Digital
Network18 ropes in digital entrepreneur Angad Bhatia to helm Firstpost and Creator18
MUMBAI: Network18 has appointed seasoned digital entrepreneur Angad Bhatia as chief executive of Firstpost and its freshly minted creator-focused venture, Creator18.
Bhatia, who founded and scaled the influential men’s lifestyle platform MensXP before its acquisition by Times Internet, brings over 15 years of digital media expertise to the role where he’ll steer India’s international news brand while simultaneously building a creator network across Network18’s digital properties.
His appointment marks a strategic push by the media conglomerate to capitalise on the booming creator economy while strengthening its news credentials.
The digital veteran most recently served as chief executive of India Lifestyle Network and spearheaded brand and marketing growth initiatives at Mensa Brands. His career has spanned content, technology and digital commerce, including the development of influential digital-first consumer brands such as iDiva and Hypp.
Industry observers note Bhatia’s reputation for identifying growth adjacencies and applying entrepreneurial thinking to established media businesses – precisely the toolkit Network18 appears keen to harness as traditional and social media boundaries continue to blur.
“Bhatia represents the new breed of media executive who understands both content creation and commercial models in the digital sphere,” said a media analyst at a leading consultancy firm. “His experience with MensXP demonstrated he can build audiences while driving commercial success.”
In his new role, Bhatia will report directly to Rahul Joshi, managing director and group editor-in-chief of Network18, as he attempts to bring fresh thinking and audience growth to the organisation’s digital portfolio.
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.
