iWorld
Pocket Aces’ lifestyle channel presents first home makeover series
KOLKATA: Pocket Aces’ lifestyle channel Gobble and Flipkart Furniture have launched their first home makeover series – Home Genie. After entertaining millions with its many food and travel series like Love Travel Repeat, You Got Chef’d and Bazaar Travels, Gobble’s latest venture into the home category attempts to create spaces which are a reflection of its residents’ personalities. Hosted by actor Shruti Seth, the quintessential genie with a keen sense of aesthetics, and award-winning interior designer Ali Baldiwala of Baldiwala Associates, the series released on Gobble’s YouTube channel on 25 February.
The series through its tagline ‘Don’t just dream, make it happen’, showcases the transformational journey of couples’ homes, catering to all kinds of home design aspirations and offers the most creative solutions, be it trendy, vintage, or even a modern chic look.
The first of the three-episode series features OTT favourite Abhishek Banerjee along with his wife Tina, who need a living room that offers ample seating for guests, but is minimalistic at the same time. Working with smart seating solutions and sleek furniture selected from Flipkart, Ali creates a space that strikes the right chord by curating the perfect look and feel to meet the couples’ home goals. The series also features TV's favourite couple, Mohit Sehgal and Sanaya Irani, who have personally selected the furniture pieces from Flipkart Furniture as their home office dream becomes a reality, with foldable, multi-utility pieces. The aesthetic designs make their tiny room a grand Insta-worthy, multi-functional home office.
To give back to the Gobble community, the series created a unique opportunity for fans to win a chance to feature on the show. Mumbai-based Florence Saldanha, a die-hard Gobble fan, and her husband Shailesh were chosen as the winners. The channel provided a complete makeover of their master bedroom which as per their wish was intimate, yet functional. While working with these couples, Baldiwala also shared useful tips for audiences to implement and transform their spaces into their dream homes.
Flipkart senior director (furniture, beauty, personal care, baby care) Kanchan Mishra said, “Transforming a house into a home is a very emotional and personal engagement and at Flipkart, we take pride in facilitating this journey for our customers and providing a hassle-free furniture buying experience through our home delivery and installation services. Our association with Gobble will enable lakhs of their viewers to witness home makeovers, get expert tips and hacks on transforming their personal or professional spaces. With Home Genie, we wish to familiarise the audience with the latest home décor trends and ideas to create spaces that resonate with their personalities.”
Pocket Aces VP Sales Vishwanath Shetty said, “Being at home for most of 2020 led to a need to have quality multipurpose spaces which are a reflection of residents’ personalities. Home Genie is a show that enables and inspires couples to bring about this change in their spaces, while also encouraging them to adopt a unique approach to the functionality of their homes. Flipkart Furniture, much like Gobble, offers something for everyone, and so the brand fits in perfectly with our ethos of relatability among our audiences. The resounding response to the contest is a testament of how audiences are seeking new sources of inspiration to make changes in their lives, which inspires us to push the creative boundaries with each property that we create.”
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.
