iWorld
Revealed: Winners of the maiden edition of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards!
MUMBAI: Exhibit Magazine, India’s leading supplement on technology, fashion and lifestyle unveiled the winners of the first-ever edition of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards at Sofitel BKC on 31st January, 2019 in Mumbai. Hosted by comedic genius Nitin Mirani, the awards recognized and felicitated the crème de la crème in the automotive technology space. The glittering soiree was held in association with Vibe British Audio, ALD Automotive, fragrance manufacturers Tasotti and media partner thewheelz.com, and saw the presence of industry stalwarts and veterans who were a part of the ceremonious occasion.
Leading names from the industry were adjudged first by a general voting process, open to readers of the title and patrons, followed by a final shortlist by an eminent jury. Brands were honoured for their unique creations replete with supreme features and key performance characteristics.
The stellar jury appointed for the launch edition of the awards included the likes of actor and producer Abhay Deol; IPS officer and the Joint Commissioner of Police (Traffic) – Mumbai, Amitesh Kumar; Founder and CEO of VU Technologies, Devita Saraf; Executive Chairman of Western India Automobile Association & President of VCCCI and Chairman VCCFI, Nitin Dossa; Editor – Tech & Auto, Exhibit Magazine & thewheelz.com, Prithvi Radhakrishna; Veteran Journalist Ranojoy Mukherjee; CEO & Editor-in-Chief at Exhibit Group, Ramesh Somani and Consulting Editor for Technology & Automobiles at Dainik Jagran, Siddhartha Sharma.
The black-tie event also witnessed the likes of Ahana Kumra, Divyendu Sharma, Urvashi Rautela, Elli Avram, Nataša Stanković, Prakriti Kakar & Sukriti Kakar, Shiv Pandit, Darasing Khurana, Sahil Salathia and Zoya Afroz among many others.
The results announced at the grand launch of the Exhibit Auto Tech Awards were as follows:
1. Bike of the Year up to 160cc – Yamaha YZF R15 V3
2. Bike of the Year up to 1000cc – Triumph Tiger 800 XCx
3. Scooter of the Year – Honda Activa 5G
4. Naked Sports Bike of the Year – Ducati Monster 821
5. Cruiser Bike of the Year – Royal Enfield Interceptor 650
6. Bike of the Year up to 125cc – TVS Radeon
7. Design Of The Year – Range Rover Velar
8. Editor’s Choice Best Driver’s Car Of the Year – Audi RS5 Coupe
9. Compact Hatchback Of The Year – Maruti Suzuki Swift
10. Premium Hatchback Of The Year – Hyundai i20
11. Compact Sedan Of The Year – Honda Amaze
12. Executive Sedan Of The Year – Toyota Yaris
13. Premium Sedan Of The Year – Lexus ES 300h
14. Luxury Sedan of the year – Mercedes Benz S-Class
15. Auto Campaign Of The Year – KIA Motors
16. MPV Of The Year – Mahindra Marazzo
17. Compact SUV Of The Year – Ford Ecosport
18. Premium SUV Of The Year – Skoda Kodiaq
19. Luxury SUV Of The Year – Volvo XC40
20. Performance Car Of The Year – Mercedes AMG E63 S
21. Super Car Of The Year – Porsche 911 GT2 RS
22. The Most Awaited Car / SUV of the year (Below 30 lakh) – Tata Harrier
23. Car Manufacturer of the year – Maruti Suzuki
24. Electric Mobility Bike of the Year – Spock Li-Ions Elektrik
25. Editor’s Choice Best Car Manufacturer App of the Year – Volkswagen
26. Iconic Brand of the Year (Jury’s Choice) – JEEP
27. Car Of The Year – Hyundai Santro
Commenting on the star-studded launch edition and an impressive line-up of winners, CEO & Editor-in-Chief at Exhibit Group, Ramesh Somani, said, “Congratulations to all the winners! It’s been a fantastic last couple of weeks putting together the best names from the automotive industry. The need of the hour today is to recognize path-breaking trends and creations in the automotive space, where technology is being used to its optimum potential today. We have received a great response from patrons too and here’s hoping to reach greater heights in the years to come.”
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.
