MAM
[Podcast] Media Minds: DLF Malls India’s Harshvardhan Chauhan on retail’s phygital side
MUMBAI: The world of retail, for most of its part, has gone digital. People are scrolling and clicking for meeting every minute need of theirs. This will be an impediment for physical-only retailers. But for the owners of one of the largest shopping malls in India, this has come out as an opportunity to create a world where retail runs on instincts.
DLF Malls India head of central marketing Harshvardhan Chauhan, in the latest episode of ‘Media Minds’, shares how after an endearing journey of a decade, the brand is working on building ‘phygital retail’ spaces that will give the users a seamless shopping experience with tailor-made deals and offers.
He talks about how micro-chips in physical spaces are giving his team a clear idea of the shopping habits of people, how they entertain them afterward, or which is their favourite restaurant to have a meal at after they shop, and they are curating this datum into instinctive offers through an app.
Chauhan feels the future lies in the phygital world, where human intervention merged with technology will create amazing experiences for the customers.
Listen to the complete podcast here:
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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.
