e-commerce
Amazon business head join Housing.com, to strengthen full-service transactions
MUMBAI: Housing.com has appointed Vivek Jain as chief product and technology officer to focus on strengthening the product and engineering aspects of the business to help steer Housing.com towards its goal of becoming a full-service transaction player.
Housing.com CEO Jason Kothari said, “Our goal is to become the most trusted and the leading end-to-end real estate transaction platform in the country, and robust product and technology innovation will be important for us to achieve that. Vivek comes with best-in-class product and technology leadership experience, global exposure and an entrepreneurial mind-set, which is a unique mix, and one that blends seamlessly with the thinking and culture at Housing.com. I believe Vivek’s addition to our senior team will greatly benefit us in realizing our vision for the Company.”
Jain is an industry veteran with over 14 years of experience in the technology and digital domains in India and the US. In his last role at Amazon, he was the business head for the cloud division where he helped define the value proposition, differentiation strategy, pricing and feature roadmap to create a sustainable competitive advantage for the company.
“As technology continues to play an increasingly important role in our day-to-day lives, Housing.com has managed to bring the benefits of technology to the real-estate segment through path-breaking product innovations. As the company gears-up for the next phase of growth and transformation, product and engineering will define the contours of success, and with an immensely talented team, I believe Housing.com is well-poised to fulfil the potential.” added Jain.
He started his career as an early member of Texas-based start-up Ashley Laurent and later joined Motorola Mobility, a division of Google. While in the US, Jain was associated with the US Department of Commerce where he reviewed business plans at Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP) to help assist President Obama and the Federal Government deliver on the promise of economic recovery (ARRA) through the $7.2 Billion Recovery Act’s BTOP & Broadband Initiatives.
e-commerce
Google rolls out new AI shopping tools for Indian users
Gemini, AI Mode in Search, and Circle to Search get smarter upgrades to simplify online buying.
MUMBAI: Google is making online shopping in India a lot less “add to cart” and a lot more “ask and discover”. The tech giant has announced a fresh set of artificial intelligence-powered updates designed to make finding and buying products more intuitive and efficient. By integrating its Gemini models with the Shopping Graph, a massive dataset of over 50 billion product listings that sees nearly 2 billion updates every hour, Google is bringing smarter, more conversational shopping experiences across its platforms.
Users can now move seamlessly from idea generation to product discovery within the Gemini app. Whether planning a festive outfit or building a gift list, shoppers can receive product listings, comparison tables, pricing from across the web, and direct purchase links, all through natural conversation. The feature is currently available in English and Hindi.
Google has upgraded its AI Mode in Search, turning it into a more natural shopping assistant. Instead of relying on traditional filters and keywords, users can ask questions in plain language and receive structured responses with visuals, pricing, reviews, and inventory details. Comparison tables highlighting key differences are also included. While currently available in English, a Hindi version is expected soon.
The popular Circle to Search feature has been enhanced on devices such as the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 series. Users can now identify and explore multiple objects in a single image at once. In fashion-related queries, the tool can break down entire outfits and suggest similar products, making style replication or discovery much easier.
Google stated that these updates build on last year’s successful rollout of the Virtual Try-On tool in India, which helped users visualise apparel before purchase.
In a market where shopping decisions often happen in seconds, Google is betting that smarter AI will turn casual browsing into confident buying. From festive shopping lists to spotting the perfect outfit in a photo, these new tools aim to make every scroll feel a little more rewarding and a lot less overwhelming.
