iWorld
Warner Music India brings eight unique tracks from ‘Maati’
Mumbai: Warner Music India has launched Maati, a musical project celebrating India’s folklore with eight tracks in eight languages. The lineup includes artists like Vishal Dadlani, Mohit Chauhan, Mikey McCleary, Sushant Divgikar (Rani KoHEnur), Madhubanti Bagchi, Ash King, and Nikhita Gandhi. The tracks will be released over the next two months on Warner Music India’s YouTube channel and social media, starting with the first track, Bawla, available now on all streaming platforms.
Bawla features Sushant Divgikar, with music by Mikey McCleary and traditional sounds from The Khan Brothers. The song blends modern beats with Rajasthani folk, portraying the spirit of a carefree soul.
Curated by composers Achint Thakkar and Parth Pandya, Maati explores India’s musical traditions, highlighting regional music and pairing contemporary artists with folk stories that cross language and regional barriers. The first season is powered by boAt.
Warner Music India & SAARC MD Jay Mehta shared, “With Maati, our vision was to create a platform that elevates India’s folk music and artists to the global stage, while celebrating the rich diversity of our folk traditions. Through this journey, we’ve uncovered extraordinary stories from across the country, and I am deeply passionate about sharing them with the world. This first official season marks just the beginning, as we aim to make Maati a recurring seasonal property, with plans to evolve it into a live festival next year.”
One of the curators Achint Thakkar added, “Maati is about breaking boundaries—showing that folk music isn’t confined to regional artists. Every artist involved has fully embraced the folk traditions they are representing, creating a truly immersive musical experience.”
Co-curator Parth Pandya commented, “Working on Maati has been an incredible experience. We’ve brought together an amazing ensemble of artists to tell the rich stories of India’s culture. India is a land of languages, but music is a boundless emotion. Maati embodies that freedom—it’s everything, everywhere.”
boAt co-founder and CMO Aman Gupta shared, “boAt, as a proud homegrown audio technology brand, has always been deeply rooted in the rich diversity and culture of India. Our journey with Maati feels like a natural extension of that pride. We understand that it’s not just about gaining a share of voice, but about truly embracing a share of culture—by meaningfully contributing to the music scene and celebrating the vibrant heritage that shapes who we are.”
iWorld
Meta warns 200 users after fake Whatsapp spyware attack
Italy-targeted campaign used unofficial app to deploy surveillance spyware.
MUMBAI: It looked like a message, but it behaved like a mole. Meta has warned around 200 users most of them in Italy after uncovering a targeted spyware campaign that weaponised a fake version of WhatsApp to infiltrate devices. The attack, first reported by Agenzia Nazionale Stampa Associata, relied on classic social engineering with a modern twist: persuading users to download an unofficial WhatsApp clone embedded with surveillance software. The malicious application, believed to be developed by Italian firm SIO through its subsidiary ASIGINT, was designed to mimic the real app closely enough to bypass suspicion.
Meta’s security teams identified roughly 200 individuals who may have installed the compromised version, triggering immediate countermeasures. Affected users were logged out of their accounts and issued alerts warning of potential privacy breaches, with the company describing the incident as a “targeted social engineering attempt” aimed at gaining device-level access.
The malicious app was not distributed via official app stores but circulated through third-party channels, where it was presented as a legitimate WhatsApp alternative. Once installed, it reportedly allowed external operators to access sensitive data stored on the device turning a simple download into a potential surveillance gateway.
According to Techcrunch, Meta is now preparing legal action against the spyware developers to curb further misuse. The company, however, has not disclosed details about the specific individuals targeted or the extent of data compromised.
A Whatsapp spokesperson reiterated that user safety remains the top priority, particularly for those misled into installing the fake iOS application. Meanwhile, reports from La Repubblica suggest the spyware may be linked to “Spyrtacus”, a strain previously associated with Android-based attacks that could intercept calls, activate microphones and even access cameras.
The episode underscores a growing reality in the digital age, the threat is no longer just what you download, but where you download it from. As unofficial apps become increasingly convincing, the line between communication tool and covert surveillance is getting harder to spot and far easier to exploit.
