Education
Xth International Media Summit “Evolving Mediascape: Storytelling in the time of AI”
Mumbai: KC College officially inaugurated its 10th International Media Summit, 2024, hosted by the Mass Media Department, on 6 March March, 2024, at the Churchgate campus.
Themed “An Evolving Mediascape: Storytelling in the Time of AI,” the summit delved into the transformative impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on contemporary storytelling practices, attracting media enthusiasts, professionals, and thought leaders alike.
The summit was inaugurated with the lighting of the lamp and included interesting speeches by the convenor, co-convenors, and the chief guest, HSNC University vice chancellor Dr Hemlata K Bagla.
The inauguration was followed by an enlightening keynote speech by the founder of Storytellers, Soumitra Sen. He adeptly examined AI advising a balanced approach: “Go along with digital, but be attached with physical.” Emphasising human uniqueness, he highlighted the significance of cultivating curiosity and emotional intelligence, stressing that unpredictability is essential to outsmart AI.
Dr Sandeep Athavale, chief mentor at EduGameLab at TCS, in another keynote address, highlighted the AI’s creative potential, stating, “Power of New – humans can create something new, as for AI whatever pattern it is aware of, it will be able to create.” He explored AI’s impact on educational games and its role in reshaping storytelling for an evolving mediascape.
A puppeteer and TedX speaker Sangya Ojha showcased her expertise in puppetry and voiceover integrating traditional puppetry with AI insights. Her session emphasized the importance of balancing technological innovation with maintaining a human touch. Ojha’s poignant quote echoed the sentiment: “Let’s make AI an aid rather than a crutch.”
The Barabari Project founder Harihar Menon discussed inequality and GDP correlation. The initiatives of the project includes promoting media literacy and employment in tech for marginalized communities.
KA Pandit actuarial analyst Rakhi Mishra showcased AI’s transformative role in insurance, emphasizing its ability to boost productivity and customer satisfaction. She highlighted AI’s applications in fraud detection, underwriting, and streamlined insurance claims processing through a compelling video demonstration.
The summit was then concluded by the paper presentations by various media professionals and students which included several interesting topics like, “Mimicking the Muse: Analyzing AI’s Impersonation of Deceased Poets”, and “The use of AI for personalized news content and delivery”, and many more.
Stay connected for updates on the event, scheduled to take place on 7 March 2024, at our main campus at Churchgate.
Education
Scaler appoints new heads for its online and offline businesses
Amar Srivastava becomes chief executive of the online business and group chief product officer; Vidit Jain takes charge of the offline schools
BENGALURU: Scaler is shuffling its top deck as the AI skilling race heats up. The Bengaluru-based tech education company has elevated two senior executives to lead its online and offline businesses, signalling a sharper push into an AI-driven market.
Amar Srivastava, previously senior vice president for product and business, has been appointed chief executive of the online business and group chief product officer. Vidit Jain has been elevated to senior vice president and head of Scaler School, taking charge of the company’s offline education units, the Scaler School of Business and the Scaler School of Technology.
The company has also recently appointed Ratnakar Reddy as head of enterprise for India and the Middle East and North Africa, with a brief to drive partnerships with governments and enterprises for AI-led skilling programmes.
Abhimanyu Saxena, co-founder of Scaler, said the promotions reflect the company’s confidence in both leaders and the direction it is heading. “Amar and Vidit have been central to Scaler’s journey, and their elevations reflect our conviction in their leadership and the direction we are shaping as a company,” he said. “With leadership now in place across the business, we remain focused on building engineers the world’s best companies want to hire. In an AI-first economy, that mission is more urgent and more achievable than ever. Our next chapter is centred on building an AI-native workforce from India, equipped to compete in a technology-driven global economy.”
Srivastava brings over a decade of experience building education-focused ventures. He previously founded Intellify and was part of the early team at Doubtnut. At Scaler, he will lead the online business with a focus on growth, profitability and expansion into new segments, while strengthening the product ecosystem across the group. He is blunt about what the AI economy actually needs. “The AI economy does not have a shortage of tools. It has a shortage of engineers who can think clearly, build reliably, and keep learning as the ground shifts. That is what we are building toward,” he said.
Jain brings more than 15 years of experience across startups and consulting, including stints at MPL and McKinsey and Company. He will oversee growth and profitability of Scaler’s offline business. His priorities are immediate and unambiguous. “The offline experience is where depth gets built, and that depth is critical in the AI era. Over the next 12 months, our focus will be on consistent growth, stronger unit economics, and delivering outcomes for students while building long-term employer partnerships,” he said.
Founded in 2019, Scaler is valued at $710 million and backed by Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global and Lightrock India. Its parent firm, InterviewBit, has featured on the Financial Times’ Asia Pacific High Growth Companies rankings every year from 2021 to 2025. On average, Scaler’s learners see a 4.5x return on investment and a salary increase of around 126 per cent.
With leadership locked in across every business unit, Scaler is betting that the next wave of global tech hiring will be won or lost on the quality of engineers coming out of India. It is a big bet. But the numbers, and the promotions, suggest the company is in no mood to hedge.
