MAM
Kanika Kalra quits Hindustan Unilever; to join Snapdeal
MUMBAI: Hindustan Unilever’s executive vice president for marketing Kanika Kalra has put down her papers and is set to join ecommerce giant Snapdeal as its marketing head, as per media reports. Kalra was brand director for Hindustan Lever’s biggest skin cream brand Fair & Lovely. Kalra will focus on gaining deeper customer insights, making the business more customers centric, driving creativity and ensuring quality in all communication at Snapdeal say sources.
Delhi-based Jasper Infotech, which owns and operates Snapdeal, has shortlisted Kalra as replacement for its marketing SVP Srinivas Murthy, sources confirmed to a leading business daily, though Snapdeal refused to comment when approached.
Prior to joining HUL eight years ago and working as global brand manager and global brand director, Kalra was a senior manager at Pepsi. She has also worked with Glaxosmithkline Consumer Healthcare Limited and Genpact.
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.
