Hello, India could be looking at tighter safeguards around social media use by minors. The Centre is reportedly examining possible measures for users under 18 after the Supreme Court raised concerns about children’s access to social media platforms. The move could bring age verification, parental consent and platform responsibility back into focus. Venture capital firm Peak XV has selected 18 startups for the 12th cohort of Surge, its seed-stage accelerator programme. The cohort spans AI, robotics, space technology, consumer internet, healthcare, financial services, and music. Consumer-focused startups in the cohort include dating startup Ditto, beauty platform Wingit and GameStock, which applies gaming mechanics to investing. In AI, the VC firm has selected Alma, which develops personal computing tools for an AI-native world and Kello, which is building a people-intelligence platform, among others. Meanwhile, IIM Kozhikode’s business incubator, IIMK LIVE, has partnered with Walmart Global Tech to launch DEEP LEAP, a specialised incubation initiative aimed at scaling early-stage deeptech startups across India. Marking Walmart Global Tech’s first formal institutional deeptech partnership in the country, the programme pairs academic incubation expertise with global retail technology resources. Backed by Rs 2.89 crore in Walmart CSR funding, with Rs 1.5 crore earmarked specifically for seed funding and equity investments, DEEP LEAP will support early-stage ventures that have developed a prototype or minimum viable product. In the world of sports, battling relentless rain and plunging temperatures, Neeru Dhanda clinched India's first-ever individual trap shooting gold medal at the Asian Games on Tuesday. She shattered the continental record against a formidable field, capping off a stellar performance after earlier leading the Indian squad to a team silver. In today’s newsletter, we will talk about TechSparks gets bigger, bolder Meet Tamil Nadu’s all-female rap crew Here’s your trivia for today: Which Swedish networking pioneer is a major global provider of 5G telecommunications infrastructure alongside Nokia? (Scroll down for answer) Events Founders and engineers are no longer the only ones driving technology. Increasingly, policymakers and global institutions are becoming a vital part of the conversation. At TechSparks 2026, YourStory's flagship startup and technology summit, that conversation will span policy, deeptech, AI, fintech, aerospace, mobility and digital infrastructure. The speakers taking the stage include Priyank Kharge, Minister for Home, IT, BT & E-Governance, Government of Karnataka, and Krishna Byre Gowda, Minister for Greater Bengaluru Development, Government of Karnataka. Into the future: Conversations at the event will focus on how AI is transforming from a simple application into core foundational infrastructure, tackling key issues like compute sovereignty, chip supply chains and data ownership. High-level international representatives, including Dr. Angela Honegger (Consul General of Switzerland) and Peter Winther-Schmidt (Consul General of Denmark), will discuss cross-border investment corridors and international tech partnerships. Leaders like Deep Agrawal (PhonePe) and Priya Narasimhan (Indus Appstore) will highlight native digital infrastructure, offline payments (UPI 123Pay) and alternative app marketplaces. <Funding Alert> Startup: SiMa.ai Amount: $150M Round: Series C Startup: Bharat Housing Network Amount: $5M Round: Green Bonds Inspiration Sollisai Sistahs, Tamil Nadu’s first all-female Tamil rap crew, is leveraging hip-hop as a form of social activism to challenge casteism, misogyny, inequality and systemic injustices. Formed by members including Abisha (B-Sha), Raaga Kaatralai, Kavi Chikki and Veraa through community spaces like Pa. Ranjith's Neelam Social, the crew emerged in response to the overwhelming male dominance and slur-heavy culture of underground hip-hop cyphers. Key takeaways: Frustrated by crude, derogatory lyrics and the exclusion of women in underground male cyphers, the members banded together to form a dedicated, safe, and collaborative space for female artists. Abisha turned to rap after witnessing a tragic forced eviction in Chennai's R.A. Puram, realising hip-hop provided a direct, uncompromising voice for political questioning. Beyond challenging existing male rappers to refine their lyrics, Sollisai Sistahs serves as a proof of concept for young girls in Tamil Nadu looking to enter hip-hop and activist art. News & updates Talent crunch: TeamLease Digital, in its latest report, Digital Skills & Salary Primer FY2026–27, said demand for AI-ready talent continues to outpace supply. Cloud has the widest supply gap among the four skill families, at 55–60%, followed by GenAI at about 53%. Capital inflow: WEH Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital firm, has announced the first close of Fund III with a target corpus of Rs 250 crore. The company, however, did not disclose the quantum of funds raised in the first close. EV bet: Ola Electric is taking steps to bolster its finances and leadership as competition intensifies in India’s electric two-wheeler market. In a board meeting on September 28, 2026, the company approved plans to raise up to Rs 1,000 crore through a rights issue of partly paid-up equity shares with a face value of Rs 10 each, according to a BSE investor filing. Which Swedish networking pioneer is a major global provider of 5G telecommunications infrastructure alongside Nokia? Answer: Ericsson We would love to hear from you! To let us know what you liked and disliked about our newsletter, please mail nslfeedback@yourstory.com. If you don’t already get this newsletter in your inbox, sign up here. For past editions of the YourStory Buzz, you can check our Daily Capsule page here.