iWorld
Sony LIV Brings exclusive digital-only episode ‘Gateway to Shark Tank India 2’
Mumbai: Sony LIV has announced a digital-only episode – “Gateway to Shark Tank India 2,” which will soon stream on Sony LIV. This exclusive episode is co-presented by Happilo, a dry fruit and healthy snacking brand. Furthermore, the episode will feature Happilo founder & CEO Vikas D. Nahar as a guest shark along with the existing panel.
Coming from a family that engaged in growing pepper and coffee, Nahar was naturally inclined towards building brands. This passion led him to start Happilo with an initial capital of just INR 10,000 and two members in his team, and from there on there was no looking back. Happilo is a six-year-old enterprise with a revenue run-rate of INR 500 Cr, and a leading player in the dry-fruit and nuts segment offering healthy snacking options to consumers. The company today has a strong presence in e-commerce platforms and retail stores across the country. Through his business acumen, he not only expanded his business with the right product innovation, marketing, distribution & smart R&D strategy but also backed new startups and helped them grow. Happilo has successfully marked its presence in the industry today and is further enhancing its value with multiple associations across industries.
“Gateway to Shark Tank India 2” provides select aspiring entrepreneurs with another opportunity to present their business ideas and concepts to seasoned investors and renowned business professionals.
Sony LIV Ad sales revenue Ranjana Mangla said, “The show has made its way into the hearts of millions of viewers and aspiring entrepreneurs. We are thrilled to partner with Happilo and other sponsors for an exclusive “Gateway to Shark Tank India 2” to promote the zeal of business owners. The digital-only episode aims to encourage the ongoing spirit of entrepreneurship in our nation. This unique conceptual integration is a testament to our constant endeavor to provide disruptive and scalable opportunities for brands to seamlessly integrate and showcase their brand purpose.”
Nahar added, “Shark Tank India is the harbinger of change and enjoys a highly engaged audience. I am excited to join the panel as a guest Shark to support creative minds and give them a window to dream big. I believe it’s important to foster the nation’s youth, promote innovation, and celebrate an entrepreneurial mindset to boost India’s growth trajectory.”
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.
