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India’s e-commerce market to rise 12.5% this year to cross $200m

Mohammed Fahad
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India’s e-commerce market to rise 12.5% this year to cross $200m
  • Harmony of government support, business innovation, and ever-evolving payment systems promises sustained growth and new value for years to come.
  • The shopfronts may be digital, but the excitement is thoroughly real, with each click opening new opportunities for sellers, buyers, and investors alike.

India’s e-commerce market—a journey marked by unstoppable growth, vibrant digital innovation, and a bold reimagining of how the nation shops – is set for a remarkable growth.

In 2025, India’s e-commerce sector is set to accelerate by 12.5 per cent, scaling new heights at Rs17.7 trillion (that’s about $211.6 billion).

What’s fueling this ride? It’s a cocktail of digital enthusiasm, newfound trust in seamless payments, and a clear push from policy and innovation.

Consumer confidence

Why are Indians warming up to online shopping at such breakneck speed? For one, internet and smartphone access has become nearly universal, making it possible for residents from big cities to remote villages to fill their carts with just a tap.

Add to this a wave of secure, intuitive payment tools—think UPI-based systems and international wallets like Google Pay and Amazon Pay—and you get a digitally empowered population eager to shop.

Shopping festivals have become established cultural events, with Flipkart’s Big Billion Days, Myntra’s Big Fashion Festival, and Amazon’s Great Indian Festival transforming everyday consumers into festive bargain hunters.

Every celebratory sale seems to break its previous record, pulling in millions of eager buyers.

Policy support boosting spending

Here’s where government policy steps in, giving a further push to the e-commerce boom. Starting September 22, 2025, GST rate reductions on essentials, gadgets, fashion, and wellness goods have loosened purse strings.

The ambitious 100-day “GST Bachat Utsav” campaign requires transparent discount disclosures and real tracking of savings passed to consumers—raising the bar for industry ethics and goodwill. Major players like Reliance Retail, Amazon, and Flipkart have thrown their full weight behind this initiative.

New growth opportunities

It’s not just policy at work. Private sector collaboration and startup empowerment are fueling the digital shopping engine.

Amazon’s December 2024 partnership with the Startup India initiative is proof: budding entrepreneurs now have access to mentorship, upskilling, and entry to advanced marketplaces—planting seeds for the next generation of e-commerce disruptors.

In October 2025, the National Payments Corporation of India, Razorpay, and OpenAI rolled out a pilot using ChatGPT as a UPI-powered shopping assistant. Now, shoppers can browse and pay within a chat, merging conversation and commerce. Bigbasket is among the first online supermarkets to test this, setting an example for wider adoption.

Today, versatile payment methods lead the way. UPI and mobile wallets have embedded themselves as the preferred payment tools for both shoppers and merchants, celebrated for their speed, safety, and simplicity.

Credit card usage is climbing too, driven by reward points, cashback schemes, and perks like interest-free installment plans. Flipkart’s August 2025 tie-up with State Bank of India to launch a co-branded credit card epitomises this fusion of convenience and consumer-first offers.

OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas to challenge Google Chrome

Mohammed Fahad
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OpenAI launches ChatGPT Atlas to challenge Google Chrome
  • Currently, Atlas is up and running globally for Mac users. Windows, iOS, and Android versions are on the way, so cross-platform fans won’t have to wait long.
  • Analysts say Atlas might be a spark in the ad market tinderbox, challenging Chrome’s stranglehold on both traffic and revenue.

OpenAI’s latest reveal—a sparkling new browser named ChatGPT Atlas—has turned heads and sharpened the AI rivalry with Google.

The launch didn’t just drop another browser on the internet; it signaled a direct challenge to Chrome’s long-standing dominance and pointed to a future where browsing, searching, and even shopping look a lot more conversational.

With more than 800 million active users talking to ChatGPT every week, OpenAI is clearly aiming to make its popular chatbot the gateway to the web itself. Atlas isn’t just a place to type in URLs; instead, it’s deeply woven with AI, collecting behavioral insights and guiding users as they surf, shop, or search.

The approach could dramatically change how we discover and process information—making Google’s traditional keyword search feel a bit dusty in comparison.

Unsurprisingly, markets noticed. Alphabet’s shares dipped in afternoon trading after Atlas was unveiled, reflecting real concern over intensified competition on Google’s home turf.

What sets Atlas apart

ChatGPT Atlas joins the current crop of AI-powered browsers—think Perplexity’s Comet, Brave Browser, and Opera’s Neon—but it leans heavily into automation and convenience:

  • ChatGPT Sidebar: This nifty tool can appear on any web page, ready to summarise content, compare products, handle forms, or break down data at a click.
  • Agent Mode: Available for paid users, this feature allows ChatGPT to act on your behalf—shopping, booking, or researching directly on sites without you lifting a finger.
  • Seamless Shopping: During the launch demo, developers showed off how ChatGPT could find a recipe online then automatically fill an Instacart cart with ingredients in just a couple of minutes.

Currently, Atlas is up and running globally for Mac users. Windows, iOS, and Android versions are on the way, so cross-platform fans won’t have to wait long.

OpenAI’s move isn’t happening in a vacuum. Since ChatGPT’s explosive debut in late 2022, Google has been pushing to adapt, integrating its Gemini AI model into Chrome and search. Now, queries can trigger “AI Mode,” which serves up chatbot-style answers alongside the usual laundry list of links.

On the legal front, Google scored a recent victory: a judge ruled it doesn’t have to offload Chrome, and paying partners to keep its search engine in prime position is still allowed—at least while AI shakes up the status quo.

For now, Google Chrome still reigns with a commanding 71.9 per cent market share as of September. But tech analysts say Atlas might be a spark in the ad market tinderbox, challenging Chrome’s stranglehold on both traffic and revenue.

The bigger story? The web’s future might just sound less like “search” and more like a conversation—something ChatGPT Atlas seems built to lead.

Samsung takes on the future of extended reality with Galaxy XR

Ana Mary Joseph
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Samsung takes on the future of extended reality with Galaxy XR
  • Galaxy XR is the first in a new family of gadgets powered by the Android XR operating system and next-generation AI.
  • Customers buying the headset this year will get access to 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and a host of XR content—all bundled in.

When Samsung Electronics stepped onto the extended reality (XR) stage with the launch of its Galaxy XR headset. By backing its latest device with artificial intelligence features from Google, Samsung has made its ambitions clear: it’s gunning for a place at the top, aiming to disrupt the lineup currently dominated by Meta and Apple.

The Galaxy XR headset comes with a price tag of $1,799—strikingly, that’s about half what you’d pay for Apple’s Vision Pro. It blends the familiar looks of VR headsets already on the market but brings a bold software story: it’s the first in a new family of gadgets powered by the Android XR operating system and next-generation AI.

This marks the start of a long-term partnership between Samsung, Google (Alphabet), and Qualcomm, who are betting that intelligent software can help define the next big thing in personal computing.

Glimpses into the XR roadmap

Sharham Izadi, Google’s vice president of AR/XR, was candid before launch: “There’s a whole journey ahead of us in terms of other devices and form factors.” Samsung isn’t stopping at goggles—the company’s quietly plotting lighter, eyeglass-style wearables, with partnerships already inked with Warby Parker and South Korea’s luxury eyewear brand Gentle Monster. So, we’re likely to see sleeker XR eyewear not too far down the road.

Right now, Meta’s grip on the headset market is ironclad—its Oculus products make up about 80% of sales, with Apple trailing.

Even OpenAI, the powerhouse behind ChatGPT, has entered the fray by scooping up Jony Ive’s hardware startup to build devices for the AI age. It’s a full-blown race, with all eyes on who will create the must-have device.

Samsung’s journey hasn’t been a quick one. According to Jay Kim, executive vice president at Samsung’s mobile division, this move comes after a decade of studying XR and four years in deep partnership with Google.

Codenamed “Moohan”—meaning “infinite” in Korean—it was only after careful timing and analysis that Samsung pressed go, feeling the technological moment was right.

Blending virtual and mixed reality

What sets the Galaxy XR apart isn’t just VR immersion, like gaming or watching YouTube in a virtual space. It’s also mixed reality—overlaying digital info on the real world via Google’s Gemini AI. Users can, quite literally, circle objects with their fingers and get instant analysis or directions.

This hands-on integration of multimodal AI—capable of handling text, photos, and videos—gives Samsung a technical edge, at least for now. Apple, notably, hasn’t unveiled equivalent software power in its Vision Pro line, despite a recent hardware refresh.

Samsung is hoping to sweeten the deal for early adopters. If you buy the headset this year, you snag 12 months of Google AI Pro, YouTube Premium, Google Play Pass, and a host of XR content—all bundled in.

The hardware itself gets a robust foundation from Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2+ Gen 2 chip, ensuring there’s plenty of muscle for resource-hungry applications.

A tough road ahead

As is common with any first-generation product, the Galaxy XR tries to do a lot. It’s designed for both consumers and businesses, offering tools for everything from hands-on learning to immersive entertainment.

Yet, despite all this potential, extended reality headsets remain a niche market. Gartner predicts the global head-mounted display segment will grow modestly—just 2.6 per cent to $7.27 billion next year. Eyeglass-type AI devices, like Meta’s Ray-Ban smartglasses, are expected to fuel much of this modest bump.

Industry hurdles

The global virtual reality market, including mixed reality headsets, has logged three years of declining shipments. In fact, research firm Counterpoint expects shipments to dip another 20 per cent in 2025.

But there’s a twist: with its friendlier price point, some analysts believe Project Moohan could be a hit, especially with enterprise buyers who balk at Apple’s high prices.

This isn’t Samsung’s first face computer—remember the Gear VR, which slot a phone into a headset back in the day? Meta’s acquisition of Oculus in 2014 shifted the landscape, but now, Samsung is back at the table with something smarter and far more ambitious.

Netflix reaffirms its independent path amid M&A speculation and industry shifts

Mohammed Fahad
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Netflix reaffirms its independent path amid M&A speculation and industry shifts
  • Netflix is leveraging generative AI to streamline visual effects, although human creativity remains at the core.
  •  “We’re not worried about AI replacing creativity, but we’re very excited about AI creating tools to help creativity,” Co-CEO says

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos drew a definite line under merger rumours following Warner Bros. Discovery’s announcement that it’s weighing a breakup or even a full sale of its business.

The speculation about consolidations in Hollywood surged as WBD launched a review of “strategic alternatives,” drawing attention to potential buyers like Paramount Skydance, Comcast, and Netflix itself.

But Sarandos was crystal clear on Netflix’s third-quarter earnings call: “We’ve been very clear in the past that we have no interest in owning legacy media networks. There’s no change there.”

Despite Netflix’s efforts to focus on its own course, the company’s shares dipped 6 per cent after hours, mainly due to a slight miss on revenue and profit targets for the quarter.

Netflix posted revenue of $11.51 billion, a tad below its guidance and Wall Street’s expectations, though up from $9.82 billion a year ago. The company expects to surpass earnings projections for the upcoming quarter, guiding to $5.45 per share versus analyst estimates of $5.42.

Even so, Netflix trimmed its 2025 operating margin forecast to 29 per cent from the previous 30 per cent, citing a tax-related impact. Still, it reaffirmed that full-year revenue should align with the high end of its $44.8 to $45.2 billion range.

Organic growth over acquisitions

Ted Sarandos made it clear that Netflix’s strategy remains unchanged: the company prizes building over buying. While Netflix keeps the door open to potential deals, it subjects every opportunity to a strict evaluation—will it genuinely strengthen Netflix’s offering, or would in-house development be a better bet?

“Nothing is a must-have for us to meet the goals we have for the business,” Sarandos reinforced, emphasising a selective approach and confidence in the streamer’s runway for organic growth.

Greg Peters, fellow co-CEO, reflected on previous seismic shifts in the media world, from Disney’s acquisition of Fox to Amazon purchasing MGM and the Discovery-Warner Bros. merger. He argued that such consolidations didn’t fundamentally transform the competitive landscape—nor does the current M&A chatter.

“Watching some of our competitors potentially grow bigger via M&A does not change [our] view on the competitive landscape.”

Tech-fueled vision

Both leaders highlighted that Netflix’s real challenge—and opportunity—lies in its relentless pursuit of building technology and creative capabilities. Peters spoke to the company’s ongoing integration of cutting-edge tools, especially artificial intelligence, to elevate everything from production efficiency to viewer experience and retention.

Citing the Argentinian sci-fi series “El Eternauta” as an example, Netflix is already leveraging generative AI to streamline visual effects, although human creativity remains at the core.

Sarandos wrapped up the earnings call on a confident note, underlining that while AI can empower creators, it won’t replace them. “We’re not worried about AI replacing creativity, but we’re very excited about AI creating tools to help creativity.”

US lawmakers raise concerns over TikTok algorithm licensing

Mohammed Fahad
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US lawmakers raise concerns over TikTok algorithm licensing

US policymakers are casting a wary eye on a proposed deal that would see the algorithm powering TikTok licensed to the app’s future American owners, even as China-based ByteDance moves to comply with a US law amid ongoing national security anxieties.

Representative John Moolenaar, who chairs the House Select Committee on China, warned that any arrangement allowing Beijing to retain influence—particularly through the algorithm—could jeopardise US interests.

“Anytime you have [China] with leverage over the algorithm, I think that’s a problem,” Moolenaar told attendees at a Washington policy event. As of now, he’s awaiting a security briefing with further details on the agreement.

White House deal and legal context

In the leadup to the presidential transition, former President Donald Trump issued an executive order affirming that a plan to sell TikTok’s US operations met the stringent requirements established in a landmark 2024 law.

According to that order, ownership and algorithmic control of the platform must ultimately rest with a new US-majority joint venture, with American security partners overseeing the retraining and operation of TikTok’s core recommendation engine.

The current framework calls for six of the seven board seats in the new company to be held by Americans, with ByteDance—which would also cease to be majority owner—appointing the final director. Their remaining stake in TikTok US would drop below 20 per cent, in line with federal mandates.

Technical challenges

But even in this new structure, ambiguity remains about just how much ByteDance might continue to influence TikTok’s US product. Representative Moolenaar echoed technology experts’ uncertainty about whether a complete “reprogramming”—or isolation—of the algorithm is technically feasible.

“I just believe you have to have a new algorithm, and I don’t know that you can reprogram,” he admitted, noting that the plan still has many unresolved facets.

Meanwhile, TikTok has yet to issue a public response on the matter, leaving lawmakers and the public alike with unanswered questions about the true independence and security of the famous “For You” feed.

Enforcement of the ban was recently delayed until right after the next presidential inauguration in January, but pressure remains for all parties to finalise an acceptable solution—and ensure that US user data and algorithmic decision-making are truly out of foreign hands.

Cloud infrastructure to contribute 75% of sales by 2030: Oracle

Naushad K. Cherrayil
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Cloud infrastructure to contribute 75% of sales by 2030: Oracle
  • Oracle aims to hit $225b in annual revenue and adjusted profits of $21 per share by 2030, CFO says.

When Oracle’s leadership lined up this week to discuss the company’s long-term vision with investors, the conversation was unmistakably centered on one thing: cloud infrastructure.

Clay Magouyrk, CEO of Oracle’s cloud unit, projected that by fiscal 2030, the cloud infrastructure segment will generate a staggering $166 billion—covering nearly three-quarters of Oracle’s total revenue by that time.

Magouyrk also underscored the diversity of Oracle’s customer base. He seemed eager to dispel any notion that OpenAI—a high-profile client—was Oracle’s only major cloud partner.

In a recent 30-day window last quarter, Oracle Cloud Infrastructure secured $65 billion in new bookings. Notably, these deals included a gigantic $20 billion commitment from Meta Platforms, alongside other large contracts involving four clients apart from OpenAI.

“This isn’t just about OpenAI,” Magouyrk stated. “We have a deep and varied pool of enterprise customers driving this momentum.”

The financial outlines Oracle shared were just as ambitious. CFO Dough Kehring revealed that by fiscal 2030, Oracle aims to hit $225 billion in annual revenue and adjusted profits of $21 per share.

This is notably more optimistic than what Wall Street expects; current analyst consensus is for $198.4 billion in sales and adjusted earnings of $18.92 per share for the same period.

Optimism

The market’s reaction was a blend of excitement and caution. Oracle’s shares closed up 3 per cent after the optimistic cloud news, though broader revenue and margin forecasts tempered enthusiasm with a 2 per cent dip in after-hours trading.

Last month, Oracle made headlines after announcing infrastructure commitments in the hundreds of billions and a $500 billion AI project partnership with OpenAI. This collaboration will reportedly deliver five new data centers, fueling both hype and scrutiny.

Meanwhile, Oracle’s most recent quarterly results showed 28 per cent growth in cloud revenue, which now sits at $7.2 billion.

Investors, ever-watchful on profitability, pressed Oracle to clarify its margin expectations—especially with the high costs of delivering AI cloud infrastructure.

The company projects these margins to land in the 30-40 per cent range for AI-specific delivery, while traditional cloud services and software for enterprise customers should continue yielding healthy 65-80 per cent margins.

These figures, Oracle insisted, would hold steady even through extended, high-value contracts. In one example, a six-year, $60 billion AI cloud contract would see Oracle shouldering about $6.4 billion in costs each year, providing clarity on how margins would be managed over time.

All told, Oracle’s bullish stance paints a future where cloud—especially next-generation AI infrastructure—serves as the company’s dominant engine for growth, with blockbuster deals and a broadening customer base poised to drive revenue sharply higher by 2030.

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