iWorld
Shemaroo rewrites the script on gender bias with ‘HarRoleIsHerRole’
MUMBAI: We talk about equality, but do we really see it? This Women’s Day, Shemaroo Entertainment is holding up a mirror to the invisible biases shaping our world with its powerful campaign, ‘HarRoleIsHerRole’. More than just a conversation starter, the initiative challenges deeply ingrained stereotypes, proving that representation is the first step toward real change.
As part of the campaign, Shemaroo conducted a social experiment with 10 artists, asking them to paint professionals across various fields a chef, cricketer, scientist, army officer, and more. The outcome? Every single portrait depicted a man. A stark reminder that gender bias is so ingrained, we don’t even notice it.
Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd chief operating officer Arghya Chakravarty reinforced the need for action beyond rhetoric. “We recognise the power of media in shaping perspectives. With ‘HarRoleIsHerRole’, we are not just starting a conversation—we are taking action. Equality is about visibility. When we challenge outdated norms and promote balanced representation, we ensure that talent and ambition, not gender define success.”
Shemaroo isn’t stopping at awareness, it’s pushing for change at the very roots of learning. School occupation charts, which traditionally depict men in leadership roles and women in caregiving professions, are getting a gender-equal makeover. Shemaroo is redesigning and distributing these charts across schools and NGOs, ensuring that children see equality, believe in it, and grow up living it.
“Stories inspire change,” added Shemaroo chief marketing officer Anuja Trivedi. “HarRoleIsHerRole is more than a campaign, it’s a shift in mindset. We want a generation to grow up without the biases that have held us back. True change begins with how we see the world, and we are committed to making that vision more inclusive and powerful.”
Shemaroo’s initiative is a call to rethink, reimagine, and rewrite the narrative because when every role truly belongs to everyone, India smiles. And standing by its ethos, India Khush Hua, Shemaroo continues to craft stories that inspire change.
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.
