Digital
Rodic Digital & Advisory bets on AI with Varun Mundra as technology chief
NEW DELHI: Rodic Digital & Advisory is sharpening its technology edge. The strategic advisory and digital transformation arm of the Rodic Group has appointed Varun Mundra as chief executive officer, technology, tasking him with building AI-first products and scaling digital advisory services across infrastructure and public systems.
Based in New Delhi, Mundra will drive the firm’s technology strategy, product roadmap and AI-led solutions portfolio, as Rodic deepens its push into data-driven policymaking, digital infrastructure frameworks and public-sector transformation. His experience working with regulators, health authorities, stock exchanges and government bodies is expected to strengthen the firm’s influence with policymakers and institutions navigating data governance and AI adoption.
Managing director of Rodic Digital & Advisory, Nagendra Nath Sinha, said Mundra joins at an inflection point for the firm. His track record in building AI-first businesses and forging government and enterprise partnerships, he added, will help deliver “intelligent, sustainable and resilient infrastructure solutions at scale”.
Mundra brings more than 13 years of experience across health tech, voice AI, fintech and enterprise SaaS. Most recently, he was managing director and country manager for Vara, a Germany-based medical AI company, where he built the India business from the ground up with full P&L responsibility. Earlier roles include senior leadership positions at Skit and TOPXIGHT Research Labs, spanning AI SaaS ventures in capital markets, cybersecurity and deep tech.
An international MBA graduate from SPJIMR and IESEG, with a BTech in computer science from Nirma University, Mundra specialises in go-to-market strategy, government business and product-led growth.
As India’s infrastructure ambitions collide with the rise of AI, Rodic is placing a clear wager: smarter systems, faster decisions—and technology at the heart of it all.
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.
