iWorld
Netflix Confirms All-Star Hindi Talent for Original Film Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle
MUMBAI: Bringing together an all-star cast of talent, Netflix announced today Abhishek Bachchan, Madhuri Dixit, Kareena Kapoor, Anil Kapoor and Jackie Shroff as the lead Hindi-language talent for the upcoming Netflix film, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle.
The star-studded cast will comprise the following roles from the classic tale:
· Abhishek Bachchan as Bagheera
· Kareena Kapoor as Kaa
· Anil Kapoor as Baloo
· Madhuri Dixit as Nisha
· Jackie Shroff as Shere Khan
The actors of the Hindi version of Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle join an equally impressive international cast of Christian Bale (Bagheera), Andy Serkis (Baloo), Benedict Cumberbatch (Shere Khan), Cate Blanchett (Kaa), Rohan Chand (Mowgli), Matthew Rhys (Lockwood) and Freida Pinto (Messua) who also fulfills the role in Hindi.
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle premieres globally on Netflix on 7 December, 2018.
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.
