iWorld
Amazon Prime Video renews ‘Mirzapur’ S2
MUMBAI: Amazon Prime Video has announced the second season of Mirzapur within two months of premiering its first season. Season 2 of show is produced by Excel Media and Entertainment, created by Puneet Krishna and directed by Gurmmeet Singh.
It has also announced the green lighting of more than 20 new and returning Prime Original Series to go into production in the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan and Mexico. All episodes of its first season are available to binge-watch.
Amazon Prime Video India, director and head of content, Vijay Subramaniam, said, “We are committed to creating compelling stories with powerful characters, gripping narratives and world class production values. We are thrilled with the response to Mirzapur’s first season from our customers and we are happy to be working with the amazing team at Excel Media and Entertainment for another bold and powerful narrative for the next season of the show.”
The show will go into production this year before being released on Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
Excel Media and Entertainment' co-founder Farhan Akhtar said, “It is exciting to see that global audiences are responding well to the kind of content we are creating. It started with Inside Edge being nominated for an International Emmy and now Mirzapur being watched & loved across India and globally; we are glad that both shows have been renewed for the next season giving us another chance to showcase Indian stories on a global stage.”
Excel Media and Entertainment co-founder Ritesh Sidhwani said, “Mirzapur has been our dream project and to quickly follow the first season with a season two announcement underlines our efforts to create best-n-class content for our online global audiences. The show gave us an opportunity to challenge ourselves and explore new subjects and territories. Now, we look forward to taking our story to another level of cinematic experience in the next season with Amazon Prime Video.”
e-commerce
American Express to acquire AI startup Hyper to boost automation
Deal targets expense management as AI reshapes corporate spending tools.
MUMBAI: From receipts to robots, the expense sheet is getting a brain upgrade as American Express moves to bring artificial intelligence into the heart of corporate spending. The company has announced plans to acquire Hyper, a relatively young but fast-rising startup founded in 2022 that builds AI-powered agents capable of organising expenses, generating reports, verifying compliance with budgets and policies, and nudging users with timely reminders. The deal, expected to close in the second quarter of 2026, underscores a growing shift among financial institutions to automate traditionally manual, time-heavy workflows.
Hyper counts Sam Altman among its backers, adding a layer of Silicon Valley credibility to the acquisition. While financial details remain undisclosed, the strategic intent is clear: deepen automation capabilities and sharpen American Express’s position in the competitive corporate spending ecosystem.
The two companies are not strangers. They previously collaborated in 2024 on a co-branded credit card product, suggesting that the acquisition is less a cold buy and more an extension of an existing relationship. With this move, American Express is effectively bringing that capability in-house, aiming to embed AI directly into its commercial services stack.
Chief executive Stephen Squeri had already signalled the direction of travel in a recent shareholder letter, describing AI as a “structural shift” in how businesses operate. The Hyper acquisition appears to be a direct response to that shift, particularly in expense management, where processes such as approvals, compliance checks and reporting remain ripe for automation.
Alongside the acquisition, the company is also expanding its product suite. A recently launched business credit card offers cashback and benefits at an annual fee of $295, with another card expected later this year moves that complement its broader push into commercial services.
Taken together, the strategy points to a future where managing expenses may require fewer spreadsheets and more algorithms. For American Express, the bet is simple, if businesses are rethinking how work gets done, the tools that power that work need to evolve just as quickly.
