Applications
Microsoft launches Windows 8 in India
MUMBAI: Microsoft has announced the availability of Windows 8 for its customers in India and around the world.
This will be available to Indian customers from 26 October.
Windows 8 is offering new user interface (UI), a wide range of applications with the “grand opening” of the Windows Store, available on a variety of Windows 8 certified PCs and tablets.
Windows 8 PCs and tablets will be available in India from 14 OEM partners – Acer, Asus, Dell, Fujitsu, HCL, Hewlett Packard, Lenovo, RP Infosystems, Sai Info System, Samsung, Sony, Toshiba, Wipro and Zenith Computers on a variety of form factors – from tablets and hybrids to laptops and ultrabooks, on both touch and non-touch devices.
In India, over 250 Windows 8 enabled devices, including 23 completely new SKUs (Stock-keeping unit) of Windows 8 PCs are available across 100 cities and more than 2500 retail stores.
Microsoft Corporation chairman Bhaskar Pramanik said, “With the launch of Windows 8, Microsoft is unveiling a reimagined Windows to the world. Whether you want a tablet or a PC, whether you want to consume or create, whether you want to work or play – Windows 8 delivers a personalised experience that fits your unique style and needs.”
Windows 8 is natively cloud-connected and users just need to sign in once with their Microsoft account, to ensure that all the things including mails, calendars, contact, and pictures are synced across multiple devices.
In Windows 8, Internet Explorer 10 is touch-ready and delivers a full screen browsing experience.
Windows 8 will be available in two versions at retail, Windows 8 and Windows 8 Pro. And for business customers who have signed up for software assurance, Windows 8 Enterprise offers new possibilities in mobile productivity with features like Windows To Go, DirectAccess, and BranchCache, as well as enhanced end-to-end security with features including BitLocker and AppLocker.
Launching at the same time is Windows RT, which is designed for ARM-based tablets. It will be available pre-installed on new devices.
In India a range of free and paid apps can be downloaded including Bharat Matrimony, BigFlix, BookMyShow, Bookyourtable, Burrp, Dhingana, Fastrack Tees, Flyte MP3, Gaana, Goibibo, Hindustan Times, ICICI Bank iMobile, ICICIDirect, JustEat, MakeMyTrip Explore, MapmyIndia, my airtel, NDTV Play, PVR Cinemas, Tarla Dalal, The Times of India, Yahoo Cricket, and Zovi.
Additionally, consumers can also upgrade their existing PCs. From 2 June 2012 until 31 January 2013, consumers currently running PCs with Windows XP, Windows Vista or Windows 7, are qualified to download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 1,999.
For Windows 7 PCs purchased between 2 June, 2012 and 31 January 2013, consumers can download Windows 8 Pro for an estimated retail price of Rs 699 with the Windows Upgrade Offer.
A few days back, Microsoft had launched surface tablet. Microsoft‘s new launches gather significance as the company is positioning itself as a hardware and software player to take on competitors like Google and Apple.
Applications
Inshorts Group chief Deepit Purkayastha joins IAB video council for Southeast Asia and India
The co-founder and chief executive of the short-form content platform has been inducted into the IAB SEA+India Video Council, giving India a stronger voice in shaping digital video frameworks
NOIDA: India has long been the world’s most chaotic, multilingual and mobile-first digital market. Now, one of its most prominent short-video executives is getting a seat at the table where the rules are written.
Deepit Purkayastha, co-founder and chief executive of Inshorts Group, has been selected as a member of the IAB SEA+India Video Council for 2026. Run by the Interactive Advertising Bureau, the council brings together senior leaders from Southeast Asia and India to shape standards, best practices and measurement frameworks for the fast-evolving video and digital advertising ecosystem.
The timing is pointed. According to the IAMAI-Kantar Internet in India Report 2025, over 588 million Indians are now consuming short-video content, with growth increasingly driven by rural and non-metro audiences. India’s active internet user base has crossed 950 million, with 57 per cent of users now coming from rural markets. Yet the frameworks that govern how video consumption is measured and monetised were largely designed for single-language, Western markets and have struggled to keep pace with the scale, diversity and complexity of India’s digital landscape.
Purkayastha is no stranger to these debates. He already serves on the AI Council at Marketing and Media Alliance India and as co-chair of the Digital Entertainment Committee at the Internet and Mobile Association of India. His induction into the IAB SEA+India Video Council extends that influence into the global video standards arena.
Inshorts Group sits squarely at the intersection of these forces. Its flagship product, Inshorts, India’s highest-rated short news app, reaches 12 million active users with 60-word news summaries. Its sister platform, Public App, reaches 80 million monthly active users across more than 700 districts and 12 languages, serving communities that most global platforms barely register.
Purkayastha said the opportunity was about building something more representative. “India today sits at the centre of the global video ecosystem, but the frameworks that define how value is created and measured have not always kept pace with the realities of our market,” he said. “Being part of the IAB SEA+India Video Council is an opportunity to contribute to a more representative and future-ready approach, one that accounts for diversity in language, context, and user intent.”
As a council member, Purkayastha will contribute to shaping regional standards across video advertising, measurement and platform governance, with a focus on frameworks that are native to India’s multilingual, mobile-first ecosystem rather than imported from global benchmarks designed elsewhere.
For years, India has been content to play by rules written for other markets. Purkayastha’s induction is a signal that it is done waiting to be consulted and ready to start writing them.
