iWorld
With Filmrare, Shemaroo announces first-of-its-kind cinema on Decentraland metaverse
Mumbai: Shemaroo redefines the movie experience with the first of its kind, the Shemaroo Theatre. It will be accessible on one of the world’s most sought-after metaverse platforms—Decentraland, in partnership with Filmrare.
This collaboration marks new beginnings for the global entertainment industry as well as metaverse users, as it will open the window to a huge collection of Bollywood entertainment content to the world.
Shemaroo Theatre will present the virtual visitors an all-new exciting screening experience along with a host of other movie experiences such as a plush lobby, box office counter, virtual trailer zones, along with popcorn and drink counters for an immersive storytelling feel.
The patrons will be treated to a Bollywood movie every Friday, starting 7 October 2022, which initially will be free for the users. This is a vital step by Shemaroo towards its vision of being a vibrant youth brand.
Fractilians from the Decentraland DAO Governance Facilitation Squad said, “We are beyond thrilled to have Shemaroo Theatre on our platform and to bring some of Bollywood’s greatest films to our existing as well as potential metaverse users. This will surely take the whole movie-watching experience to the next level without limiting the possibilities of what one can do in an actual movie theatre.”
Adding to it, Shemaroo Entertainment CEO Hiren Gada commented, “Shemaroo has been a pioneer in the entertainment industry by constantly evolving and by being relevant to the consumers through its diverse content offering. As a brand, Shemaroo has always fostered the culture of innovation and technology and with the augment of Shemaroo Theatre on Decentraland metaverse, we will be spearheading a parallel ecosystem for Bollywood movies to be experienced on a big screen, now from the comfort of one’s home.’’
Further, Filmare founder Ravi Krishnan said, “At Filmrare, we are laser-focused on helping brands enter the metaverse. We are innovative, pay attention to every detail, and are focused on creating quality venues in the metaverse. It’s a great honour to partner with a brand like Shemaroo that has been entertaining audiences for the past 60 years and to showcase some of its blockbuster Bollywood movies through the virtual theatre in metaverse.”
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.
