Is India ready for the AI revolution? The rapid advancements in artificial intelligence, from generative AI tools to sophisticated machine learning algorithms, are transforming industries across the nation. From fintech's burgeoning use of AI-powered fraud detection to the agricultural sector's embrace of precision farming technologies, the impact is undeniable. This week saw a major breakthrough in indigenous 5G technology development, signaling India's growing prowess in the global tech landscape. But alongside this progress comes the crucial discussion surrounding data privacy, cybersecurity, and the ethical implications of AI deployment. How will India navigate these challenges and harness the transformative power of technology for inclusive growth? Explore the latest developments in Indian tech, from the rise of digital payments to the burgeoning startup ecosystem, and discover how innovation is shaping the nation's future. Stay informed with Abtak.com – your gateway to understanding the tech revolution reshaping India.
Mumbai, March 31: Meta has reportedly commenced testing a new premium subscription tier called Instagram Plus, aimed at providing everyday users with enhanced control over their social media experience. According to a report by TechCrunch, the service is currently being piloted in select regions including Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines. Unlike the existing Meta Verified programme, which focuses on security and authenticity for creators, Instagram Plus is designed to offer a suite of functional tools specifically for Story engagement and privacy. The move marks a significant shift in Meta's monetisation strategy as it explores diversified revenue streams beyond traditional advertising. While the company has not yet officially confirmed a global rollout, the pilot phase suggests a growing interest in "freemium" models where users pay for advanced utility features that are not available on the standard version of the application. Meta CEO Accelerates 'AI-Native' Shift, Engineering Teams Set 75% AI Coding Targets Amid Workforce Reductions. The standout feature of the reported Instagram Plus subscription is the "Incognito Story View," which allows subscribers to view a user's Story without appearing in their viewer list. This directly addresses long-standing user demand for anonymous browsing within the app's native interface. Additionally, the plan includes a search function within the Story viewers list, allowing users to quickly verify if specific followers have seen their content. Subscribers are also expected to gain deeper insights into their own engagement. The new plan reportedly allows users to see how many times their Stories have been rewatched by their audience. To further manage visibility, Instagram Plus allows for the creation of multiple custom audience lists, moving beyond the singular "Close Friends" option to allow for more granular sharing with specific groups of followers. Beyond privacy, Instagram Plus introduces tools to extend the lifespan of ephemeral content. Subscribers can reportedly increase a Story's visibility by an extra 24 hours, effectively doubling the standard duration. The plan also includes a weekly "Spotlight" option, which allows users to boost one specific Story so it appears more prominently at the front of their followers' Story bars. Other aesthetic and interactive additions being tested include an animated "Superlike" reaction for Stories. These features appear to be aimed at power users who frequently use the platform for personal branding or high-volume social interaction, providing them with more tools to maintain visibility and track their digital footprint. Industry analysts have highlighted that Instagram Plus is strategically separate from the Meta Verified service launched previously. While Meta Verified is a high-cost tier targeted at businesses and influencers -- offering identity protection, verification badges, and direct customer support -- Instagram Plus is positioned as an affordable alternative for the general user base. The introduction of this tier follows similar moves by platforms like Snapchat, whose "Snapchat+" subscription reached millions of paying users by offering experimental and exclusive features. Meta's decision to test these features suggests the company is looking to replicate this success by gating specific "quality-of-life" improvements behind a paywall. As of Tuesday, Meta has not provided an official timeline for when Instagram Plus might arrive in the Indian market or other major regions. The choice of Mexico, Japan, and the Philippines as testing grounds allows the company to gather data across diverse user demographics before committing to a wider release. Meta Employees in Wearables and Ads Divisions Told To Work Remotely, HR Sends Email As Layoffs Loom. The development comes at a time of increased regulatory and economic pressure on big tech firms to find sustainable growth models. If the pilot is successful, Instagram Plus could set a precedent for other Meta-owned platforms, including Facebook and WhatsApp, which the company previously indicated were being evaluated for subscription-based features.
New Delhi, Dec 4 (VOICE) Aadit Palicha, Co-founder and CEO of Zepto, on Wednesday said he is not against work-life balance and even recommends it to his competitors. Palicha's statement comes even as a viral post, on the American social media platform Reddit, accused the quick e-commerce platform of toxic work culture. "I have nothing against work-life balance. In fact, I recommend it to all our competitors :)," said the 22-year-old CEO, in a post on social media platform X. The Reddit post, by an anonymous user, alleged that Zepto's working environment was "toxic", with employees working ex ...Read More >
The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has fined WhatsApp $25.4 million for antitrust violations linked to its controversial 2021 privacy policy. It ruled that WhatsApp's mandatory data-sharing with Meta for advertising purposes abused its dominant market position, forcing users to accept expanded data collection without opt-out options. The CCI also prohibited WhatsApp from sharing user data with Meta units for non-service-related purposes for five years. This mandatory data-sharing, the CCI noted, created barriers for competitors and harmed the display advertising market. With over 450 mi ...Read More >
CoinEx Charity's Starlink Program, under its "Bridge to Hope" initiative, has launched its first Starlink unit in the Philippines, aiming to bring high-speed satellite internet to remote areas. The first deployment in EB Magalona, Negros Occidental, enhances access to education, economic opportunities, and essential services. Mayor Marvin Malacon highlighted plans for educational seminars on blockchain and cryptocurrency. CoinEx Charity, established in 2022, focuses on global charitable efforts, while CoinEx, a leading crypto exchange, offers user-friendly trading services to over 10 million u ...Read More >
Oxford has chosen "brain rot" as its Word of the Year for 2024. Read on to know more about its meaning and origin. Do you endlessly scroll through Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, or memes? If so, there's a term for people who get caught in this mindless scrolling - "brain rot". And Oxford has chosen it as its Word of the Year for 2024. The word was selected from a shortlist of six contenders: brain rot, demure, dynamic pricing, lore, romantasy, and slop. Before diving deep into the origins of the word brain rot, which saw a 230 per cent increase in its usage from 2023 to 2024, let us first ...Read More >
SHANGHAI, Dec. 02, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- MultiMetaVerse Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: MMV) (MMV or the Company), a leading animation and entertainment company for young consumers in China, today announced that it has signed a definitive share exchange agreement (the Share Exchange Agreement) with the shareholders (the Transferors) of Bowong AI Limited (Bowong Cayman), which, after a series of restructuring transactions, is expected to indirectly hold 100% equity interests in Bowong Technology (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. (Bowong Technology). Bowong Technology is a company equipped with cutting-edge tec ...Read More >
LONDON - The Rank Group (LON:RNK) Plc, a British gambling company, announced today the appointment of Mr. Christian Nothhaft as a non-executive director, effective immediately. This change comes as Mr. Chew Seong Aun retires from the board, also effective today. Mr. Nothhaft brings a broad range of experience to the Rank board, including expertise in digital transformation. Alex Thursby, Rank's chairman, expressed confidence in Nothhaft's abilities, stating that his international and strategic experience will be valuable to the company. Nothhaft has a notable background in business managemen ...Read More >
In an exclusive interview with FinTech Magazine at Money20/20, Matthew Van Buskirk, Co-founder and CEO of Hummingbird Regtech, discusses how the company is enabling data to be labelled at ease through the use of artificial intelligence. Hummingbird positions itself as an AI enablement company, addressing a critical challenge in the financial sector: the lack of well-labelled, clean training data. "From the day we launched, we saw that deploying effective machine learning or AI capabilities in this industry is incredibly difficult because we don't have clean training data. Instead, we have th ...Read More >
Bengaluru, November 27, 2024: SuperGaming's highly anticipated Indo-futuristic Battle Royale game, Indus, has achieved a significant milestone, surpassing 5 million downloads on the Google Play Store and over 100,000 installs on the iOS App Store. This remarkable feat solidifies its position as one of India's fastest-growing games. The title has also been recognized as the Best Made in India Game by Google Play in their prestigious Best of 2024 awards. Indus has captivated players with its distinctive Indo-futuristic world setting that seamlessly blends Indian culture with futuristic aestheti ...Read More >
Aishwarya Rai recently attended the Global Women’s Forum in Dubai, where her name appeared without the "Bachchan" surname, sparking social media buzz amid ongoing divorce rumors with Abhishek Bachchan. Speculations intensified after Aishwarya attended a wedding solo with daughter Aaradhya, while Abhishek was elsewhere with his family. Rumors also linked Abhishek to actress Nimrat Kaur. Breaking his silence, Amitabh Bachchan addressed these rumors through a blog post, urging readers not to believe unverified information marked by "question marks," emphasizing the harm of baseless speculation. T ...Read More >
The #ShameOnMTVHUSTLE trend surfaced on Monday with several users coming together to support comedian Rohan Cariappa. It all started when Rohan took to his Instagram Stories to claim that his YouTube channel was getting shut. "50 plus strikes," he wrote in one story along with a screen recording of the strikes on his videos about the show. In another story, he wrote, "The channel shuts down on the 7th ... Killswitch aur Danish ke baad mera bhi elimination ho raha hai (I have been eliminated after Killswitch and Danish)." Danish and Killswitch were contestants of the show. It is being said th ...Read More >
Bitcoin World - Let me start by saying that I made over $30,000 in passive income last month. I know, that sounds crazy, right? But I promise you it is 100% real. I used to think that making money while you sleep was something only the super wealthy or tech savvy could do. But it turns out it is totally possible, and I'm here to tell you how I did it," said Dennis. Dennis has been installing photovoltaic panels for three years, and five years ago he asked his wife a question: "Do we really have to work ourselves to death?" She simply responded: "That's life." "To be honest, it was frustratin ...Read More >
Trial conducted over a 118 km Boston metro route with 10 network hops and nine ROADMs. US wireless carrier Verizon has successfully tested the transportation of 1.6 terabits per second of data across a single wavelength on its live metro fiber network. Utilising Ciena's WaveLogic 6 Extreme (WL6e) coherent optical solution, the trial, conducted in Boston, demonstrated data travelling farther and faster across Verizon's fiber network. This upgrade enhances the network's ability to handle the workloads generated by artificial intelligence (AI) applications, particularly Generative AI, according ...Read More >
Infosys has announced an average 85% performance bonus for eligible employees in Q2 FY25, reflecting its strong financial performance. The bonus, paid to mid- and junior-level staff, will be credited with the November salaries, with individual payouts varying based on performance. This follows Infosys' impressive 4.7% rise in Q2 net profit and a revenue increase of 5.1%, leading to an upward revision of its FY25 revenue guidance. The bonus payout surpasses the previous quarter's 80%, with Infosys outpacing rivals like TCS. Employees are also awaiting salary hikes, with revisions expected from ...Read More >
Melbourne: A celebrity and "public relations maven" from Australia Roxy Jacenko has said she regrets turning her daughter, Pixie Curtis, into a child social media influencer. The 13-year-old's Instagram account had long been used by her mother to generate income via brand sponsorships and online businesses such as Pixie's Bows and Pixie's Toys. But Jacenko is now saying the money wasn't worth the negative effects of Pixie's public persona, which included being bullied at school. This admission, along with the government's decision to ban social media for under-16s, is a timely reminder for p ...Read More >
Deconstruct, a skincare and haircare brand, has launched an innovative "Skincare Internship," offering participants the chance to enhance their skincare knowledge while earning Rs 1 lakh. Open to everyone over 18, the program aims to normalize skincare as a daily habit and challenge stereotypes by reserving 50% of spots for male participants. Interns will receive personalized skincare routines, expert guidance from dermatologists, and hands-on experience. The remote internship spans 30-60 days, culminating in rewards like product hampers, social media features, and career opportunities. Founde ...Read More >
Sunmei Hotels Group has announced the launch of Sunmei Group International (SGI) and three new overseas brands—SHANKEE, PENRO, and LANOU—marking its expansion into the UAE market. The company plans to introduce SHANKEE Hotels, a smart economy brand, to cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Riyadh. SGI focuses on smart marketing, modular renovations, and intelligent operations, leveraging big data and AI to enhance service and guest experiences. Chairman Ma Yingyao aims to open 100 hotels globally within the next decade, doubling revenue and establishing a strong international presence for Chinese ...Read More >
MS Dhoni stole the show with his charming presence and enthusiastically matched the steps with his fellow dancers. It has hardly been a week since MS Dhoni broke the internet with his pout selfie. The former Indian captain has once again gone viral for a video that captured him dancing to a folk song along with his wife Sakshi and some friends. The clip is claimed to be from a wedding ceremony in Rishikesh. Joined by some local folk artists, Dhoni was seen grooving to the beats of the popular "pahadi" song- Gulabi Shahara. The former World Cup winning-skipper stole the show with his charming ...Read More >
- Renewed homepage of Samyang's industrial water treatment solution brand, 'TRILITE' ... Featuring AI chatbot 'TRIGENT' and Design programs 'TriAngle' - Providing tailored and technical information to the user's queries ... Service available in over 100 languages. - Innovative Water Treatment Design Softwares... Ion Exchange Resin and RO membrane SEOUL, South Korea, Nov. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Samyang Corporation (CEO Kang Ho-sung) introduced its new website for its water treatment solutions brand, 'TRILITE' (http://www.samyangtrilite.com), along with the launch of an innovative Artificia ...Read More >
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], November 28: Pioneering furniture fittings solutions brand Hettich India is proud to announce that it has been officially certified as a Great Place to Work, a recognition that celebrates the company's unwavering commitment to creating an ecosystem where everybody thrives. Also Read | Diljit Dosanjh Concert in Kolkata 2024: Planning to Attend Dil-Luminati Tour, Don't Miss These 5 Must-Try Local Foods. This honor is especially meaningful, with an overwhelming 95% participation from employees helping Hettich India. It reflects a shared commitment to creating a fam ...Read More >
Alia Bhatt has always shared a special bond with her sister, Shaheen Bhatt, and their close relationship is often evident on social media. On Shaheen's birthday, Alia made the day even more special by posting a heartfelt wish on Instagram, referring to her sister as "her life." Alia Bhatt shares heartfelt birthday wish for sister Shaheen Bhatt with adorable selfie, watch The Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani star shared an adorable selfie with her sister Shaheen. In the photo, Alia looked radiant in a floral outfit, while Shaheen wore a chic orange dress. Alongside the image, Alia wrote, "Happy ...Read More >
Anuj Kumar, Director & CEO of CAMS, highlights that despite recent market corrections, the company expects FY25 to be one of its strongest years. CAMS continues to dominate by winning 70-80% of new bids, focusing on execution and margin expansion, and anticipates significant revenue and profit growth driven by mutual funds and associated business lines.Anuj Kumar, Director & CEO, CAMS, says there has been some market correction and some flattening of the mood in the last two months. But as things come back, we should be holding our projections and FY25 should be one of the strongest years in t ...Read More >
Uber has launched India's first Shikara ride on Srinagar's Dal Lake, offering a unique and scenic experience. This new service allows passengers to enjoy the tranquil beauty of the lake while riding in a traditional Shikara boat. Booking is easy through the Uber app, with rides available daily from 10 AM to 6 PM. This initiative aims to boost tourism in the region while providing locals with a new way to experience the lake. With Uber's entry into the Shikara market, visitors can now enjoy a blend of modern convenience and traditional charm on Dal Lake. ...Read More >
The Chinese yuan was also facing its own challenges from the growing threat of more U.S. tariffs on China, pushing it down to a 13-month trough. Japan's tech-heavy Nikkei jumped 1.6% as of 0200 GMT, and South Korea's KOSPI advanced 1.7%. Taiwanese shares gained 1.1%. Australia's stocks benchmark rose 0.7% and reached a fresh all-time high. However, Chinese stocks were under pressure, with Hong Kong's Hang Seng edging slightly lower and mainland blue chips falling 0.3%. MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares added 0.7%. Both S&P 500 and Nasdaq futures were flat after the cash indexes ...Read More >
Mumbai: Actor Vikrant Massey recently caused a stir in the entertainment industry with a social media post that many interpreted as an announcement of his retirement. The actor's heartfelt message reflected on his career, gratitude for his supporters, and his plans to take a step back. However, in a recent interview with News18, Vikrant clarified the misunderstanding, explaining that he is taking a long break rather than retiring from acting altogether. In his Instagram post, Vikrant wrote: "Hello, The last few years and beyond have been phenomenal. I thank each and every one of you for your ...Read More >
Raniwala 1881 unveils its much-anticipated Raas A/W 2024-25 Collection, a celebration of heritage, family, and love. The collection blends traditional craftsmanship with modern aesthetics, honoring the bride’s journey and creating an emotional connection across generations. Each piece, from polki necklaces to intricate earrings, tells a story of resilience and legacy. Crafted with care, these jewels are not just adornments but heirlooms in the making, meant to be passed down through families. Abhishek Raniwala, Co-founder & Creative Director, emphasizes that the collection celebrates the spiri ...Read More >
Have a calm conversation with your parents, expressing your feelings for your boyfriend while being open about the current situation between the two of you. Sometimes, parents worry because they don't know the full picture, says rediffGURU Kanchan Rai. You can post your questions to rediffGURU Kanchan Rai HERE. Illustration: Dominic Xavier/Rediff.com Are your parents worried about your marriage? What do you do when your parents disapprove of your relationship? Is it normal to have feelings for someone else while you are in a committed relationship? How to handle your emotions when you f ...Read More >
Complementary skills help, but juggling roles leads to sleepless nights A Bengaluru-based couple, founders of the mental health platform YourDOST, triggered a conversation on LinkedIn after discussing one of their "most challenging situations" at present - balancing parenthood and work. "One of the most challenging situations for us as couple founders is balancing our new born (Rudra) with our other baby YourDOST. It was very easy to give an (idealistic) answer when we did not have him. Things are very different than we anticipated," Puneet Manuja said in his post. While Puneet and his wife ...Read More >
American entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, known for his quest to reverse aging, experienced the effects of Mumbai's air pollution during his India tour. Promoting his book Don't Die, Johnson detailed his discomfort despite using air purifiers and masks. He adhered to his rigorous health routine, carrying all his meals and supplements for the six-day trip. The visit included an exclusive meetup with prominent figures like Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal, showcasing his dedication to health and longevity advocacy.Bryan Johnson, the American entrepreneur renowned for his anti-aging mission, has drawn atten ...Read More >
JPMorgan's CEO Jamie Dimon has envisioned a future where artificial intelligence (AI) could cut the traditional work week down to just 3.5 days. Speaking at the recent JPMorgan's annual investor day, Dimon said that AI would not just make businesses better but also improve work-life balance for employees, Fortune reports. He highlighted the historical benefits of technology but also noted job displacement risks from AI. In a chat with Bloomberg TV, Dimon disclosed that thousands at JP Morgan are already using AI. He called the tech a "living breathing thing" that keeps evolving. Despite the r ...Read More >
Palo Alto Networks, released its 2025 cybersecurity predictions for the Asia Pacific region, outlining five key trends that cyber practitioners can expect to unfold in the coming twelve months and position their organisations for a more secure future. Organisations across the APAC region have emphasised embedding AI into business processes in 2024. This includes cybersecurity processes, where organisations and their adversaries are engaged in an AI arms race. But alarmingly, according to a recent PwC report, more than 40% of leaders say they do not understand the cyber risks posed by emerging ...Read More >