iWorld
Vikram Bhatt to launch OTT platform on 27th Jan
MUMBAI: Finally, the launch date for director-producer Vikram Bhatt’s over-the-top (OTT) service is out. One of the latest entrants in the digital entertainment space, the OTT platform, titled VB on the Web, will begin services on 27 January 2018.
Furthermore, Bhatt is all set to debut as an actor in his own web series Untouchables directed by his daughter Krishna Bhatt and produced under his banner Loneranger Productions. In this series, Bhatt plays a lawyer in a courtroom drama that revolves around a murder case.
“I am launching my own OTT on 27 January with my three exclusive web series. The first is Untouchables, which has been directed by my daughter Krishna Bhatt and I am also acting in it. And the other two are Twisted 2 and Maaya 2,” said Bhatt.
Twisted 2 is a thriller starring Niaa Sharma and Rahul Raj. The director of Twisted 1, Anupam Santosh Saroj, is directing the second series as well. Maaya explores the tabooed theme of BDSM.
Bhatt has a big bank of web series on his Youtube channel, which is also called VB on the Web.
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.
