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Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
States of AI; The qcomm ad overload
States of AI; The qcomm ad overload Also in the letter: Mini 'AI Missions' sprout in states boosting adoption and innovation States of AI: Rajasthan unveiled its draft AI policy earlier this month, offering financial incentives for AI-led innovation, provisions for establishing data and compute platforms, and outlining ethical principles. Maharashtra greenlit the MahaAgri-AI policy for the farming sector, with a broader mandate in the works. Odisha launched its own AI mission in May. Haryana approved a Rs 474 crore outlay for the Haryana AI Development Project. Telangana, an early mover, introduced its AI mission in 2020 and followed up with a detailed AI strategy last year, including subsidised compute and a 200-acre 'AI City' on the outskirts of Hyderabad. Areas of focus: Building open data platforms and compute infrastructure. Applying AI to strengthen governance. Enabling deeper research collaborations. Prioritising high-impact sectors like agriculture, education, and healthcare. Skilling the workforce for an AI-ready future. Creating formal/informal coordinating mechanisms. Quote, unquote: Teething problems: Quick commerce users fume as pop-ups and ads run riot on apps Tell me more: ET ran a survey that reveals what many users have already sensed: 62% said they've noticed a sharp uptick in visual clutter on these apps. Almost all respondents said the interfaces now feel chaotic, and navigating them has become a hassle. Instead of browsing, many people simply head straight to the search bar and exit quickly. Increasing pressure: Increasing pressure: Also Read: Why is this happening? The number of sponsored products and brands on these apps has shot up. In FY25, Blinkit, Zepto, and Instamart together made over Rs 3,000 crore in ad revenue. As they expand into tier-II and tier-III cities, these apps are loading up with hyperlocal elements to reel in new users. Quick commerce began as a way to fulfil urgent purchases. Today, it's evolving into a full-blown marketplace, with the experience changing rapidly as platforms pursue scale and profitability. Sponsor ETtech Top 5 & Morning Dispatch! Why it matters: The opportunity: Reach a highly engaged audience of decision-makers. Boost your brand's visibility among the tech-savvy community. Custom sponsorship options to align with your brand's goals. What's next: ETtech Done Deals: GoKwik raises funds for international expansion Funding history: Use of proceeds: Ex-Swiggy CTO's trading platform bags fresh funds Funds for innovation: The new capital will finance product innovation, particularly in automation. Sahi will roll out new automation tools, including visual no-code strategy builders and multi-leg options execution capabilities. It is also set to launch its trading website this week, expanding beyond its mobile and desktop offerings. Significance: Deftech startup Armory raises Rs 13 crore Objectives: Other Top Stories By Our Reporters JioMart unlikely to break into quick commerce top tier, says BofA: Micron makes headway with Sanand chip facility: Top brass churn continues at ONDC: Automation Anywhere catches India Inc's eye: Global Picks We Are Reading Happy Wednesday! Indian states are rolling out 'mini AI missions' with a focus on local needs. This and more in today's ETtech Morning Dispatch.■ ETtech Done Deals■ RIL's qcomm play■ Semiconductors at SanandArtificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a national priority in India – it's going local. Several states are now launching their own 'mini AI missions' to boost adoption across key sectors, improve public services, and build on the momentum of the India AI mission.'Having their own policies ensures that innovation is not just top-down, but also rooted in local needs and realities,' said Vinay Butani, partner, economic laws face initial challenges, including infrastructure availability, skill gaps, funding and investment, and the population-scale rollout of use cases to drive adoption, as well as managing bias and fairness aspects, said Anurag Dua, Partner, EY swamped by ads, pop-ups and banners every time you fire up a quick commerce app? You're not imagining competition heating up and pressure to turn profitable, quick commerce platforms are throwing everything at the wall: flashy graphics, in-app games, animated banners, and a growing stream of sponsored Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and Reach out to us at spotlightpartner@ to explore sponsorship opportunities.(L-R) Ankush Talwar, Chirag Taneja and Vivek Bajpai, cofounders, GoKwikEcommerce enablement platform GoKwik raised $13 million in an equity funding round led by RTP Global. Existing investors Z47, Peak XV Partners and Think Investments also participated in the May 2022, GoKwik had secured $35 million from investors, including RTP Global and Think Investments. The Delhi-based startup has raised $68 million since its inception in plans to use the fresh funds to accelerate its international expansion and invest further in its AI-led commerce VazSahi, the stock trading platform founded by former Swiggy chief technology officer Dale Vaz and ex-Kotak Securities executive Manish Jain, has raised $10.5 million in a funding round led by Accel and Elevation fundraise comes as the market regulator, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi), eases algorithmic trading for retail investors , with the new rules taking effect from August 1, technology manufacturer, Armory, raised Rs 13 crore in a funding round led by early-stage investor GrowX Ventures. Industrial 47, Antler, AC Ventures, Dexter Ventures, and several angel investors also participated in the company will utilise the funds to accelerate research and development, expand manufacturing capacity, and speed up deployment cycles for its Retail's JioMart—without dark stores and amid intense competition—will not be one of the top two players in the Indian quick commerce space, brokerage firm BofA Global Research US-based chipmaker has started certification for the cleanroom —a highly controlled environment essential to semiconductor manufacturing—in the first phase of the Gupta, an independent director at Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC), has resigned from the post , becoming the latest senior executive to leave the government-backed ecommerce agentic automation solutions provider is seeing rising demand from Indian enterprises, as opposed to global capability centres (GCCs) being the predominant clients five to six years ago.■ Can the Gulf buy its way to AI supremacy? ( Rest of World ■ How AI infiltrated perfume ( The Verge ■ Court filings reveal OpenAI and io's early work on an AI device ( TechCrunch
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
India can be a Global Unifying Force to be Reckoned With: Bob Sternfels
Live Events India's big opportunity lies in being a global unifier that brings together countries and regions that may not otherwise be in harmony with each other, said Bob Sternfels, global managing partner at McKinsey & Co. It could not only be the link between the US and China but also with other parts of the world, Sternfels, 54, told ET in an interview, underscoring the benefits of the country's youth.'Increasingly, India's leading companies are global companies, not just Indian companies,' said Sternfels, a self-confessed Indophile. 'So, the upside is real — if India can walk that tightrope, staying connected to everyone, that's the real opportunity.'He said India's decade of 'miraculous progress' is unmatched in scale and speed, but it's now time for a gear shift.'It's like a marathon — most want to just finish. But the winners change gears in the second half. And, for India, the window is now, when India is young. India has around 30 years before it becomes an ageing society,' he said. 'Youth is India's advantage, and we need to move faster, not settle for 5.5% or 6% growth. Can we push for 7% or 8%?'The McKinsey CEO said the Indian economy needs a jolt to grow faster. The leap will come from increased capital and foreign direct investment (FDI), and an education system that prioritises learning agility over static knowledge, Sternfels is India's advantage, and we need to move faster, not settle for 5.5-6% growth.
Time of India
5 hours ago
- Time of India
Mini ‘AI missions' sprout in states boosting adoption and innovation
Indian states are launching AI missions to drive innovation, enhance public services, and boost local economies. From Rajasthan to Odisha and Telangana, states are creating policies, funding infrastructure, and enabling AI adoption. While challenges like limited budgets and skill gaps persist, this decentralised push aligns with India's broader, enablement-focused tech strategy. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads A host of mini 'AI missions' are cropping up to support AI innovation, boost adoption in critical sectors, and make public service delivery more efficient in the this month, Rajasthan released its draft AI policy with financial incentives for AI innovation, provisions to set up data and compute platforms, and ethical principles. Maharashtra approved the MahaAgri-AI policy to transform the sector with this technology. A dedicated AI policy is being chalked out to 'embrace AI in all walks of life', chief minister Devendra Fadnavis had said in May, the Odisha government announced the Odisha AI Mission with plans to provide compute capacity, access to datasets, and enable use case development. Haryana approved Rs 474 crores for the Haryana AI Development Project to support critical AI infrastructure , workforce transition, and AI in public service was an early mover, announcing an AI mission back in 2020. Its AI strategy released last year includes subsidised compute and a 200-acre 'AI city' near Hyderabad.'As more states step into this journey, it strengthens the collective momentum, and we are proud to be leading with both clarity and conviction,' Telangana IT minister D Sridhar Babu told ET.'The aim is to be aligned with and complement the IndiaAI Mission ,' a Rajasthan official told ET. 'Taking AI to the grassroots requires state-level initiatives, as states carry out a large number of citizen services.'A huge amount of data, especially in regional languages and dialects, sits with state governments. This can aid in AI training to solve local problems more effectively and inclusively, they shrinking economic headroom and rising citizen expectations, states are recognising that integrating AI into public service delivery enables cost reduction and faster delivery, said Vivek Agarwal, country director-India, Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, a policy advisory organisation that works with various state also see how the technology is reshaping the industrial and employment landscape and 'states that fail to embrace AI risk being left behind in the 'new' economy,' Agarwal like Rajasthan and Odisha leaning in signals that AI isn't just for India's IT corridors, said Vinay Butani, Partner, Economic Laws Practice. 'Having their own policies ensures that innovation is not just top-down, but also rooted in local needs and realities.'Although most of these policies also cover responsible AI principles, they don't impose strict regulatory curbs or penalties for non-compliance.'This approach mirrors India's broader tech policy ethos: enablement over regulation,' said Jameela Sahiba, associate director-AI & public affairs, The Dialogue. 'There is growing soft competition among states to emerge as AI-friendly destinations. This is akin to the startup policy race of the 2010s.'Tamil Nadu in its 2024-2025 budget allocated Rs 14 crore for two years for its AI mission and Kerala's investing Rs 10 crore for a GPU set up an AI task force last year to outline an action plan, which has almost been finalised, said Mona Khandhar, principal secretary, department of science and technology, Gujarat. The focus areas include providing GPU compute, building Gujarati language AI models, and developing use cases for government is studying the impact of AI on its workforce to guide its upcoming IT states face initial challenges of infrastructure availability, skill gaps, funding and investment, population scale roll out of use cases to drive adoption, and managing bias and fairness aspects, said Anurag Dua, partner, EY India'Many state missions began with seed budgets in the low tens of crores of rupees, which threaten to run dry before large-scale pilots prove their worth,' cautioned Sreeram A, partner, Deloitte India.
