to participating in the region’s growth story,” said Matrix Partners US founding partner Paul Ferri.
“As co-founders of Matrix Partners India, Avnish and Rishi bring incomparable experience in working with India-based companies in the consumer services sector. We have the ideal team in place to help Matrix Partners continue its strong legacy of building the best-performing companies and long-term relationships with talented entrepreneurs,” said Matrix Partners US managing partner Timothy A. Barrows.
Domestic entrepreneurs would benefit from the rich experience of the Indian founders and the strong company-building expertise of Matrix Partners US. Bajaj’s entrepreneurial experience (co-founder, chairman and former CEO of India’s largest online marketplace Baazee.com, acquired by eBay) and Navani’s venture and domain experience (former managing director at WestBridge Capital Partners) provides the ideal background to help entrepreneurs realise their ambitions. Matrix Partners US also brings to bear its experience as the top performing venture firm over the past two decades with assets under management of more than $3 billion.
Matrix Partners India founding managing director Avnish Bajaj said, “Matrix Partners India is focused on presenting a unique proposition to the emerging businesses in the consumer services sector. We believe that the founding team has an unparalleled competency to recognize and support potential market leading companies in this sector. By leveraging on Matrix Partners’ proven approach to investing, we are determined to emerge as the trusted partner of choice for Indian entrepreneurs.”
“The domestic consumer services industry is the key driver of India’s Gross Domestic Product growth. The industry is set to witness an era of innovative business models and significant value creation. We are delighted to partner with Matrix Partners, and appreciate the overwhelming support from our marquee investor base,” added Matrix Partners India founding managing director Rishi Navani.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
