iWorld
VOOT Studio collaborates with Indian Cancer Society on World No Tobacco Day
MUMBAI: On this World No Tobacco Day, India’s premium video on demand platform VOOT has partnered with Indian Cancer Society on its World No Tobacco Day 2020. The campaign endeavors to raise awareness about the health hazards of smoking and tobacco usage. Executed by VOOT Studio, the short and high impactful video featuring one of the most popular actors Sunil Grover will urge people to stop smoking.
The film is a mockumentary and offers a satirical take on the contents required to cook up a cigarette. The film will see Sunil Grover with his usual sass and ease making a cigarette with all the lethal ingredients that one would never consume. The film culminates with a strong behavioral change message of giving up tobacco and cigarettes given its toxicity and long terms effects on health.
Akash Banerji, head AVOD business, VOOT, said, “At VOOT Studio we are focused on empowering our partners to effectively deliver on their brand and campaign message effectively through engaging, innovative and relevant brand solutions. Partnering with Indian Cancer Society for this imperative behavioral change initiative is even more special and solves for a critical issue plaguing the world. We are sure that this innovative and sarcastic take on the issue will strike a chord with the audiences and allow the message to be delivered far and wide through the reach of the platform.”
Indian Cancer Society marketing director Shivani Sanghavi says: “While it is common knowledge that smoking is harmful, it is unusual that people at large are ignorant of the use of such chemicals that go into making a cigarette. Indian Cancer Society through the campaign attempts to create an awakening that results in people quitting smoking. We believe that everyone, including the protagonist will rethink their habits with the compelling facts presented in the video.”
The script was written by her to spread awareness and educate the masses to make informed choices.
Tobacco leads to more than seven million deaths every year worldwide and the campaign aims to put an end to the tobacco consumption menace by spreading nationwide awareness around the alarming issue.
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.
