e-commerce
Starkut.com – mushrooming destination for talent & opportunity providers
MUMBAI: Starkut.com is probably the first and arguably the best online platform for the media & entertainment industry. It caters to the needs of over 30 different talent professions along with that of opportunity providers.
For the talent, it is the need to showcase their credentials on a platform that will reach far and wide, the need to network, apply for appropriate opportunities and share updates in text, pictures and video formats.
For the opportunity providers – that is film production houses, advertising agencies, casting directors, model coordinators, event agencies and corporates etc. – it is the need for posting an opportunity on a robust platform, search and identify the right talent for their projects and managing all of it online.
Starkut provides a platform for 32 professions, including Actor, Model, Dancer, Singer, Band, Choreographer, Cinematographer, Fashion Costume Designer, DJ, VJ, RJ, Make-up Artist, Musician, Music Composer, Photographer, Stand-up Comedian, Voice-over Artist, VFX Expert and Writer, among others.
In a very short span, over 7000 talented professionals across all verticals have signed up. Over 70 registered opportunity providers such as feature film production companies, TV-serial and Ad film production companies, advertising agencies, event agencies, casting directors, fashion designer, photographers and others are enjoying the Starkut experience. Over 100 audition opportunities of varied requirements have been posted so far across various regions and languages, and talents are getting short-listed for the same.
It seems the industry is just loving it, as the subscriber-base is growing in thousands per month and within just a few days of the Android mobile app launch there have been close to 10,000 downloads. Very soon the iOS App will also be available.
With the launch of the android mobile app, the talents can do many things on the go, such as creating and updating profiles and portfolio, getting real-time audition notifications and applying for opportunities online. Talents can also enjoy features such as posting updates, reading blogs, networking, and sharing Starkut profiles on other social networking sites.
In its endeavour to build and nurture a healthy relationship between the various stakeholders in the media & entertainment industry, Starkut is committed towards introducing various innovations. This will be with a vision not just to build a strong bond between talents and the opportunity providers, but also to benefit the entire Indian as well as global media & entertainment industry.
e-commerce
Amazon unveils first Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report
32,000 bad actors targeted, 15 million fake products removed in 2025.
MUMBAI: In a marketplace where trust is the real currency, Amazon is showing its receipts. Amazon has released its first-ever Trustworthy Shopping Experience Report, offering a detailed look at how it polices its vast digital shelves from counterfeit crackdowns to scam detection and review authenticity. At the heart of the report is a four-pronged strategy, proactive controls, risk anticipation, enforcement against bad actors, and consumer protection. The scale is staggering. Since 2020, Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit has pursued over 32,000 bad actors globally through litigation and criminal referrals spanning 14 countries.
The clean-up drive accelerated in 2025, with the company identifying and disposing of more than 15 million counterfeit products worldwide. Legal action also led to the takedown of over 100 websites linked to fake reviews and scams, an ongoing battle in the age of algorithmic manipulation.
Behind the scenes, artificial intelligence and machine learning are doing the heavy lifting. Amazon says it monitors billions of daily interactions across listings, reviews, and seller activity to spot trouble before it surfaces. Its predictive systems can even flag potentially infringing listings for trending products before brands raise the alarm.
Tools like Omniscan, which verifies product safety information at scale, and SENTRIX, designed to detect and eliminate phishing websites, are part of this expanding tech arsenal. Together, they aim to reduce risk while keeping the platform usable for legitimate sellers.
That balance between protection and friction is a tightrope Amazon acknowledges. Rohan Oommen, Vice President of Worldwide Customer and Partner Trust, noted that while safeguards are critical, they must not stifle genuine businesses. Features like the Account Health Dashboard are meant to give sellers clearer visibility into compliance and performance.
Consumer-facing measures are also getting sharper. From direct safety alerts to recall notifications and refund guidance, Amazon is leaning into transparency, backed by partnerships with consumer organisations to raise awareness.
The report’s release follows the expansion of Amazon’s Counterfeit Crimes Unit into India, signalling a deeper push into one of its fastest-growing markets, with closer coordination planned between brands, sellers, and law enforcement.
In short, as online shopping grows more complex, Amazon is betting that trust built through data, enforcement, and a fair bit of algorithmic vigilance will be its most valuable product yet.
