iWorld
TOI app launches virtual assistant service
MUMBAI: Times Internet, which already has a 51 per cent market share in user engagement has gone a step further to inform, engage and enable its users by incorporating a virtual personal assistant service in the Times of India App.
Powered by Haptik, India’s leading artificial intelligence based personal assistant and chatbot platform, the virtual assistant enables users to set reminders, recharge their mobile, book flights, do web check-ins, make to-do lists, and much more through the Times of India Android News app. Sprite is the exclusive brand partner for this launch integrating the brand very closely with the service.
This first-of-its-kind innovation in a news app also allows users to book cabs (Uber & Ola), make bill payments (DTH and electricity), and pay through the app via credit card, debit card, netbanking and wallets. For the launch period, where users can get 50 per cent cash back on Recharges, Bill Payments, & more via Amazon Pay.
To access the Personal Assistant, users need to tap the hand icon at the top right of the home screen, validate the mobile number and then choose one of the many services that the virtual assistant provides. Users can expect many more features to be enabled on this platform in the coming days.
Commenting on the launch of this new feature in TOI app, Puneet Gupt, COO & Business Head, The Times of India, said, “We are excited with the launch of Virtual Assistant inside the Times of India app. The launch enables us to empower our users with both news-and-information & virtual assistant led productivity within the app that they love.”
Aakrit Vaish, Founder & CEO, Haptik, said, “Over the last few years, the Haptik virtual assistant chat platform has grown to millions of users and is one of the highest rated apps in India. Our vision is that the service should be accessible from anywhere people want, and not just be restricted to a single app. Integrating into a news app is a natural fit, and the audience of TOI is exactly the type who will appreciate the service,”
To download the Times of India app on their smartphone or to upgrade to the latest version with the virtual assistant, users can use the link below
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.toi.reader.activities&hl=en
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Broadband
Excitel Broadband names Varun Pasricha as chief executive officer
Former COO steps up to lead broadband firm’s next growth chapter
MUMBAI: Excitel Broadband has elevated its chief operating officer, Varun Pasricha, to the role of chief executive officer, handing the reins to a leader who has already spent nearly eight years shaping the company’s rise.
Pasricha joined Excitel in August 2018 and has since been instrumental in building what he describes as “the most loved broadband brand in the country”. Now, as chief executive officer, he is expected to steer the internet service provider through its next phase of expansion in an increasingly competitive home broadband market.
Before his tenure at Excitel, Pasricha held senior leadership roles at Zomato, where he led sales transformation and served as business head for partner growth across India and the UAE. He oversaw the shift in the company’s advertising model from fixed ad slots to performance driven engagement, migrating more than 7,000 paying clients globally while delivering a 20 per cent upsell on the portfolio.
Earlier, at G4S India, he was senior vice president for strategic business, managing a profit and loss portfolio exceeding Rs 1,000 crore. Over two years, he grew the business by around 50 per cent while improving margins through contract renegotiations and cross selling. He also worked closely with the leadership team as vice president for strategic projects, focusing on corporate strategy, restructuring, and new business launches, including entry into last mile logistics.
His career spans strategy and operations across sectors. At Max Healthcare, he was senior manager for business strategy, working on planning and joint venture rollouts in tier II cities. He co-founded Edventure Online, an education advisory venture aimed at helping students make informed career choices. At Indus Towers, he served as senior business manager in the central strategy team, helping convert the energy vertical from a cost centre into a profit engine.
Pasricha began his career at McKinsey & Company as an analyst, building the consulting toolkit that would underpin his later operating roles.
With a résumé that blends boardroom strategy and frontline execution, Pasricha’s appointment signals continuity with ambition. For Excitel, the message is clear: the company is betting on a leader who already knows where the cables run and where the next connections must be made.
