Happy Wednesday! The government plans to translate legal provisions into software code that enforces compliance by design. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.Also in the letter:■ Deals sprout in vertical commerce■ AI skills in demand■ Groww promoters trim stakeCoded compliance: Centre is eyeing ‘law-to-code’ to AI-proof data law The government is exploring a ‘law-to-code’ framework – translating legal provisions into automated software rules – to hardwire compliance with privacy and data protection laws as AI-fuelled cyber threats scale up, officials told us.Jargon buster: Law-to-code is the process of converting legal rules into software code so systems can automatically apply and enforce them, with minimal human intervention.Driving the news: The Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY) has, over the past month, met with industry stakeholders as part of its consultations on the risks posed by advanced AI models such as Anthropic's Mythos.Policymakers fear that increasingly powerful AI models could make it harder for companies to comply with India's newly implemented data protection law.Expert take: “Since AI-powered cyberattacks can now operate at machine speed, governance also needs to be automated and applied at the same speed to counter such challenges,” a cybersecurity expert aware of the policy discussions said. Trial and error: Governments are experimenting with law-to-code across a range of use cases. France and New Zealand, for instance, have deployed it for calculation-heavy administrative laws, including taxes, welfare and immigration.Also Read: AI models raise telecom cyber threat concerns in IndiaUpGrad value pegged at $1.7 billion as Unacademy deal awaits CCI assent Ronnie Screwvala, cofounder, UpGradAhead of its merger with Unacademy, edtech firm UpGrad's fair value was pegged at $1.7 billion (Rs 15,980 crore) as of February 28, 2026, according to a confidential valuation report filed by the higher education company and reviewed by us.Inside the report: The document outlines the startup's financials.UpGrad was profitable for the first 11 months of FY26, posting a profit after tax (PAT) of Rs 38 crore and revenue of Rs 1,532 crore.For the full year ending March 31, it expects revenue of Rs 1,972 crore, up 26% from Rs 1,569 crore in FY25.PAT is projected to cross Rs 60 crore, compared with a net loss of Rs 274 crore in FY25.The projections imply that UpGrad expects to add more than Rs 440 crore in revenue in March alone. Riding on acquisitions: The report envisages an aggressive growth path, with UpGrad forecasting revenue to rise 30% in FY27, 64% in FY28, 59% in FY29 and 46.5% in FY30.UpGrad is scaling its study-abroad business through offline counselling centres, where early cohorts are converting at higher rates than on its online channels.It also plans to expand its international workforce programmes in Vietnam, Thailand, and the UAE.New bets – including its direct-to-consumer offering and School of Tech – are expected to scale over the next 12–18 months.Context: The valuation report surfaces as UpGrad seeks approval from the Competition Commission of India for its proposed acquisition of SoftBank-backed Unacademy at less than a tenth of the latter's peak valuation.Also Read:Unacademy's test prep CEO Sumit Jain quits ahead of UpGrad acquisitionEarly-stage vertical commerce startups continue to draw VC interest across beauty, fashion, services Vertical quick commerce startups in fashion, beauty and services continue to attract early-stage venture capital funding as investors hunt for the next category leader.Funding rush:Beauty and personal care (BPC) delivery startup Firi is in talks to raise $3-4 million in a round led by 360 One Asset.Stellaris Venture Partners-backed Dazzl, a beauty services platform, is targeting $10-11 million in funding, while Gen Z-focused fashion quick commerce app Klydo is looking to raise $10-15 million.Titan Capital and 8i Ventures co-led a Rs 7.5 crore funding round in Instafix, a 30-minute doorstep smartphone repair startup.BazaarNow is set to raise $8 million in a round led by Peak XV Partners.Much FOMO: The flurry of bets across fashion, food, services, and more suggests that the fear of missing the next Blinkit across verticals is outweighing any near-term pressure to show profits.Profitability in question: Quick commerce startups raised $586 million between January 2025 and March 2026, according to Tracxn. The capital keeps coming even as unit economics and demand across verticals remain unproven.Other Top Stories By Our Reporters AI skills in demand: Nearly a seventh of technology job postings in India in January mentioned AI skills, up from under 9% a year ago, indicating a talent pool still too thin to be considered industry-ready, according to a report by Nasscom and Indeed.Groww promoters cut stake: The promoter group at wealthtech startup Groww has sold around 0.23% stake in the company for approximately Rs 250-260 crore over the last few days, according to estimates based on stock exchange disclosures.Trackk raises $3.7 million: Trackk, a stock trading platform focused on Gen Z investors, has raised $3.7 million in a funding round led by Lightspeed Ventures, with participation from Info Edge Ventures and angel investors including Gaurav Munjal, Roman Saini, Tanmay Bhatt, Varun Mayya, and Gaurav Kapoor.Global Picks We Are Reading■ SpaceX IPO adds air to the Silicon Valley ‘genius bubble’ (FT)■ Robo-top: The machines that could make your next t-shirt (BBC)■ Amazon's Nvidia alternative starts winning over AI developers (The Information)