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The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) on Wednesday granted a request from Alphabet Inc. and Google to redact specific sections of its recent judgment concerning the Google Play Store billing case. The contested paragraphs, according to Google, contained sensitive revenue information, as per a report by Bar and bench.

A two-member NCLAT bench, comprising Chairperson Justice (retd) Ashok Bhushan and Technical Member Barun Mitra, issued a directive to remove paragraphs 97 through 100 from the judgment copy currently available on the NCLAT website. This redaction will also be applied to all future certified copies of the ruling.

The NCLAT's decision follows its partial upholding last month of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)'s findings that Google had abused its dominant position through its Play Store billing policies. While the appellate tribunal upheld the CCI's findings of anti-competitive practices, it significantly reduced the penalty imposed on Google from ₹936.44 crore to ₹216 crore.

The CCI had initially penalized Google in October 2022 for allegedly forcing app developers to exclusively use its proprietary billing system for paid applications and in-app purchases, while notably exempting its own applications like YouTube. The competition watchdog deemed this practice discriminatory and anti-competitive, instructing Google to permit developers to integrate third-party billing systems.

Following the NCLAT's judgment in March, Google swiftly filed an interlocutory application seeking the redaction of particular paragraphs. The tech giant argued that these sections reproduced extracts from a confidential letter dated October 6, 2022, which contained revenue data previously submitted to the CCI. Google contended that while the CCI had maintained the confidentiality of this document, excerpts had been directly quoted within the NCLAT's judgment.

The NCLAT bench concurred with Google's argument, stating, "We find substance in the submission of the applicant. Paragraphs 97 to 100 of the judgment extract part of the confidential letter 06.10.2022, hence to maintain confidentiality, we allow the prayers in the application."

Google was represented in the matter by advocates Karan Chandhiok, Tarun Donadi, and Bhavika Chhabra from the law firm Chandhiok and Mahajan. The respondents were represented by advocates Vivek Pandey, Biyanka Bhatia, and Shreya Kapoor from Sarvada Legal.

This decision by the NCLAT highlights the ongoing legal battle between Google and Indian regulatory authorities over its Play Store billing practices and underscores the importance of protecting confidential business information within judicial proceedings.

NCLAT allows Google to redact confidential data from play store billing judgment

In the booming quick commerce sector - led by the likes of Zepto, Blinkit, and Swiggy Instamart - speed isn't the only thing accelerating. So is ad fraud. As brands chase consumers in their “10-minute delivery” moment, they’re also exposing themselves to increasingly sophisticated digital threats that could quietly siphon off up to Rs 1,000 crore annually in wasted ad spend.

Experts tell Storyboard18 that from bot clicks to spoofed locations, click injection to invisible impressions, ad fraud is fast becoming the industry's worst-kept secret - and its most expensive one.

“Quick commerce has redefined how consumers shop, but the ecosystem’s closed-loop structure and hyper-speed environment also make it fertile ground for ad fraud,” says Raj Swaminathan, Sr. Director – Revenues and New Initiatives at Globale Media. “Platforms are showing massive ad spends but little conversion. Often, it’s bots and hijacked installs gaming the system.”

A notable instance involves a major quick commerce platform that encountered severe pay-per-click (PPC) fraud within its app advertising campaigns. Despite substantial ad spend aimed at retargeting users, the platform observed low conversions. Upon investigation, it was revealed that bots and hijacked installs were inflating engagement metrics, leading to misleading insights and ineffective campaign strategies.

His concerns are echoed by a PwC India report, which pegs 57% of all fraud incidents in India under ‘platform frauds’, a category that includes e-commerce and quick commerce. That’s a red flag for marketers who are now allocating 15–20% of their digital budgets to q-commerce - a sharp jump from 3–5% just a couple of years ago.

Ad fraud significantly undermines the efficiency and effectiveness of a brand’s advertising budget. By artificially inflating engagement metrics, it gives brands a false sense of campaign success, prompting continued investment in underperforming strategies. This not only leads to wasted ad spend but also distorts ROI measurement, noted an FMCG marketer.

Furthermore, inflated metrics can skew data analytics, leading to misguided business decisions. 

The nature of quick commerce - high frequency, hyper-local targeting, impulse buys - makes it ideal for performance marketing. But it’s also what opens the floodgates to fraud.

Vishal Agrahari, VP – Paid Media at BC Webwise, outlines four common scams. 

Click Fraud: Bots inflate clicks on product listings, raising costs with zero returns; Impression Fraud: Hidden ad loads that count as views but are never seen; Location Fraud: Spoofing apps trick systems into believing high-income users are engaging; and Attribution Fraud: Malware hijacks credit for conversions just before purchase.

Also, to increase revenue, the quick commerce platforms consistently use influencer partnerships and affiliate marketing. These channels may be vulnerable to fraud, including bot-generated activity and phony referrals. 

<strong>What’s at Stake?</strong>

Several industry experts, including a source from a fraud detection firm, flag the same issue: lack of transparency. “These platforms operate as closed ecosystems. Brands can’t access granular campaign data, and third-party validation is next to impossible. It’s like flying blind.” 

This ‘black box’ model - mirroring the Amazon playbook - limits brands to self-reported metrics, leaving them vulnerable to inflated performance numbers and under-the-hood fraud that’s nearly impossible to detect.

Mihir Mehta, Managing Partner at 0101, believes that without proactive intervention, things could spiral quickly. “Right now, fraud might be limited to 10–20% of spends, but as volumes rise, so will the problem. If brands don’t act, this could turn into a systemic issue.”

Fraudulent data pollutes analytics, making it challenging to understand genuine customer behaviour and preferences. This hinders brands' ability to make data-driven decisions and optimize their marketing strategies.

"Ad fraud creates a cycle of wasted spending, inaccurate data, and damaged brand reputation, ultimately hindering brands' ability to achieve their marketing goals on quick commerce platforms," highlights Agrahari.

Add to that the missed opportunity cost - what could have been achieved with that budget elsewhere - and the impact snowballs. 

Says Prashant Puri, CEO of AdLift, "Ad fraud skews campaign performance and inflates key metrics, leading to wasted budgets and misleading KPIs. In many cases, brands are unknowingly paying for fake impressions, bot-driven clicks, and non-human installs — all of which erode ROI. Since a majority of campaigns on quick commerce platforms are performance-driven (think: CPC, CPI, CPM), even a modest level of fraud — say 20–30% — can significantly inflate costs and distort decision-making."

India, being a high-growth market, is especially vulnerable — ranked among the top five globally in install hijacking and click injection. Interestingly, AdLift has observed higher susceptibility in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where local vendor systems tend to be less tech-enabled, making them easy targets for fraud networks.

Puri estimates that ad spends on quick commerce platforms in India are already in the range of Rs 2,500–Rs 3,500 crore annually — and this is only expected to grow as the model becomes more embedded in consumer behavior. "20–35% of quick commerce ad spends, which is up to Rs 1,000 crore, may be compromised by fraud. “That kind of inefficiency is unsustainable,” he adds.

Although there’s consensus on one thing: fixing this requires collaboration. Brands, platforms, and agencies - all must step up.

According to Mehta, brands should insist on third-party tracking and verification tools and work with platforms that allow transparent attribution — whether it's through MMPs (Mobile Measurement Partners), anti-fraud SDKs, or independent analytics. Quick commerce platforms, on their part, need to step up by offering transparent inventory sources, clear disclosure of partner networks, robust fraud detection mechanisms built into their ad tech, and support for independent tracking tools.

Moreover, co-developing custom brand safety metrics with clients — such as real user-based conversions or post-install engagement thresholds — can also help mitigate risk.

Some of the quick commerce platforms are increasingly using technology like SHIELD to identify fraudulent activities, track multi-accounters, and detect the use of bots and emulators. Companies are also partnering with identity verification providers to conduct background checks on employees and partners to mitigate the risk of collusion fraud, remarks Swaminathan.

Data analytics and machine learning are used to identify suspicious patterns and behaviors, enabling platforms to detect and prevent fraud more effectively. Additionally, platforms are implementing various measures to detect and prevent fraudulent activities, including limiting promo codes per user, monitoring suspicious transactions, and actively blocking fraudulent accounts.

Even custom metrics — like engagement thresholds or verified post-install actions — can help differentiate genuine users from fraudulent traffic.

While experts agree that speed is great, but not when it comes at the cost of trust. Because in a world that moves at a 10-minute delivery speed, losing crores to invisible clicks is a luxury no brand can afford.

Behind the Speed: Ad fraud in quick commerce could cost brands up to Rs 1000 crore

Search engine giant Google has reportedly laid off hundreds of employees, working on its Android software and Pixel phones and Chrome browser, according to a report by The Information.

Notably, the search engine giant introduced a voluntary severance program for employees in the same division earlier this year.

The voluntary exit program applies to employees working on several Google products and services, including Android, Chrome & ChromeOS, Pixel, Fitbit, Google One, Google Photos, and Nest.

The latest layoff is part of the company's restructuring effort that began last year when Google merged Android and Chrome teams under the Pixel and Devices group. At that time, under the leadership of Rick Osterloh, the combined unit had more than 25,000 employees.

In February this year, Google told staffers in "People Operations" and cloud organizations to cut employees. The company's cost-cutting drive has come as Google expands its spending on AI structure in 2025.

As per the HR buyouts, Level 4 and Level 5 employees (mid-to-senior level employees)  would receive a severance of 14 weeks of salary and one additional week for every full year of service.

According to the cnbc.com, the cloud layoffs affected the unit’s sales operations, customer experience, and go-to-market teams. Cloud is one of the high-growth business units of Alphabet. The cloud unit’s revenue increased 30%  for the fourth quarter year-on-year.

Meanwhile, Google employees have been circulating an internal petition titled "job security" in view of  the cost-cutting drive, according to a report by cnbc.com. More than 1,250 employees signed the petition, the report mentioned. The employees have called on the company's leadership to not 'force' low-performance reviews to justify layoffs.

The employees in their position have asked for guaranteed severance equivalent to what laid-off employees were offered in January 2023. 

At that time, Google laid off 12,000 employees and the severance package included 16 weeks salary plus two weeks for every additional year employees worked at that company.


Google's cost-cutting drive leads to layoffs in Android, Pixel, and Chrome teams: Report

On the small, glowing screens of TikTok Live children from some of the world's most impoverished areas are seen sitting cross-legged, hands outstretched, silently pleading for help.

These young faces, broadcast from mud-brick homes in Afghanistan to the crowded urban streets of Pakistan and Indonesia, are not asking passer-by for coins or food but requesting virtual gifts, which are converted into small amounts of real money.

What appears to be a simple cry for help is, in reality, an increasingly troubling trend that has spiralled into a form of digital begging, driven by TikTok's algorithms and weak content moderation.

Despite the platform's policies against such practices, children and vulnerable individuals are being pushed into these live-streamed appeals, where their poverty is turned into a source of entertainment.

According to an investigation by The Guardian's Observer, this disturbing trend is growing rapidly, largely unchecked by the platform's content moderators.

TikTok, which launched its live-streaming feature in 2020, has become a stage for these emotional pleas, yet the company's enforcement of its own rules on child begging has proven inconsistent. In many cases, flagged accounts are only removed after intervention from media outlets, raising concerns about the platform's commitment to protecting vulnerable users.

These live-streamed begging sessions, some orchestrated by families and others potentially part of a larger network exploiting children, raise red flags about the ethical implications of digital charity. W

hile some families may genuinely rely on these earnings, there are reports of multiple children appearing in similar settings each day, leading to suspicions of organized exploitation.

The app’s design encourages this exploitation, with the digital gifts incentivizing both creators and TikTok itself. Though TikTok claims to take 30% of gift revenue for processing and app fees, the platform often retains nearly 70% of the total value generated from these streams.

TikTok Live is intended for content creators to interact with their audience in real-time, but the platform’s safety measures have been criticized for being insufficient. While it requires hosts to be over 18 and have at least 1,000 followers, children frequently appear in these live streams, often under the guidance of unseen adults or handlers.

In addition to passive begging, some participants have been coerced into performing degrading acts, such as covering themselves in mud or enduring long hours of sleeplessness, just to earn virtual gifts. In some instances, streams go viral, generating significant revenue for both the creators and the platform, making it more difficult to discern where the money truly goes.

While there have been cases of TikTok Live helping creators raise money for legitimate needs, like medical expenses, these instances are far outweighed by the potential for exploitation. Experts warn that many of the children involved may be too young to fully understand what is happening or may be coerced into participating, with third parties controlling access to the earnings.

Despite TikTok’s promises to address these issues, previous investigations by the BBC and Al Jazeera have highlighted similar patterns of exploitative livestreaming in vulnerable settings such as refugee camps and orphanages.

TikTok’s safety measures are often rendered ineffective by anonymity and a lack of accountability, leaving viewers and potential donors unsure of the true beneficiaries of their contributions.

Digital begging: How TikTok makes money from child begging

As Microsoft celebrates its 50th anniversary, Satya Nadella, the company's chairman and CEO, took a moment to reflect on the tech giant's remarkable journey—from its humble beginnings to its leading role in shaping the future of Artificial intelligence.

Speaking at the anniversary event, Nadella emphasized that while Microsoft's legacy is a source of pride, it is the company's future that excites him the most.

"It's so wonderful to be here with all of you celebrating 50 years of Microsoft," Nadella said, addressing a packed room. "But for me, this journey truly begins with Bill [Gates] and Steve [Ballmer], who are both with us here today. I want to say a very big thank you to the two of you, and to Paul [Allen], and what you've meant to me personally and to this company. Your vision, leadership, and passion have built Microsoft into the transformative force it is today."

Nadella acknowledged that Microsoft's journey started with a simple yet powerful idea: to empower people to create technology that would, in turn, allow others to innovate. 

The company's first product, the Basic interpreter for the Altair, launched an entirely new sector—the personal computer revolution.

However, Nadella highlighted that while the company's 50-year legacy is impressive, the next 50 years are even more significant. "Our future will not defined by what we have built, but by what we empower others to build. Relevance, not longevity, will define us in the years to come," he stated.

A key part of that future, according to Nadella, lies in the ongoing wave of AI innovation. He stressed Microsoft's role in democratizing AI, similar to its early efforts in making personal computer accessible. With tools like GitHub, which boasts over 150 million developers worldwide, Microsoft is leading a global movement to equip individuals with the technology to create and innovate.

Nadella also unveiled the latest innovation: Agent Mode for Visual Studio Code. "Intelligence has been commoditized when CEOs can start vibe coding. But in all seriousness, this is not just a cool party trick, It’s transformational. It’s empowering. It’s unleashing human ambition."

The new Agent Mode, which is rolling out to all Visual Studio Code users, includes autonomous AI agents that act as peer programmers, anticipating needs and helping users think more creatively. This feature is just one part of a broader initiative that includes launching Code Review Agents and supporting developers in building their own agents through the Azure AI Foundry—a platform that Nadella likened to an “agent factory.”

He continued to explain, “We’re building tools for every step in the process—evals, fine-tuning, observability, and feedback. We’re creating a new framework for multi-agent systems and focusing on building trustworthy AI systems, which are critical for the future.”

Nadella’s remarks also emphasized the ongoing evolution of Microsoft as a platform company, with a mission that has expanded to empower everyone, not just developers. With tools like Copilot, which assists in various aspects of life from work to play, Microsoft’s ethos of empowerment remains central to its operations.

As Nadella closed, he expressed gratitude to all those who contributed to Microsoft’s journey. “Thank you to everyone who has been part of this incredible adventure,” he said. “I can’t wait to see what comes next with Copilot and all the innovations that are on the horizon.”

Satya Nadella on Microsoft's 50 years: "Intelligence has been commoditized when CEOs can start vibe coding"

Ranveer Allahbadia, known for his motivational podcast, made a notable return to the spotlight on March 31 with the latest episode of his podcast. 

Following a period of controversy due to offensive remarks made on Samay Raina's India’s Got Latent show, the YouTuber opened up about the most challenging phases of his life and the valuable insights he received from Buddhist Monk Palga Rinpoche.

In their heartfelt conversation, Allahbadia shared how Rinpoche's teachings on combining wisdom with compassion helped him navigate his struggles.

The monk, in turn, praised Allahbadia for his impactful work, which has inspired millions through his platform, encouraging him to continue sharing wisdom and motivation with the world.

The episode was particularly poignant for Ranveer, who revealed that he had met Rinpoche during difficult times in the past, and this meeting came at a time when he was facing yet another personal challenge. 

"Falling is human, bouncing back with wisdom is rare," one fan remarked, capturing the sentiment shared by many who supported Ranveer’s comeback.

On March 30, Allahbadia shared a post on Instagram announcing the return of his podcast, The Ranveer Show (TRS), apologizing for the controversial remarks that sparked significant backlash.

He asked social media users for a "second chance" and expressed his intention to let his work speak for itself moving forward. The YouTuber also clarified that he did not view the past month as a "punishment" but as a valuable "learning experience."

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overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/reel/DH0RFz7Cde9/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A post shared by Ranveer Allahbadia (@ranveerallahbadia)</a></p></div></blockquote>
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In the aftermath of his controversial remarks, Allahbadia had issued an apology to the National Commission for Women (NCW), addressing the inappropriate comments made on the show, while multiple FIRs were filed against him and his fellow participants.

Ranveer Allahbadia returns with a new podcast after India's Got Latent row, netizens pour support

OpenAI has officially extended its image generation feature to free-tier ChatGPT users, a move that has rapidly gained attention in the tech community. 

The rollout, which began on March 29 and was completed by April 1, was announced by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). 

Altman shared that the feature has already attracted one million new users within just one hour of its release to free accounts. "The ChatGPT launch 26 months ago was one of the craziest viral moments I’d ever seen, and we added one million users in five days. We added one million users in the last hour," Altman wrote, reflecting on the fast-growing adoption of the new tool.

Initially, the image generation feature was exclusive to paid subscribers, including those on ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team plans. 

However, due to its massive popularity and overwhelming demand from premium users, OpenAI has expanded access to all users, regardless of their subscription tier.

Powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o model, the image generation tool enables users to create visually striking images directly within the ChatGPT interface.

The tool is especially praised for its ability to produce Studio Ghibli-style visuals and other captivating forms of art. Social media has been abuzz with users sharing their AI-generated creations, including enchanting anime-inspired images.

In a blog post, OpenAI highlighted the capabilities of the GPT-4o model, stating, "GPT-4o image generation excels at accurately rendering text, precisely following prompts, and leveraging 4o’s inherent knowledge base and chat context—including transforming uploaded images or using them as visual inspiration."

Despite its growing popularity, OpenAI has put in place certain restrictions to manage the tool’s demand. Free-tier users are currently limited to generating three images per day, while paid subscribers enjoy higher image generation limits, allowing for greater creative output.

ChatGPT hits one million users in an hour as Ghibli maker free image generation goes live

Google has agreed to pay $100 million to settle a class action lawsuit that accused the tech giant of misleading advertisers about the geographic locations of ads placed through its Google Ads platform, as per a Reuters report.

The lawsuit, which was initially filed in 2011, claims that Google violated California's Unfair Competition law by charging advertisers for clicks on ads shown outside the geographic regions they selected.

The proposed settlement, filed in a California court on Thursday, is still pending approval by a judge. If approved, the settlement would resolve claims from advertisers who used Google's AdWords program (now called Google Ads) between June 1, 2009, and December 13, 2012.

The plaintiffs also alleged that Google failed to provide the promised "Smart Pricing" discounts, further exacerbating the issue.

In addition to this legal settlement, Google is facing a series of other significant legal challenges.

The company is currently embroiled in a federal antitrust lawsuit that could force it to sell its Chrome browser, as well as another trial stemming from accusations by the Department of Justice that Google has created a monopoly in the ad-tech industry.

The class action settlement comes after "extensive" fact discovery, which involved reviewing over 910,000 pages of documents and analyzing multiple terabytes of click data from Google. the plaintiffs' counsel emphasized the comprehensive nature of the investigation, which ultimately led to the settlement.

Google to pay $100 million to settle 14-year-old ad lawsuit

Indian startup founders are urging the government to enact proactive regulations against anti-competitive practices, particularly those of "dominant digital gatekeepers," following the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT)'s ruling on Google's Play Store policies, as per reports.

The NCLAT upheld key findings of the Competition Commission of India (CCI)'s antitrust order, confirming Google's unfair imposition of its Play Billing System (GPBS) on app developers. However, the tribunal reduced Google's penalty from ₹936.44 crore to ₹216.69 crore.   

"While the penalty reduction is a minor setback, the ruling validates that Google's payment system is anti-competitive," stated Vinay Singhal, co-founder of Stage. He emphasized the need for "proactive regulation" to prevent market distortions before damage occurs, advocating for the Digital Competition Bill.   

The draft Digital Competition Bill, released in February 2024, aims to address anti-competitive practices by Big Tech companies, but it remains unfinalized. Snehil Khanor, co-founder of Truly Madly, highlighted the lengthy resolution times in competition cases, often resulting in "irreparable economic harm" for smaller companies. The CCI's initial probe into Google's Play Store policies began in November 2020, with the penalty imposed in October 2022.

Google, in response, stated its commitment to complying with regulations and supporting the Indian app ecosystem. "Google is committed to supporting the growth of Indian developers and contributing to a thriving app ecosystem for both developers and users in India," the company said.   

Khanor reiterated the necessity for "proactive, forward-looking regulations" to prevent dominant entities from abusing market power. Hitesh Uppal, CFO of MagicBricks, echoed this sentiment, suggesting a "more comprehensive legislative approach" to regulate digital entities. He pointed out that the NCLAT's concerns about designating "gatekeepers" without a clear legal framework underscore the current competition law's limitations.

The government, through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), is currently reviewing feedback on the draft Digital Competition Bill. Stakeholders have raised concerns that ex-ante regulation could stifle startups and innovation. The debate highlights the delicate balance between fostering competition and ensuring a conducive environment for technological advancement.   




Post NCLAT ruling, startups demand government action against "dominant digital gatekeepers"

At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping industries at an unprecedented pace, experts from diverse sectors—including fintech, consumer goods, and marketing—agree on one fundamental truth: AI is not a singular entity but a complex, multifaceted force akin to a "many-headed hydra." At the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit 2025, industry leaders underscored the indispensable role AI plays in enhancing efficiency and effectiveness across business operations.

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<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/raj-shamani-on-building-a-long-lasting-digital-brand-without-chasing-virality-60660.htm">Raj Shamani on building a long-lasting digital brand without chasing virality</a>

Ajay Dang, President and Head of Marketing at UltraTech, highlighted AI’s transformative impact on his company’s ability to serve millions of homes in record time. Speaking at the summit, he noted that AI has revolutionized B2B marketing by identifying critical organizational needs with unprecedented precision. "The true value lies in pinpointing key business priorities, and AI has made that process significantly easier," he said.

The fast-moving consumer goods sector has also seen AI-driven improvements. Vrijesh Nagathan, Chief Information & Digital Technology Officer at Marico Ltd, shared how the company has harnessed AI to refine supply chain planning, gain insights into shifting market dynamics, and translate those insights into actionable product innovations.

<a href="https://www.storyboard18.com/special-coverage/colgate-palmolives-prabha-narasimhan-on-prioritizing-integrity-instead-of-metrics-in-business-60587.htm">Colgate-Palmolive's Prabha Narasimhan on prioritizing integrity instead of metrics in business</a>

Kedar Ravangave, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Kotak Mahindra Bank said that AI is a great enabler, but there's also a catch when it comes to financial data and how it's being used to build relationships with consumers. He acknowledged that the banking industry is undergoing a significant transformation from a reactive to a predictive approach.

According to him, "Traditionally, banks would analyze the data to determine the loan eligibility of its customer. However, now they are using AI to proactively partner with customers, by asking questions such as 'How can I support you?'"

AI has revolutionized the way banks interact with consumers, enabling productivity and personalized support to customers. 

For Sundar Srinivasan, Vice President of Microsoft AI & Search, India has emerged as a leader in AI adoption, delivering substantial benefits both in cost efficiencies and business expansion. "Personalization, particularly in marketing, is an area where AI has become a critical enabler," he said, underscoring how AI helps brands tailor content to specific consumer preferences.

Anuradha Aggarwal, Director of User Growth and Chief Marketing Officer at Amazon Pay, has witnessed AI-driven disruptions across telecom, consumer goods, and financial technology. She advised marketers to adopt an “agile and nimble” mindset to sustain long-term success. "Building deeper engagement with cutting-edge technologies is crucial for staying ahead," she emphasized.

Yet, as AI permeates more aspects of business, ethical concerns loom large. Ravangave warned that hyperlocalization—a major AI-driven trend in banking—comes with inherent risks. "It can either be magic or surveillance," he cautioned, adding that consumer trust is the linchpin of success. "If consumers feel they are being watched, it won’t work."

Ultimately, industry leaders concurred that AI must be an ally rather than an intruder. "As long as AI remains a tool for empowerment rather than one of intrusion, hyperlocalization will be effective," Ravangave concluded.

As AI continues to redefine industries, the consensus among experts is clear: harnessed responsibly, it is a powerful catalyst for efficiency, innovation, and growth.

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<strong>More about the Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit</strong>

<em>The Global Pioneers Summit is a celebration and exploration of the transformative potential of creativity, empowering individuals and businesses to think differently, act boldly, and craft a future that resonates with purpose and vision. Creativity is not just about artistic expression — it is a force for solving real-world problems, innovating products, and creating connections in ways that traditional methods cannot. And there are pioneers behind this shift, who have dared to  think different.

The Global Pioneers Summit stands as a premier celebration of the visionary forces propelling businesses forward, spotlighting the global brands emerging from India — an ever-growing hub of creativity and innovation on the world stage. From groundbreaking innovations to impactful storytelling, key decision-makers and innovators from business, marketing, advertising, tech, and academia exchange insights, build connections, and draw inspiration from some of the most compelling work driving industries forward globally.

In today's rapidly evolving world, creativity can be a powerful force to drive business growth, shape industries, and influence societal behavior, culture, and values. Storyboard18 Global Pioneers Summit puts the spotlight on the true purpose and power of creativity and the pioneers leading the way.</em>

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