iWorld
Hoichoi to bestow Haami with World Digital Premiere!
MUMBAI: Hoichoi, the world’s largest digital Bengali entertainment content platform, has acquired the rights to present the World Digital Premiere of Haami, 2018’s most successful film at the box office. The film will be completing its 100 days run at the theatres on 18th August and 19th August it premieres on Hoichoi. This film, adds to Hoichoi’s impressive content tray of Hoichoi Exclusive movies – previously, Khoj, Paanch Adhyay, Room No 103, Ek Nadir Golpo, Bye Bye Bangkok, Accident, Posto, Prakton and Projapoti Biskut.
Hoichoi is adding two to three Original content for their viewers every month in the form of a web series, film or short. This acquisition will raise the commitment to their audience to be the top OTT platform for the Bengali diaspora.
Directed by popular director-duo Shiboprosad Mukherjee and Nandita Roy, Haami released on 11th May 2018 and has been critically acclaimed and also, commercially successful with raving reviews.
Haami is a story of two friends, Bhutu and Chini, who come from completely different background. Bhutu’s parents, Laltu and Mitali are rich furniture-shop owners who are more into popular culture and Chini’s parents, Srinjoy and Rina are academicians – elite and sophisticated. Inspite these differences Bhutu and Chini are best friends. As luck would have it, a situation occurs, where the parents of these two children separate them and put an end to their friendship.
However, the young vice-principal cum student counselor of their school, Arundhati tries to make them see reason. Starring Churni Ganguly, Gargi Roy Chowdhury, Shiboprasad, Aparajita Auddy, Kharaj Mukherjee, Koneenica Banerjee & others, Haami is a story that will take you down the memory lane of your childhood days of fun and friendship.
Shiboprosad Mukherjee, director of Haami said, “Hoichoi has previously given 3 of my films (2 directed by me and 1 under my production house) the World Digital Premieres and they have received massive response by the audience who watch content on the platform. I am hoping Haami will also do justice, especially to those who live outside Kolkata or India so they can watch Bengali films, anytime, anywhere.”
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
