iWorld
Eros Now, Jean-Claude Biguine India collaborate
MUMBAI: Eros Now, the cutting-edge digital over-the-top (OTT) South Asian entertainment platform owned by Eros International, a global Indian entertainment company, has announced a special partnership with French salon and spa chain, Jean-Claude Biguine (JCB). In India, where the entertainment industry influences beauty trends, this strategic alliance offers Jean-Claude Biguine India’s clients access to the world of entertainment through the OTT player’s massive library of over 11,000 films, original web-series, music, and short-format content – Eros Now Quickie.
Customers utilising services at the premium salon chain can now further enhance their ‘me time’ experience while indulging in beauty regime by enjoying compelling content from across genres. The offer of an Eros Now premium subscription will be available across all JCB outlets in India to JCB’s paying customers.
Commenting on the partnership, Eros Digital CEO Rishika Lulla Singh said, “Eros Now has emerged as a market leader in curating special plans to cater to the growing demand for digital content. We always work towards creating innovative partnerships to reach a diversified audience. This alliance with Jean-Claude Biguine India brings together the best of both worlds – entertainment and beauty – and works as a gateway for beauty enthusiasts to enjoy unlimited entertainment on Eros Now.”
Jean-Claude Biguine India CEO Samir Srivastav said, “It is our constant endeavour to promote client delight and experiences at Jean-Claude Biguine Salons. It also means stepping up to become more cognizant of potential needs. With a constant rise in digital engagements through interactive, entertainment apps, it was befitting for us to join hands with Eros Now. Through this initiative, we also hope to effectively add more value to the long-standing relationships with our clients.”
iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
