iWorld
Prime Video premieres special Jubilee edition of ‘Maitri: Female First Collective’
MUMBAI: Prime Video, India’s entertainment destination, has released the latest session of Maitri: Female First Collective. The collective is an endeavour to help build a community for women from media and entertainment as a safe place for them to come forward and discuss their experiences, challenges and successes, and offer their perspective and advice on how to bring about a positive shift. The latest session was graced by six women professionals from Indian entertainment – from superstars to contemporary women, producers and corporate leaders – coming together on this forum with a collective experience of over 100 years. The discussions primarily focussed on the struggles and ambitions of women in Indian cinema, evolution of these challenges, resolutions sought and processes adopted to create a more equitable and inclusive ecosystem.
Moderated by the creator and curator of Maitri, Smriti Kiran, the participants comprised Aparna Purohit, Creator – Maitri & Head of India Originals, Prime Video; Asha Parekh, Actor; Tanuja, Actor, Dipa De Motwane, Producer; Aditi Rao Hydari, Actor; and Wamiqa Gabbi, Actor.
Watch the latest session of Maitri: Female First Collective here –
Sharing deeply personal stories and experiences, the participants discussed the challenges faced by women professionals in the industry, be it in films, streaming, or television – covering aspects such as conscious and unconscious biases, gender stereotyping, safety, sanitation for women and much more. The presence of two of the most talented and revered female actors – Asha Parekh and Tanuja – who have seen the industry evolve over the years, made the session even more insightful. From touching upon the era when the term ‘superstar’ was often reserved for male actors, when very few stories and characters depicted women at the forefront, to a time and age when women have finally started speaking about the issues that matter to them, the latest session of Maitri was a holistic discussion that brought to the fore issues that concern women across all age groups. Actors Aditi Rao Hydari and Wamiqa Gabbi, who play lead characters in Amazon Original series Jubilee, offered their perspectives and experiences of working in the modern-day film industry. Producer of the show, Dipa De Motwane, who has been part of this industry for a long time, threw a fresh perspective on how the work situation for women in cinematography, production, technical areas of filmmaking, etc., has changed over time. She also elaborated upon the opportunities being created for female talent, in-front of, as well as behind-the-scenes, to grow and prove their mettle.
Highlights from the latest session are now available:
The discussion was underpinned by the respect and camaraderie the attendees demonstrated, as they collectively agreed that to power the growth of the industry, it is imperative to have more women in decision-making roles, who in turn can ensure wider and more equitable work opportunities for women across the helm, and to create an environment that is safe and secure for women to pursue their dreams unequivocally.
Prime Video is deeply committed towards promoting Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) within its content and productions, as well as with its partners in the creative community. With Maitri: Female First Collective, Prime Video aims to raise awareness of the pivotal role women play within the entertainment industry.
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.
