Indian VC firm Blume Ventures announced the first-close of its fifth flagship fund at $175 million, with a target final close of $250-275 million in early 2026. The vehicle will focus on early-stage Indian startups—seed and pre-Series A—with sectors spanning healthtech, consumer internet and deep-tech. Existing and new institutional investors, including family offices and corporates, committed. The move underscores growing appetite for startup bets in India amid global venture capital caution and reflects a pivot toward quality founder teams in large untapped markets.