D-Talks:Bulletin#335 – Top Digital Media Updates For CXOs

Myntra’s Home Category Booms with 60% YoY Growth, Launches AI-Powered ‘Dream Room Inspirations’

Myntra’s home segment is turning into one of its fastest-growing categories, with demand skyrocketing by 60% year-on-year (YoY). In response to the increasing interest, the fashion e-commerce giant has introduced ‘Dream Room Inspirations’, a generative AI-powered feature designed to enhance the home shopping experience.

A Visual-First Shopping Experience

Recognizing that home decor shopping is driven by visual aesthetics and personal style, Myntra’s Dream Room Inspirations offers users a curated, theme-based shopping experience. Instead of browsing isolated products, shoppers can now explore entire room looks — including furnishings, décor, serveware, and more — that align with their style preferences. With just a few clicks, users can visualize their dream spaces and purchase all the products featured in the look.

Google Expands Gemini AI Features To More Users

Google has started rolling out its latest Gemini AI models, including Gemini 2.0 Flash (experimental), 2.0 Pro (experimental) and Personalisation (experimental), across Android, iOS and the web. The company has also made the Deep Research feature accessible to all Google users for free.

Gemini 2.0 Flash (experimental) is intended to deliver improved efficiency and faster responses compared to the previous 2.0 Flash version. The Gemini 2.0 Pro (experimental) is now accessible to Galaxy S25 users under the Google One AI Premium plan, which Samsung and Google have bundled with the device. Google has not provided specific details regarding improvements in the 2.0 Pro (experimental) over the standard 2.0 Pro.

Amazon and Flipkart Found in Violation of Indian Quality Control Standards

Retail giants Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart have been found in violation of Indian quality control regulations by stocking and selling products that lacked the required Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) certification, India’s top product certification agency announced recently.

On Wednesday, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) conducted raids at warehouses operated by both e-commerce firms in Tiruvallur district, Tamil Nadu. The raids revealed that both companies stored, sold, and exhibited products that did not carry the mandatory BIS standard mark, a government statement confirmed.

Responding to the findings, an Amazon India spokesperson stated that the company is “engaged closely with various stakeholders, including regulators.” Similarly, a Flipkart spokesperson reiterated the company’s commitment to compliance, stating, “The platform has several processes to review the listings sellers make on the marketplace and also conducts regular audits to ensure compliance.” Flipkart also emphasized its efforts to work with sellers to raise awareness and adhere to all applicable laws.

Government scraps 6% digital tax on online ads, effective April 1

In a significant policy move, the Indian government has announced the abolition of the 6% Equalisation Levy on online advertisements, effective April 1, 2025. This decision, which is part of the 59 amendments to the Finance Bill introduced in the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, is expected to ease the tax burden on digital advertisers and platforms like Google, X, and Meta.

The Equalisation Levy was originally introduced in 2016 under the Finance Act to tax online advertisement services, including digital ad space and related facilities. Over the years, the tax framework was expanded, with the Finance Act 2020 extending the levy to e-commerce transactions at a rate of 2%, which was later abolished in August 2024.

Meta Adds More Voices for User-Created AI Chatbots

While Meta’s not making a big noise about it, it is quietly adding more and more generative AI bot creation and interaction tools within its apps, with users now able to converse with AI characters on Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger.

And it’s not just text-based chat, now, you can also create an AI chatbot with a voice, with an expanding range of voice options to consider.

Swiggy Instamart Rolls Out Smartphone Deliveries in 10 Cities

Swiggy Instamart is changing the face of quick commerce by offering smartphone deliveries across ten of its major cities in India. This is expected to raise the platform’s average order value while making high-end gadgets accessible via instantaneous deliveries.

Competing with Blinkit and Zepto

Instamart’s closest rivals in this respect are Zomato’s Blinkit and Zepto, both of which have already made their presence felt in smartphone deliveries.
Recently both platforms have launched an offering that brings into the fold products such as Apple iPhones for purchase through their respective apps.
In doing so, Swiggy Instamart competes with its opponents in the high-rent electronics category.

7 OpenAI’s voice assistant now better to chat with

OpenAI released updates Monday for Advanced Voice Mode, its AI voice feature that enables real-time conversations in ChatGPT, to make the AI assistant more personable and interrupt users less frequently.

Manuka Stratta, an OpenAI post-training researcher, announced the changes in a video posted Monday to the company’s official social media channels.

OpenAI’s latest update aims to address a frequent problem with AI voice assistants, which will interrupt users when they pause to think or take a deep breath.

Swiggy Expands into B2B with Assure

Bengaluru-based food delivery giant Swiggy has entered the business-to-business (B2B) kitchen supply sector with the launch of Assure, a platform designed for the HoReCa (hotels, restaurants, and caterers) industry. The move intensifies competition with Zomato’s Hyperpure as both companies vie for dominance in the food service supply chain.

Assure, which debuted in September last year and was updated in December, has been developed under Swiggy’s Android subsidiary, Scootsy. The platform has recorded over 100 downloads and is positioned as a one-stop solution for kitchen supplies, offering locally sourced, high-quality, and fresh ingredients while adhering to strict hygiene standards.

Scootsy has previously launched several B2B and logistics tools, including Lynk Pragati (a sales platform), Tezz (a retail ordering app), and LYNK Partner (an intra-city logistics service for drivers).