e-commerce
Via.com e-comm launches ‘Lite’ for mobile browsing
MUMBAI: Leading omni channel travel, retail and fintech company, Via.com, has launched a Lite version of its website for mobile browsing in India. The Lite version is aimed at helping users browse its website faster on their smart phones in areas with slow or poor internet connectivity.
Via.com is the most comprehensive & consistently profitable travel e-commerce company with 10 years of experience & presence in six countries: India, Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and UAE.
“Via Lite” loads six times faster and provides a better experience to users in urban and rural areas with patchy networks. Another advantage of the Lite version is that it can be added as a bookmark on the mobile home screen. Other remarkable features include personalised notifications for the latest deals and vouchers and great offline experience. The offline experience would mean that in case of flaky internet connection, you can also search offline. However, the offline experience is currently available only in the airlines segment. VIA will extend this feature to the hotels, holidays and bus segment in the next three months.
Via.com is one of Asia’s leading omni channel travel, retail & fintech company. Its distribution strategy includes enabling small businesses with an intuitive tech platform which helps them with best in class content, closed looped wallet and a range of CRM & accounting functionalities to run their business effectively.
The version that has just been unveiled has already led to an increase in mobile bookings by 200 per cent in just one week.
According to Via.com CTO Varun Gupta, “This feature is primarily for consumers using slower internet connections. “With powerful features like push notifications, offline access, add-to-home screen, fast page load and a smooth user interface, the main message is that you don’t need to choose between web or app. We are providing users with a frictionless and highly engaging experience on the mobile web.”
Via.com launched its mobile app last year and has launched many innovative features, including fare calendar, various payment gateways, etc since then. Progressive web app (PWA) is a new technology which is intended to help website operators to instil their mobile websites with features typically associated with mobile apps. Known for its penchant for innovation, VIA is one of the few companies in India to join the PWA bandwagon.
e-commerce
Eternal teams up with OpenAI to supercharge AI across Zomato and Blinkit
Collaboration targets merchant tools, partner assistants and internal automation via Stitch platform.
MUMBAI: Eternal isn’t just ordering food, it’s ordering up a major AI upgrade. The company behind Zomato, Blinkit, District, Hyperpure, Feeding India and AI-native venture Nugget has joined forces with OpenAI to weave advanced AI deeper into its sprawling commerce ecosystem. The partnership taps OpenAI’s Enterprise API to deploy models across Eternal’s apps, partner platforms and internal systems. Key focus areas include AI-assisted workflows for merchants and delivery partners, contextual AI assistants embedded in partner portals, next-gen search and discovery experiments, and accelerated product iteration at Nugget.
Internally, Eternal is eyeing OpenAI’s latest coding models including GPT-5.3-Codex to power Stitch, its in-house automation and developer orchestration platform. Stitch already handles end-to-end automation across engineering and non-engineering teams, the integration aims to slash manual work, speed up shipping and streamline complex workflows.
The collaboration extends to a structured Partner Upskilling Program, rolling out advanced AI tools and assistants to Eternal’s restaurant and delivery partner network to boost operational efficiency, compliance and decision-making.
Eternal, Group CEO Albinder Dhindsa captured the excitement, “From high leverage areas like software development to real on-ground implications of influencing operations, we are learning about the evolving implementations of newer and developing tools in the AI landscape. We are happy that this collaboration with OpenAI will open up even more surface area for us to learn and innovate.”
OpenAI International managing director Oliver Jay added, “Eternal operates at a meaningful scale across consumer and partner platforms. We are excited to support their teams in applying AI advancements to real-world systems, from AI-native ventures to partner-facing initiatives.”
In a market where speed, scale and smarts define winners, this tie-up positions Eternal to turn everyday orders into smarter, faster experiences, one AI prompt at a time. Whether you’re swiping for dinner or delivering it, the future just got a little more intelligent.
