MAM
D2C brand Plum ropes in Mithila Palkar as brand ambassador
Mumbai: Homegrown beauty and personal care brand Plum on Thursday announced that it has signed actor Mithila Palkar as its first-ever brand ambassador.
Starting her acting career in 2014, Mithila is known for a wide variety of roles that she has portrayed in films and web series. She is also a popular singer. “Being one of the most vivacious and spirited actresses, Mithila exemplifies the girl-next-door image and will appear in key Plum campaigns across digital media,” said the brand in a statement.
“Plum is a youthful brand that resonates with the confident woman of today. So, onboarding a millennial youth icon like Mithila Palkar seemed to be a natural fit. She reflects Plum’s values of being honest and real,” stated Plum CEO and founder Shankar Prasad. “Our association with her is a step towards strengthening the connection with our customers and reaching out to millions of more women who will emotionally associate with our brand and love using our products.”
One of the fastest growing BPC brands in the online space, Plum is available on e-commerce marketplaces such as Amazon, Flipkart, Nykaa and Purplle and in over 250 towns and cities in India, through 900+ assisted retail outlets, and over 10,000 unassisted outlets, said the statement. The brand recently won the Best Vegan Cosmetics award at the PETA India’s Vegan Fashion Awards.
“I deeply resonate with the philosophy of the brand and their unique approach towards creating products which are truly good for your skin,” said Mithila Palkar. “In Plum, I have found my partner, which provides an authentic, dependable, efficacious, and delightful experience in skincare. I am truly glad to be associated with them.”
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.
