iWorld
Ithech Taka Tamboo: dittoTV adds Zee Yuva
MUMBAI: Zee Yuva, ZEEL’s Marathi channel, is now available on dittoTV. The channel offers refreshing, light-hearted, and contemporary content that resonates with younger audiences.
“Content consumption patterns in India have evolved and younger audiences consume entertainment on-the-go. With dittoTV, youth can enjoy shows anytime and anywhere,” said Zee Yuva and Zee Talkies business head Bavesh Janavlekar.
Shows on Zee Yuva include, Bun Maska, which portrays the life of fun-loving girl, with a confused philosophy of love; Freshers, a show that revolves around college-goers; ShravanBal Rock star, a show about an aspirational rock star who is trying to balance his own dreams and the aspiration of his parents; Yuvagiri, a show which journeys through colleges across different parts of Maharashtra and interacts with the youth to understand their opinion on various issues; Love Lagan Locha, a story which revolves around boys who are trying to find their perfect match; Ithech Taka Tamboo, a story of a man who escapes from the superficial world and tries running a beachside hotel in a small town in the state..
dittoTV business head Archana Anand said, “Zee Yuva strikes a connect with our subscribers, especially college and hostel students, due to it’s novel content. We have witnessed a high consumption of regional GECs on dittoTV. Going forward, we will continue to expand the variety of channels across languages and genres to suit audiences across different target groups.”
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.
