iWorld
Gupshup adds Messenger API for Instagram to help businesses engage better
Mumbai: Messaging services company Gupshup on Friday announced the addition of the Messenger API for Instagram to its platform. This will now allow Gupshup businesses to benefit through a richer two-way conversation with their followers on Instagram at scale.
Gupshup has a longstanding collaboration with the Facebook family of messaging platforms; having collaborated with Messenger in 2017, and as one of the earliest to adopt WhatsApp for business service in 2018. According to Instagram research1, 90 per cent of people on Instagram follow a business and 50 per cent are more interested in a brand when they see ads for it over Instagram.
“We are delighted that Gupshup is launching the Messenger API support for Instagram. The Messenger API for Instagram is now available for all developers who make it possible for brands to improve and enhance messaging experiences with customers,” said Messenger’s vice president, platform partnerships, Konstantinos Papamiltiadis. “By integrating the Messenger API for Instagram, businesses and developers can effectively scale messaging workflows to better own the customer experience and build more authentic relationships.”
“Gupshup is committed to helping businesses engage their customers better through conversations across multiple channels” explained Gupshup’s co-founder and CEO Beerud Sheth. “We are now making available our rich set of tools, powered by conversational AI, to help businesses make their Instagram conversations rich, contextual and personalized. Using these tools, businesses and celebrities and influencers with business accounts on Instagram will now be able to build stronger customer relationships, improve customer satisfaction, develop new business models and drive greater revenues.”
Gupshup, with the Messenger API for Instagram for conversational messaging, is now available to its businesses who may access the same at www.gupshup.io
iWorld
Samay Raina returns with Still Alive, confronts 2025 controversy in bold comeback special
Comeback set tackles controversy, blending humour with raw storytelling
MUMBAI: Samay Raina is set to release his new stand-up comedy special, Still Alive, on YouTube on April 7, 2026, marking a high-profile return following a turbulent year.
The trailer for the special dropped on April 5, offering a glimpse into what Raina describes as a raw and unfiltered set that leans as much on honesty as it does on humour.
Positioned as a comeback of sorts, Still Alive draws heavily from the controversy surrounding his show India’s Got Latent in early 2025. The episode led to legal trouble, multiple FIRs, and a lengthy six-hour interrogation by the Maharashtra Cyber Cell, placing the comedian at the centre of intense public scrutiny.
Rather than sidestep the episode, Raina leans into it. The special reflects on the fallout and his personal journey through it, blending observational comedy with moments of emotional candour. Early audience feedback from live performances suggests the tone is less about rapid-fire punchlines and more about storytelling with bite.
The special was filmed during his global Still Alive & Unfiltered tour, which ran from August 2025 to early 2026. The tour saw Raina perform across major international venues, including the Madison Square Garden Theatre in New York, a milestone that places him among the youngest Indian comedians to take that stage.
The title itself signals resilience. “Still Alive” is a nod to navigating both legal and public backlash while choosing to remain unapologetically authentic, a theme that appears to anchor the set.
With the special set to premiere online, all eyes are now on how audiences respond to a performance that promises equal parts reflection and wit. For Raina, the message is clear. He is not just back, he is ready to be heard on his own terms.
