Pinnacle Blooms Network, the pediatric therapy venture of Bharath Healthcare Laboratories, has secured $70 million (Rs 630 crore) from Global Healthcare Fund to fuel its expansion plans.

The two-tranche Series A round, advised by Yukon Capital, is set to become one of the largest early-stage investments in child development infrastructure across Asia, reported Hindu Business Line.

The funding will be deployed in two phases. The first tranche of $70 million will support rapid domestic expansion and technology upgrades. A second follow-on tranche is planned as the company enters markets in Southeast Asia and the GCC.

Capital deployment will enable Pinnacle to scale its network from 70 to 300 multidisciplinary therapy centres within 24 months. It will also accelerate R&D for home-based TherapeuticAI solutions, support large-scale manufacturing of TherapySphere sensory rooms, and fund regulatory submissions for international market access.

At the core of the platform is the proprietary Pinnacle Child Development Operating System—a multi-patent-filed digital therapeutic ecosystem that measures, predicts, and personalizes every aspect of a child’s developmental journey across speech, motor, cognitive, and behavioral domains.

Aneesh Madhav, Chief Executive Officer, Yukon Capital, said, “Pinnacle has solved the fundamental problem in developmental health — how do you make therapy measurable, scalable, and accessible without losing the human element.”

Dr. Koti Reddy Saripalli, Founder G Chairman, Bharath Healthcare Laboratories, said, “The world has finally recognized that developmental health is not charity; it’s essential infrastructure. We’re not raising capital to grow. We’re raising capital to ensure that every child on earth who needs measurable therapy can access it.”

Elon Musk’s platform X has limited image editing with its AI tool Grok to paying users, after it came under fire for allowing people to make sexualised deepfakes.

There has been a significant backlash after the chatbot honoured requests from users to digitally alter images of other people by undressing them without their consent.

But Grok is now telling people asking it to make such material that only paid subscribers would be able to do so – meaning their name and payment information must be on file.

The BBC has approached X for comment.

Those who do not subscribe can still use Grok to edit images on its separate app and website.

“Musk has thrown his toys out of the pram in protest at being held to account for the tsunami of abuse,” said Professor Clare McGlynn, an expert in the legal regulation of pornography, sexual violence and online abuse.

“Instead of taking the responsible steps to ensure Grok could not be used for abusive purposes, it has withdrawn access for the vast majority of users.”

It comes after the government urged regulator Ofcom to use all its powers – up to and including an effective ban – against X over concerns about unlawful AI images created on the site.

Addressing concerns that sexualised images of adults and children had been generated by Grok, Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said it was “disgraceful” and “disgusting”.

He said Ofcom had the government’s “full support” to act on the content.

“It’s unlawful. We’re not going to tolerate it. I’ve asked for all options to be on the table,” he said in an interview with Greatest Hits Radio.

Government sources told BBC News: “We would expect Ofcom to use all powers at its disposal in regard to Grok and X.”

Ofcom’s powers under the Online Safety Act include being able to seek a court order to prevent third parties from helping the Elon Musk-owned platform raise money or be accessed in the UK.

The BBC has approached the regulator for comment.

Grok is a free tool which users can tag directly in posts or replies under other users’ posts to ask it for a particular response.

But the feature has also allowed people to request it to edit images – and ask it to digitally strip people of most of their clothing.

Grok has fulfilled many user requests asking it to edit images of women to show them in bikinis or little clothing – something those subject to such requests have told the BBC left them feeling “humiliated” and “dehumanised“.

However as of Friday morning, Grok has told users asking it to alter images uploaded to X that “image generation and editing are currently limited to paying subscribers”.

It adds users “can subscribe to unlock these features”.

Some posts on the platform seen by BBC News suggest only those with a blue tick “verified” mark – exclusive to X’s paid subscriber tier – were able to successfully request image edits to Grok.

Prof McGlynn said the move echoed X’s approach to pornographic Taylor Swift deepfakes on the platform last year – where it blocked searches for sexualised material generated of the popstar using a Grok AI video feature.

“He is doing this to stoke free speech arguments,” she added.

“He will claim regulation is stifling people’s use of this technology. But, all the regulation requires is that he takes necessary precautions to reduce harm.”

Last Updated:January 09, 2026, 16:10 IST

Starting a SIP is easy, but building real wealth takes one extra habit. This simple yearly step can quietly transform an ordinary SIP into a powerful retirement corpus

By aligning your SIP with your income growth, you make full use of compounding while protecting your savings from inflation.

Nowadays, Systematic Investment Plans (SIPs) are widely seen as one of the most reliable long-term investment options. Many people begin investing a small amount every month from their first job to secure their future. However, few realise that a simple SIP strategy can almost double your retirement corpus. This lesser-known method is called a Step-Up SIP.

What Is A Step-Up SIP?

In a regular SIP, you invest a fixed amount in a mutual fund every month and continue with the same contribution for years. A Step-Up SIP improves on this approach by increasing your monthly investment slightly each year, usually by 5% to 10%.

As your salary rises over time, your ability to invest also improves. Step-Up SIP allows you to increase your investment gradually, without putting pressure on your monthly budget.

How Much Can A Regular SIP Create?

Let’s assume you are 30 years old and just starting your career.

Monthly salary: Rs 40,000

Monthly SIP investment (30% of salary): Rs 12,000

If you invest Rs 12,000 every month for 30 years without increasing the amount, and earn an average annual return of 12%, your retirement corpus could grow to around Rs 3.70 crore.

While compounding plays a major role in growing your investment, many investors ignore inflation. After 30 years, Rs 3.70 crore will not have the same purchasing power as it does today. Rising medical expenses, daily living costs, and lifestyle needs at retirement can significantly reduce its real value.

How A Step-Up SIP Delivers Bigger Returns

Now consider investing the same Rs 12,000 through a Step-Up SIP, increasing the amount by 8% every year.

Year 2 SIP: Rs 12,960

Year 3 SIP: Around Rs 14,000, and so on

With the same average annual return of 12%, your total corpus after 30 years could grow to approximately Rs 7.61 crore.

Simply increasing your SIP contribution each year can nearly double your retirement fund. This is why Step-Up SIP is considered one of the most effective ways to beat inflation.

The key difference is not the mutual fund scheme, but the discipline of increasing your investment regularly. By aligning your SIP with your income growth, you make full use of compounding while protecting your savings from inflation.

Who Should Opt For A Step-Up SIP?

Step-Up SIP is ideal for:

• Young professionals whose salaries increase every year
• Investors aiming to build a large retirement corpus
• Those who want to reduce the long-term impact of inflation
• People planning for children’s education or major future goals
• Investors seeking better inflation-adjusted returns

Planning Your SIP The Right Way

If you are planning a long-term SIP for retirement, simply starting an SIP is not enough. You must begin with the right amount and increase it every year.

Choosing equity mutual funds can be a smart move, as they have historically delivered returns that outpace inflation. For instance, many large-cap mutual funds have delivered average annual returns of over 12% over the past decade.

The right plan, financial discipline, and the habit of stepping up your SIP every year can help you build a strong retirement fund and enjoy a financially secure, worry-free life after retirement.

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