iWorld
‘Gullak’ director Amrit Raj Gupta to share his experiences at Vidnet Masterclasses
MUMBAI: Gullak director Amrit Raj Gupta will be interacting with aspiring writers and directors at Indiantelevision.com’s Vidnet Masterclasses at The Westin, Mumbai on 4 October, sharing interesting anecdotes from his time at The Viral Fever (TVF) and the process of writing and directing web series.
Vidnet Masterclasses are an Indiantelevision.com initiative to facilitate the creative process of young and aspiring creators willing to work in the digital domain. The Masterclasses will host directors & editors, and writers who will be talking to the audience directly about the craft of video creation.
Gupta, who started his journey with TVF a few years back, was the assistant director for India’s first web series Permanent Roommates. He is also one of the youngest Directors to get a theatrical release for his award-winning short film Ayan in PVR Directors Rare category, at the age of 23.
Till date Gupta has directed three web series which include Bachelors Season 1 and 2 and most recently Gullak, a successful family drama for TVF. He has also directed more than 20 videos ranging from PSA’s, Sketch Comedy, Music Videos, etc. for brands like Head and Shoulders, Hero Honda, Mi Phone, MAMI Film Festival, ROPOSO, Gillette, Loud shout, Kailash Satyarthi Organisation, PharmEasy, etc. The total number of views on his web shows and videos are easily more than 100 million.
Other speakers at the Masterclasses include Richie Mehta, Amit Kulkarni, Bhavani Iyer, Puneet Krishna, and Danish Aslam.
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.
