MAM
Aaj Tak is realigning its revenue structure under Gaurav Verma, while Rahul Shaw drives growth for Stage Aaj Tak
MUMBAI: Curtains up on a leadership shuffle at India Today Group, where Rahul Shaw is stepping into a singular spotlight devoting his full attention to Stage Aaj Tak, the Group’s fast-rising experiential content venture. In doing so, Shaw exits his current roles in the TV and radio businesses to scale what insiders are calling a high-priority growth engine.
As Shaw takes centre stage, Gaurav Verma steps into the wings of Aaj Tak’s revenue operations at least for now. In his interim role, Verma will oversee revenue teams across the South, West, and North regions. The East will continue to be independently steered by Satyaky, while Manisha Solanki and Gunjan Taneja retain command of India Today TV and Good News Today (GNT), respectively.
All of Shaw’s previous direct reports, including Verma, will now report directly to Bhatia. Explaining the rationale behind the reshuffle, Bhatia called it a strategic move to “align our teams for long-term success, foster internal growth opportunities, and intensify our focus on core business priorities.”
In a landscape where content needs to not just inform but immerse, this rejig isn’t just about titles and territories, it’s about building a future-ready playbook. And as this new chapter unfolds, all eyes will be on how Stage Aaj Tak scales new heights under Shaw’s solo spotlight.
Digital
India leads global adoption of ChatGPT Images 2.0 in first week
From anime avatars to fantasy covers, users turn AI visuals into culture
NEW DELHI: India has emerged as the largest user base for ChatGPT Images 2.0, just a week after its launch by OpenAI, underlining the country’s growing influence on global internet trends.
While the tool was introduced as an advanced image-generation upgrade within ChatGPT, Indian users are quickly reshaping its purpose. Instead of sticking to productivity-led use cases, many are embracing it as a creative playground for self-expression, storytelling and online identity.
From anime-style portraits and cinematic headshots to tarot-inspired visuals and fictional newspaper front pages, the model is being used to create highly stylised, shareable content. Features such as accurate text rendering, multilingual prompts and the ability to generate detailed visuals with minimal input have helped drive rapid adoption.
What sets the latest model apart is its ability to “think” through prompts, generating multiple outputs and adapting to context, including real-time web inputs. But the bigger story lies in how users are engaging with it.
In India, trends are already taking shape. Popular formats include dramatic studio-style lighting edits, LinkedIn-ready headshots, manga-inspired avatars, soft pastel “spring” aesthetics, AI-led fashion moodboards, paparazzi-style visuals and fantasy newspaper covers. Users are also restoring old photographs, creating tarot-style imagery and experimenting with futuristic design concepts.
Local flavour is adding another layer. Prompts such as cinematic portrait collages and Y2K-inspired romantic edits are gaining traction, blending global aesthetics with distinctly Indian internet culture.
The surge reflects a broader shift in how AI tools are being used in the country, moving beyond utility to creativity. As younger users, creators and social media enthusiasts experiment with new visual formats, AI-generated imagery is increasingly becoming part of everyday digital expression.
If early trends hold, ChatGPT Images 2.0 may not just be a tech upgrade but a cultural moment, giving millions a new visual language to play with online.
