iWorld
Sachin Tendulkar’s special edition cards sold out within minutes
Mumbai: In a stunning display of devotion to cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar, fans have snatched up every limited edition Tendulkar Black Card offered by Rario, the largest digital cricket collectables platform in the world, announced the launch of a limited edition Tendulkar Black Card in honour of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar’s 50 birthday. The ten cards that were offered on Monday, sold out within minutes. Cricketers Zaheer Khan and Dinesh Karthik were among the lucky few who managed to secure one each.
The uniqueness of the Tendulkar Black Card lies in its rarity, making it an exceptional collectable not easily obtainable elsewhere. Possessing these exclusive cards grants fans the privilege of interacting with Sachin Tendulkar, which is a rare and special privilege. The demand for digital cards was so high that the initial price of INR 50,000 quickly became a mere starting point. In the end, these cards sold for a whopping INR 80,000 on the Rario marketplace, demonstrating the incredible love and admiration that fans have for Sachin Tendulkar.
“I am delighted to be amongst a few who are able to own the Tendulkar Black Card. Sachin Tendulkar is an inspiration to cricketers around the world, and this card is a valuable addition to any cricket collector’s collection and it’s an honour to have a card of a player who has been an inspiration for millions of Indians like me”, said Khan.
“I can’t even put into words how thrilled I am to own digital cards of Sachin Tendulkar, one of the best players India has ever produced. It’s like a dream come true for me as a fan. The fact that it’s a one-of-a-kind digital asset that I can truly call my own is just mind-blowing. I’m looking forward to cherishing and keeping it as part of my collection for years to come!”, said Karthik.
Rario’s success as the go-to destination for cricket fans worldwide can be attributed to its innovative approach to engaging fans with the sport they love. By offering a platform where fans can collect and trade digital cards featuring their favourite cricket stars, Rario has redefined the way fans interact with the game.
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
