MalikTimes, New York, NY (2026)

09/05/2026

86% of India’s HNIs are using AI for finance and investing decisions.

That was probably the most interesting number I came across recently.

According to HSBC’s Human-AI Advantage Report, India has the highest share among the markets surveyed, compared with a global average of 73%.

But there’s a twist.

AI hasn’t replaced human financial advisers.

A large majority of wealthy Indian investors are still using advisers for investment ideas and final decisions. AI is increasingly being used as an extra layer for research, analysis and getting a second opinion.

And honestly, that makes more sense to me than the idea of AI completely taking over investing.

AI can process huge amounts of information quickly, but deciding how much risk to take — especially with real money — still involves judgment.

The interesting question now is whether this AI + human approach will eventually become normal for everyday investors too.

I covered the HSBC findings and what they mean for investing in India here:

https://maliktimes.in/86-percent-indias-hnis-use-ai-investing/

09/05/2026

Sovereign Gold Bonds were one of those investment options that looked almost too good to ignore.

You got exposure to gold without physically holding it, along with interest and some attractive tax benefits under the earlier rules.

But the landscape has changed.

The government has not issued a new SGB tranche since February 2024, and there are no fresh issues announced for 2026. Existing SGBs, however, continue to remain in circulation.

What makes the situation even more interesting is the 2026 tax change. The capital-gains exemption at maturity is now restricted to eligible original subscribers who bought the bonds at issue and hold them until maturity.

So for investors who were waiting for another SGB issue, the obvious question is:

**Where should the gold allocation go now?**

Gold ETFs, gold mutual funds and physical gold are some of the alternatives, but each comes with its own costs, tax treatment and liquidity considerations.

I’ve broken down what happened to SGBs and the alternatives investors can consider here:

https://maliktimes.in/sovereign-gold-bonds-2026-discontinued-alternatives/

09/05/2026

I’ve been working on MalikTimes as a place where I can bring together the business and startup stories I find worth following.

From startup funding and AI to IPOs, investing, technology and business news, the idea is pretty simple — make interesting developments easier to understand without making everything sound complicated.

Some of the recent stories cover Unacademy, Ultrahuman, Mokobara, DocPharma, SIP investing and India’s growing use of AI in finance.

If you follow Indian startups, markets or the broader business ecosystem, you might find something useful here.

Take a look:

https://maliktimes.in/

Would love to know which category you’d like to see more of.

09/04/2026

One funding story I found genuinely interesting this week: Cradlewise has raised $12M in Series A funding, led by 3one4 Capital and Prudent Investment Management.

What caught my attention isn’t just the funding — it’s the product direction.

Cradlewise is using AI, sensors and sleep data to build smart cribs that can detect early signs of a baby waking and respond automatically.

The company says its technology has already generated 75M+ hours of sleep data.

Now the bigger ambition is to move beyond the crib — into sleep software, additional child-sleep products, lower-priced options and international markets.

For me, this is a good example of how consumer hardware becomes more interesting when technology and data are built into the product itself.

Cradlewise has now raised $26M in total.

Read the full story:
https://maliktimes.in/cradlewise-series-a-funding-12-million/

09/04/2026

Prasol Chemicals IPO is coming with a ₹500 crore issue, and there’s quite a bit to look at beyond the headline.

The IPO has been given a 3.5/5 rating in the MalikTimes review.

A few numbers stood out to me:

• Price band: ₹643–₹676

• Issue size: ₹500 Cr

• Fresh issue: ~₹80 Cr

• OFS: ~₹420 Cr

• Lot size: 22 shares

• Minimum retail investment: ₹14,872

The company operates in specialty chemicals, with products used across pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals and personal care.

The interesting part is the financial growth, but the large OFS component and valuation deserve equal attention before making any decision.

For me, this is a classic case where understanding the business is only half the work — valuation matters just as much.

Full review: https://maliktimes.in/prasol-chemicals-ipo-review-rating-apply-or-avoid/

Pinterest

Pin Title:

Prasol Chemicals IPO Review 2026: Apply or Avoid?

Pin Description:

Prasol Chemicals IPO opens on September 8, 2026, with a ₹500 crore issue and a ₹643–₹676 price band. Explore the company’s financial performance, valuation, strengths, risks and 3.5/5 IPO rating before applying.

Board:

IPO & Stock Market India

Keywords:

Prasol Chemicals IPO, Prasol Chemicals IPO 2026, IPO review, IPO rating, upcoming IPO India, specialty chemicals IPO, apply or avoid IPO, IPO analysis, stock market India, IPO investment

09/04/2026

86% of India’s HNIs are now using AI for investing.

That number genuinely caught my attention.

According to an HSBC report, India has the highest share globally of high-net-worth individuals using AI in their investment decisions.

And I think this points to a bigger shift in how wealthy investors are approaching technology.

AI isn't necessarily replacing financial advisors or investment teams. Instead, it seems to be becoming another layer of research — helping investors analyse markets, process information and make sense of large amounts of data faster.

What’s particularly interesting is that AI adoption isn't limited to younger investors anymore. High-net-worth individuals, who traditionally relied heavily on human advisors and established financial institutions, are also actively experimenting with these tools.

Of course, using AI for investing doesn't mean blindly following an AI-generated recommendation. The quality of the data, the model and the human judgment behind the decision still matter.

But the direction is pretty clear: AI is becoming part of the investment workflow.

I covered the HSBC findings and what this trend could mean for the future of investing in India here:

https://maliktimes.in/86-percent-indias-hnis-use-ai-investing/

09/04/2026

Meragi is raising ₹28.68 crore in fresh funding — but the valuation is what caught my attention.

The Bengaluru-based wedding services startup is being valued at roughly ₹305 crore, which is basically unchanged from its previous funding round.

Accel India is leading the round with ₹14.34 crore, while DG Daiwa Ventures is investing ₹9.56 crore and Peak XV Partners ₹5.56 crore.

Meragi had previously raised $9.1 million in July 2024.

What makes this round interesting is that it looks more like a bridge or runway-extension round than a major valuation-driven fundraise.

Meragi operates as a one-stop platform for wedding services, covering everything from decoration and photography to makeup, catering, venues and entertainment.

In the current funding environment, I think flat-valuation rounds are worth watching. Not every funding round needs to come with a higher valuation — sometimes the priority is simply giving a company enough runway to reach its next milestone.

I covered the funding structure, valuation and investor details here:

https://maliktimes.in/meragi-funding-flat-valuation-2026/

09/03/2026

One SIP statistic I found surprisingly interesting:

Regular plans still account for around 77% of SIP AUM in the ₹1,001–5,000 monthly ticket-size bracket.

That’s the segment I’d consider the heart of India’s mainstream SIP investor base.

What makes this interesting is that direct plans have been growing much faster in terms of account numbers. But when you look at the actual money invested, regular plans continue to dominate.

There’s an interesting reason behind this.

Regular-plan investors tend to have larger average AUM and longer holding periods. Distributor support may also help investors stay invested during periods of market volatility.

That doesn’t automatically make regular plans better.

Direct plans have lower expense ratios, which can make a meaningful difference over a long investment horizon.

So the real question isn't simply “Regular or Direct?”

It’s also about how much guidance you need and how disciplined you are as an investor.

I went through the SIP ticket-size data and the reasons behind this gap here:

https://maliktimes.in/regular-plans-dominate-sip-aum-ticket-size-2026/

09/03/2026

Mokobara is raising ₹90.66 crore in its Series C round, and the valuation jump is probably the most interesting part of the story.

The premium D2C luggage brand is being valued at around ₹1,930 crore — up from roughly ₹700 crore during its Series B.

That’s about a 2.76X jump.

Sauce VC is leading the round, with participation from Peak XV Partners, Niveshaay Sambhav Fund, Ayra Ventures and other existing investors.

What caught my attention is the business growth behind the valuation.

Mokobara’s operating revenue nearly doubled in FY25 to ₹230.15 crore, although its net loss also increased to ₹10.18 crore.

So there’s clearly strong growth, but profitability is still something to watch.

For a D2C brand operating in a crowded luggage and travel market, getting investors to back another round at a significantly higher valuation is interesting.

I covered the funding, valuation, ownership and financial numbers here:

https://maliktimes.in/mokobara-series-c-funding-1930-crore-valuation/

09/03/2026

# # # LinkedIn

Investing has become much more accessible, but finding useful information without all the noise is still a challenge.

That’s why we’ve been building the **MalikTimes Investing** section around topics that actually matter to everyday investors — SIPs, mutual funds, market trends, IPOs, valuations and changing investor behaviour.

The idea is simple: **understand the numbers before making a decision.**

If you follow Indian markets or are simply trying to become more informed about your money, this is a section worth keeping bookmarked.

Explore MalikTimes Investing: https://maliktimes.in/finance/investing/

---

# # # Pinterest

**Pin Title:**
MalikTimes Investing – SIP, Mutual Funds, IPO & Market Insights

**Pin Description:**
Explore MalikTimes Investing for practical insights on SIPs, mutual funds, IPOs, stock market trends, valuations and personal finance. Data-driven investing stories designed to help you understand the numbers before making financial decisions.

**Board:**
Investing & Personal Finance

**Keywords:**
investing India, stock market India, mutual funds, SIP, IPO news, personal finance, investment insights, Indian investors, market analysis, investing tips

MalikTimes

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/05/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/04/2026

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

09/03/2026

Address

Website

Alerts

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Listing takedown request