AI VOICE IN ADVERTISEMENTS
TheLiverDoc, Deepinder Goyal spar again as doctor dubs Temple’s ‘Entropy’ ‘scienceploitation’
This is the latest in a run of exchanges between the two over the past few days. Philips has led mounting criticism from doctors, while Goyal has publicly defended the product, saying Temple is a fitness and wellness device rather than a medical one.
FICCI makes recommendations to FM ahead of Budget 2027-28, highlights LTCG exemption, TDS relief and faster tax appeals
FICCI has recommended the restoration of long-term capital gains tax exemption on listed shares in Budget 2027-28. The organization highlighted concerns regarding the withdrawal of foreign portfolio investments and the impact of capital gains tax. Additionally, it requested the government to implement lighter TDS rules and resolve backlog issues in tax appeals. FICCI emphasized the need for measures to provide certainty to investors over the long term.
How businesses are using generative AI to create content at scale
The integration of generative AI into creative workflows is revolutionizing content production and innovation. Many Indian creators are witnessing enhanced business success and operational efficiency through these tools. Nonetheless, human intervention is vital to uphold brand consistency and quality in the final results. At the ET AI Awards 2027, outstanding organizations leveraging generative AI in their creative practices will be celebrated.
For movie studios, star's value goes beyond screen: Production houses, new-age businesses sign licensing deals to cash in on their popularity
Production houses and media advisory firms are signing licensing agreements with film and television personalities to monetise their personal brands, digital images and distinctive attributes. With actors increasingly being viewed as intellectual property, companies are exploring opportunities such as digital avatars, content licensing and brand partnerships. The trend is also gaining traction as AI creates new possibilities, while raising the importance of consent and protection of personality rights.
Brands need to shift to ‘Bharat-first’ strategy as digital usage grows
To effectively connect with rural customers, brands should embrace a 'Bharat-first' advertising philosophy. Digital channels are increasingly shaping the shopping behaviors of younger rural populations, with influencer marketing playing a pivotal role, particularly among female consumers. The integration of AI features alongside social media enhances the flow of product knowledge in these areas.
Bharat D2C Conclave 2026: From the ₹100 crore playbook to AI-led advertising and omnichannel strategies, founders on scaling India’s consumer brands
Inside the Bharat D2C Conclave 2026, which brought founders, investors and policymakers together to discuss the business decisions shaping India’s direct-to-consumer (D2C) ecosystem, from scaling revenues and expanding distribution to using customer data and navigating regulatory requirements.
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Flipkart ex-staff push for Esop buyout; Wipro, Tech Mahindra’s Q2 report
Happy Friday! Former Flipkart employees are asking Walmart to cash out their vested stock options. This and more in today’s ETtech Morning Dispatch.

Voice-first India is reshaping OpenAI’s priorities: Applications CTO
Indian users frequently switch between English and Hindi during the same conversation, a behaviour OpenAI wants its models to understand and respond to naturally, Vijaye Raji said. The company is also looking at how products can work better in an Android-first market and in situations where connectivity may be intermittent.

Brands still bank on cricketers as Bollywood appeal fades
Cricket endorsements are maintaining their value despite a slowdown in celebrity-led advertising and brand budgets. Advertising spending is shifting towards digital creators as brands seek targeted audiences and measurable engagement. Renowned cricketers like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni continue to dominate the endorsement market, contributing significantly to its growth.

The rise of AI personal assistants and the battle for users' trust
Meta Connect recently unveiled Muse Charm, which serves as a personal AI assistant for users. This device can interact with emails, calendars, and other services to streamline life tasks. It represents a shift from traditional devices to persistent AI help that anticipates users' needs. While user trust and privacy concerns persist, tech companies are racing to develop autonomous agents. The future may see these assistants represented in various hardware forms.

Amazon shuffles Alexa leadership following high-end tablet release
In a strategic reshuffle, Amazon has announced new leadership within its Alexa division ahead of the anticipated launch of its latest tablet computers. Daniel Rausch, the longstanding head of Alexa, will assume a different role in 2027, with Aidan Marcuss, previously vice president of Fire TV, stepping in to oversee Alexa's future.

National Medical Commission bans doctors & hospitals from using AI-generated patient testimonials, fake cure claims in medical ads
The National Medical Commission has implemented new ethical advertising guidelines affecting doctors and hospitals. These guidelines prohibit the use of artificial intelligence for generating promotional content or testimonials. Measures have also been taken to restrict paid patient solicitation and misleading claims in advertisements. Strict penalties have been established for non-compliance, including warnings and license suspensions.

E-commerce firms turn to AI to solve for Bharat during festive sales
From spotting trends before they become popular and predicting what consumers are likely to buy to personalising recommendations – AI is doing a bulk of the work behind the scenes.

Hey Siri, how did Apple’s early lead in AI turn into a race to catch up?
Apple helped popularise voice assistants, then fell behind as rivals raised the bar. Fifteen years after Siri’s iPhone debut, a long-delayed overhaul puts its comeback to the test.

AI cloning opens new monetisation route for celebrities, creators
Artificial intelligence is transforming the monetization landscape for film stars, cricketers, and digital creators. Licensing AI-generated versions of their identities allows celebrities to earn revenue without physical presence. Platforms like Studio Blo and Sparkonomy enable protection and control over digital identities for creators. The growing concern over unauthorized use of identities emphasizes the need for standard licensing and verifiable consent.

Your car knows where you go. Insurers, lenders and automakers want to know too
Connected cars continuously generate data regarding various attributes like location, driving patterns, and vehicle diagnostics. This data collection offers manufacturers and service providers insights to enhance their offerings. Diverse stakeholders can leverage this information, including insurers and fleet managers, to better assess risks and operational efficiencies. However, concerns about data privacy and user consent complicate the monetization landscape.

ASCI issues AI labelling guidelines for ads, rules to take effect in three months
ASCI’s new AI advertising guidelines require disclosure of synthetically generated content (SGC) when hiding its AI origin could materially affect how consumers understand or act on an advertisement. The rules take effect three months after publication.

Lessons from Chinese AI Firms on Owning Customers’ Habits
As U.S. AI firms compete in an escalating race for superior models, bigger benchmarks, and more advanced features, Chinese companies are pursuing a fundamentally different strategy: embedding AI into users’ everyday habits. The authors argue that this “habit moat” approach may prove more durable than competing on raw capability alone. Whereas Western firms position AI as a destination consumers consciously visit, companies like Alibaba integrate AI into existing routines such as shopping, payments, food delivery, and travel booking, reducing friction until using AI becomes automatic behavior. Once AI capabilities become “good enough,” marginal technical improvements matter less than becoming the default path through recurring customer tasks. The authors outline four strategic imperatives for Western leaders: focus on behavioral cues rather than feature gaps, subsidize customer behavior instead of subscriptions, embed AI invisibly into existing workflows, and optimize for repeat usage rather than first-time adoption. The central warning is stark: AI may not replace employees first—it may instead capture the critical customer moments businesses currently own.

Eloelo Group opens AI video production engine to creators, brands, studios
Entertainment company Eloelo Group has unveiled Dolphin AI, an agentic AI studio designed to handle video production from scripting and planning to generation and editing. The AI agent's main proposition is to maintain continuity across multiple shots. The platform was developed initially to address Eloelo’s own high-volume video production requirements and is now being offered to external users.

What is Trump administration's new AI tool; key points to know
The Trump administration has introduced a website named America.gov, which is an AI-powered service designed to make government information simpler to find. Operated by the General Services Administration and developed with the National Design Studio, the platform enables users to ask questions via text or voice and receive answers based on official government sources.

Reliance's JioStar bets India’s sports fans will do more than just watch the game
JioStar is betting that India’s next phase of sports viewing will combine live matches with AI, commerce, regional languages and interactive features. With Indian-language viewing accounting for 90% of watch time and integrations such as Swiggy driving transactions, the broadcaster is looking beyond eyeballs to turn its growing sports audience into a broader digital commerce opportunity.

Liqvd Digital India IPO subscribed 5.08 times on final day
Liqvd Digital India’s IPO was subscribed 5.08 times on the final bidding day, with 3.86 crore shares bid against 75.94 lakh shares offered. Non-institutional investors led demand at 21.02 times, while retail investors subscribed 1.43 times and QIBs fully subscribed.

Brahma AI targets global scale with $2 billion valuation, Silicon Valley push
Brahma AI is set to expand its presence in Silicon Valley, moving into various sectors including sports and healthcare. The company aims to create a global technology business without a conventional headquarters. Significant technological development and R&D will occur in India, ensuring the country remains central to its strategy.

US midterm elections 2026: Traditional TV ads may be over, TikTok and podcasts are changing political campaigns
Political strategists predict that by 2028, artificial intelligence will revolutionize campaign operations, allowing for hyper-targeted messaging tailored to individual voters through advanced data analytics. While AI's benefits include rapid fact-checking, it raises significant concerns, particularly regarding deep fakes and misleading political ads. The emergence of AI-driven ads in various races signals a shift in the political landscape, prompting vital discussions about the ethical ramifications of this technology.

ContentLens launches AI platform to detect celebrity likeness misuse
ContentLens launched an AI platform to detect unauthorized celebrity identity misuse. This technology tracks faces and voices across social media platforms. The system alerts celebrity teams to potential violations and provides evidence. Actress Manisha Kandkur experienced its effectiveness against fraudulent advertisements.

India’s chip push draws global interest; Quick comm's ad blitz
India’s semiconductor push is gaining global attention as the country looks to build a stronger chip manufacturing ecosystem. This and more in today’s ETtech Top 5.

YouTube Income: India's creator economy needs to be more serious after new monetisation criteria
YouTube’s new Partner Programme eligibility norms are set to reshape India’s creator economy, raising the bar for monetisation and rewarding serious creators. The shift could boost original and long-form content, deepen audience engagement, professionalise creator careers and push brands towards niche influencers. With non-YPP income already dominating creator earnings, brand deals could become increasingly crucial.

PhonePe's Sameer Nigam unveils vision for next decade of financial inclusion at GFF 2026
PhonePe has shared its ambitious ten-year strategy aimed at transforming India's digital landscape and promoting financial inclusion. By eliminating obstacles like the necessity for smartphones or bank accounts, the company plans to facilitate broader access to digital finance. With innovative solutions like UPI 123Pay and UPI Circle, PhonePe is also making wealth building simpler through daily savings and investment choices, while enhancing credit availability and equipping merchants with advanced tools.

GFF 2026: BharatPe launches agentic AI assistant for merchants, connects to over 60 live systems
BharatPe has launched an agentic AI assistant for merchants, which can perform actions across many live systems. This new assistant understands merchant needs and interaction history to provide better support. The company also introduced Credit Coach, an AI tool offering personalised credit health insights.
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