e-commerce
Alibaba Pictures raises $1.6 billion from share sale for media acquisitions
MUMBAI: Alibaba Pictures Group, the film unit of the Chinese e-commerce giant, is selling up to $1.6 billion (HK$12.18 billion) in shares to raise capital.
The money raised will be used to fund potential acquisitions in the media industry in the future and also as general working capital. However, the company, which is looking at expanding in the Chinese film market, has not yet identified any specific acquisition targets.
In a statement to the Hong Kong stock exchange, Alibaba Pictures said that it would place 4.2 billion shares at HK$2.90 each, which is a 20 per cent discount to the stock’s last traded price of HK$3.62 at Monday’s close, and about 13 per cent below the average closing price over the prior five sessions.
The placement represent approximately 19.96 per cent of the total existing issued share capital of the company and approximately 16.64 per cent of the total issued share capital of the company as enlarged by the allotment and issue of the placing shares.
e-commerce
Instamart and Duolingo launch street spell check campaign for Instaprint
Duo the owl fixes signboard typos across cities to showcase instant printing.
MUMBAI: If spelling mistakes had a sworn enemy, it might just be a bright green owl with a printer. Instamart has teamed up with language learning platform Duolingo for a quirky nationwide campaign that turns everyday spelling errors into a public spectacle while promoting its instant printing service, InstaPrint. The playful activation takes aim at the many misspelled shop boards and public signs scattered across Indian streets. From “saloons” that promise haircuts rather than drinks to menus and posters peppered with punctuation mishaps, the campaign sends Duolingo’s mascot Duo on a mission to restore linguistic order.
Armed with Instamart’s instant printing feature, Duo prints corrected versions of the mistakes on the spot and pastes them over the originals. The result is a series of humorous street interventions that have quickly begun circulating on social media.
Photos and videos of the grammar correcting owl have been widely shared online, with amused users reacting to the unexpected spell check patrol. One user joked, “Ab ayega na maza bhidu,” capturing the internet’s delight at the unusual campaign.
Behind the humour lies a practical message. The activation is designed to showcase the capabilities of Instaprint, Instamart’s printing service that allows users to print documents and posters almost instantly.
The company says the feature is meant for everyday needs such as printing resumes, visa documents or last minute posters without the usual scramble to locate a print shop.
Instamart introduced Instaprint in 2025 across select metropolitan cities including Bengaluru, Mumbai and Delhi. The service allows users to order printed materials directly through the platform, extending the quick commerce model beyond groceries and household essentials.
By combining Duolingo’s famously persistent owl with India’s street level spelling quirks, the campaign taps into the internet’s long running fascination with grammar mistakes while demonstrating a real world use case for instant printing.
After all, in a world full of typos, sometimes what you really need is a quick printer and a very determined language teacher.
