MAM
Google, Microsoft and Reliance may help design rlys ad tech
MUMBAI: Leading global companies such as Google, Microsoft and Reliance may be keen to take part in the Indian Railways project and help design platform screens advertising technology. Railways is putting together a strategy to launch two lakh screens across India, aiming at a revenue Rs 10,000 crore in 10 years, the Times of India reported, for which a tender could be awarded by May this year.
Indiantelevision.com had earlier reported that content on demand on trains and at stations is a sizeable market. According to a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG), the infotainment market to be around Rs 2,277 crore in three years’ time.
The Railway Ministry, in a bid to revamp railways, may invite bids for Content on Demand (CoD) and railradio services in April. Services that would be included under the CoD initiative are — movies, TVserials, short videos, kids’ shows and devotional content. The CoD would also include streaming audio such as regional songs, movie songs, and devotional music; and providing electronic newspapers, gaming and educational content. Railways’ bids for app-based cab services will also be invited by May.
The video, radio, digital music and digital gaming contracts will be for a period of 10 years. The railways is, through these initiatives, expecting revenue of Rs 16,000-20,000 crore in 10 years.
As per the BCG report, to provide offline content, railways may have to shell out Rs 38,000 per coach. But, the online content will be expensive — for Rs 25 lakh each. Coaches are required to be well equipped to offer content streamed via the internet.
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Govt may invite bids for railway TV content this month, market pegged at Rs 2.3k cr
Digital
Galgotias apologises after AI summit robot sparks backlash, blames ‘ill-informed’ representative
University says no intent to misrepresent innovation
NEW DELHI: Galgotias University has issued a formal apology after a controversy over a robotic dog displayed at the India AI Impact Summit led to scrutiny, backlash and the university’s exit from the venue.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the university said it “apologises profusely for the confusion created” at the summit, attributing the episode to an “ill-informed” representative manning its pavilion. The individual, it said, was unaware of the product’s technical origins and was not authorised to speak to the media.
The controversy erupted after online users identified the robotic dog as the Unitree Go2, a commercially available model made by Unitree Robotics, contradicting claims made during the event about its development.
Galgotias said there was “no institutional intent to misrepresent this innovation” and reiterated its commitment to academic integrity and transparency. It added that it had vacated the stall in line with organisers’ sentiments.
Events at the summit venue, Bharat Mandapam, took a dramatic turn as electricity to the Galgotias pavilion was cut, followed by barricades being installed around the stall. A video circulated by PTI showed workers at the site saying they were acting on instructions from their supervisor.
Summit organisers have yet to issue a detailed public explanation outlining the sequence of decisions that led to the stall’s shutdown, even as the incident fuels wider debate around claims, verification and accountability at high-profile technology showcases.
