MAM
Matrix offers Indian cricket visitors huge Caribbean cellular bonanza
NEW DELHI: Matrix Cellular (International) Services has announced dirt cheap cellular package for visitors from India going to the West Indies to watch the World Cup, and estimates to earn a revenue of Rs 10 crore over the duration of the series, Gagan Dugal, MD, Matrix revealed to indiantelevision.com today.
This will be possible using Matrix’s pre-configured post-paid SIM cards designed for the occasion only.
The company is looking at high-spending tourists, expecting between Rs 10,000 to Rs 15,000 revenue per user over the period, and Dugal says that virtually everyone who is going there have bought his cards, specifically, the TV companies as newspaper reporters.
“Even a large number of Indian players and team management have bought our cards,” Dugal claimed, adding that another two entire teams are using their cards, though he would not reveal names of the countries.
They have tied up with Jamaica-based Cable and Wireless, and have acquired 2,000 lines from them to start with. “But we shall keep acquiring more lines once the first 2,000 are sold out,” Dugal said, adding that he expected a Rs 150 crore turnover between now and the end of the tourney.
The company provides local connectivity solution to users, who thus do not pay international roaming charges, which are prohibitive.
“You can purchase the preconfigured post-paid cards to the Islands and there, you are on local network, so there is no incoming charges,” Dugal explained.
The incoming rates for Matrix World Cup card users in Jaimaica would be nil, and for any of the other islands it would be US $0.55 and international roaming for other islands would be $0.70.
Any caller from India would pay the applicable ISD charges for the duration of the conversation, but since there is no international roaming in Jamaica and minimal charges for the other islands, this is a very affordable offer.
Dugal says that in a sense there is no comparison with his competitors’ offers, say that of Hutch, because whatever concessions they give, their users would still have to pay international roaming charges.
Also, Dugal explained, users on other networks calling a Matrix number the islands would have to pay the ISD charges, but irrespective of which network a calls from to a Matrix number, it will be free for Jamaica and 55 cents in other islands.
Though the cards have been pre-configured for the duration of the series, the users would get some extension, till they arrive back to India. “Many may want to extend the holiday for a week or so, and accordingly they would get the extension, at no extra cost.
“Let us put it this way, we are like a boutique operation and most celebrities and high spending users take our cards, so we charge nothing for the extension of the service during the stay, say if someone wants to visit Bahamas for a few days before finally returning to India,” Dugal said.
He clarified, of course, that it would not be possible if someone wants an extension of a month or more.
These SIM cards allow up to 50 per cent savings vis-?-vis using Indian Global Roaming and are more convenient than using pre-paid or calling cards, Dugal said.
Matrix is a leading player in the country’s telecom industry giving connectivity solutions, and offers such services in tie-up with networks in 34 countries, including the Us, UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Dubai, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Holland, Italy, Japan, and other countries.
In fact, the website of the company claims that as a service provider to individual travellers, Matrix would even advice some other SIM card if that would be more beneficial to the particular user.
Matrix has an alliance relationship with SOTC, Jet Airways, British Airways, Citibank, American Express, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank amongst others to offer its services to their preferred member base and other customers.
“At Matrix we love cricket, so when our team rips apart opponents on the pitch, we expect hysteric Indian fans calling home or receiving calls on the Caribbean islands. We want them to do so at the lowest possible call rates,” he held.
He added that Matrix, special, World Cup, SIM cards is the company’s way of wishing team India good luck.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
