MAM
Urban Company launches free-video consult for appliance repairs
Mumbai: Tech-enabled home services marketplace Urban Company has now launched free video consultation for consumers for all its appliance repair services. The company will now help consumers to understand the exact issue and provide a diagnosis and cost estimate all through a video call.
Sometimes an issue can be solved by consumers themselves with the guidance of an expert. For example, if your refrigerator is leaking, it could be something as simple as the drain cap getting blocked. In case it is a major issue, the expert will diagnose the problem instantly and recommend a technician visit.
The free video consults will be provided to all its customers across India, by senior experts with over 15 years of experience in the appliance repair industry, it said on Wednesday. Given that knowledge is power, the focus is to give control back to the consumers in the whole repair process, it added further.
Urban Company senior vice president- marketing Abhinav Tyagi said, “One of the biggest issues consumers face whenever an appliance breaks down is the confusion and anxiety during the whole repair process, especially if they face overruns in both time and costs versus what they had estimated. We have launched a free and instant video consult service for repairs so that our senior experts, who have over 15 years of experience, can help our consumers with accurate diagnosis and correct estimates without having to invest significant time or money. We believe this advice will help our consumers make informed decisions whenever they need.”
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.
