In a move to broaden reach, the company has updated its website to support registration in every state and union territory, making Model Y available beyond the initial launch hubs.
Tesla is taking another bold step in its India journey by announcing the imminent opening of its second retail space, this time in New Delhi.
The new Tesla Experience Centre, set to open its doors on August 11 at the swanky Worldmark 3 complex in Aerocity, underscores Tesla’s accelerated efforts to engage directly with Indian customers and electrify the capital region—a crucial market for the country’s evolving EV landscape.
This latest showroom comes fast on the heels of Tesla’s Mumbai debut, which happened less than a month earlier, on July 15 at Maker Maxity mall in Bandra Kurla Complex.
The Mumbai grand opening was a high-profile affair, graced by Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who extended an invitation for Tesla to consider setting up R&D and manufacturing facilities within the state—raising hopes for deeper local engagement.
Premium appeal
Work on the Aerocity venue is nearly complete, with social media abuzz over sneak peeks of the centre’s slick design and premium appeal. Market insiders estimate the monthly rent for the new space at roughly Rs25 lakh, signaling Tesla’s confidence in India’s burgeoning luxury EV segment and commitment to a high-visibility presence.
At present, Tesla offers the Model Y in India, with a starting price of Rs59.89 lakh (ex-showroom). Two configurations are available: a standard rear-wheel drive powered by a 60 kWh battery, and a long-range rear-wheel drive with a 75 kWh battery, delivering a WLTP-certified range of 500 km and 622 km, respectively.
Early deliveries will prioritise buyers in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, and Gurugram, with each Model Y delivered straight to customers’ doorsteps aboard flat-bed trucks—a personalised touch befitting Tesla’s luxury status.
More ambitious plans on radar
In a move to broaden reach, the company has updated its website to support registration in every state and union territory, making Model Y available beyond the initial launch hubs.
Tesla also lists its advanced Full Self-Driving (FSD) package as a Rs6 lakh extra, though Indian buyers will need to wait for its official rollout in the country.
The debut of the Indian Tesla website synchronised with the Model Y’s launch, signaling the company’s readiness to scale up operations, even amid hurdles in local EV infrastructure and regulatory policy.
With a second flagship centre and expanded digital access, Tesla’s latest move marks a pivotal moment for the premium EV scene in India—and hints at even more ambitious plans on the horizon.
Spending on data centres is set to leap 37.3% in 2026, far outpacing every other category.
Demand for next-gen data centres is surging as organisations rush to adopt generative AI and machine learning, both of which require massive processing capability.
IT spending across the Middle East and North Africa is on track for remarkable growth, with forecasts suggesting the region will reach $169 billion in total spending in 2026—an 8.9 per cent jump from $155 billion a year earlier, according to figures from Gartner.
What’s fueling this surge?
The transition is being orchestrated by the dynamic efforts of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, who are harnessing their economic stability and robust digital strategies to attract international partnerships, roll out extensive digital education, and power innovation at scale.
“Even with headwinds in the global economy, CIOs in the region aren’t pulling back—they’re actively investing in AI, intelligent automation, and flexible cloud technology, while reinforcing cybersecurity and upskilling their workforce,” Mim Burt, Practice VP at Gartner, said.
These investments aren’t just keeping the lights on—they’re transforming local economies to thrive in an increasingly AI-driven world.
While all core IT segments are seeing a boost, data centre systems are the clear frontrunner. Spending here is set to leap 37.3 per cent in 2026, far outpacing every other category. The caveat? The pace of expansion will slow slightly compared to this year as the breakneck rollout phase gives way to more measured, sustained investment.
“Demand for next-gen data centres is surging as organisations rush to adopt generative AI and machine learning, both of which require massive processing capability,” notes Eyad Tachwali, VP of Advisory at Gartner.
It’s primarily governments, hyperscale cloud players, and cutting-edge tech firms leading this charge, rather than legacy enterprises or consumers.
GenAI to steal the show
Software spending is another bright spot, predicted to rise 13.9 per cent to $20.4 billion in 2026. The momentum here is all about generative AI (GenAI), as the region’s businesses embrace modern tools fueled by advanced language models and AI-driven application functionality.
Gartner even forecasts that by 2028, three-quarters of global software spending will go into solutions powered by GenAI.
Mim Burt underscores this shift: “We’ll see more embedded GenAI in business apps, productivity tools, developer environments, and on servers optimised for AI services, making AI an everyday feature rather than a niche capability.”
AI vendors are also reimagining how they package and price offerings to stoke further demand.
IT services aren’t lagging, with spending set to grow 8.3 per cent as organisations ramp up adoptions that centre on the practical integration of AI.
Tachwali advises CIOs to see GenAI as more than a bolt-on for efficiency: “Real competitive advantages will come from robust data foundations, truly flexible technology architectures, and cultivating a workforce fluent in all things AI.”
All told, as MENA governments and enterprises convene around digital transformation and disruptive tech, these investments are positioning the region not just as a fast follower, but as a thought leader and innovator on the global stage.
Younger consumers are especially leery of retailers not doing enough to safeguard private information when buying online.
A hefty 69.3% of UK shoppers are now uneasy about their personal security following high-profile hacks, and it’s the 25-34 age bracket that feels it most keenly, with 79.3% reporting heightened concern.
Cybersecurity worries are starting to make a real dent in how young people in the UK do online shopping.
Recent waves of cyberattacks have rattled consumer confidence, driving a third of 16-34-year-olds to consider dialing back—or even quitting—online purchases altogether.
This presents a particularly sharp dilemma for pure online brands, which don’t have the safety net of brick-and-mortar stores to win back wary shoppers, according to fresh insights from GlobalData.
Emily Salter, Lead Retail Analyst at GlobalData, has her finger on the pulse: “At the end of the day, online shopping’s unbeatable convenience and variety will keep most people coming back. But for families juggling busy schedules or older shoppers who find store visits more taxing, these online advantages can outweigh even big security doubts.
“On the flip side, younger people—already drawn to in-person experiences—could be nudged toward physical shops by rising safety fears.”
The sentiment is backed up by GlobalData’s July 2025 survey: a hefty 69.3 per cent of UK shoppers are now uneasy about their personal security following high-profile hacks, and it’s the 25-34 age bracket that feels it most keenly, with 79.3 per cent reporting heightened concern.
Such anxiety isn’t just a short-term problem. While sales might take an immediate hit if stock goes missing or a website shuts down, stories about data leaks hang around much longer, threatening the fragile trust that underpins digital commerce.
Salter also notes that younger consumers are especially leery of retailers storing their payment details. Many don’t feel retailers are doing enough to safeguard private information when buying online.
The rise of mobile wallets and services like PayPal and Apple Pay offers a workaround—these payment methods let shoppers skip handing over sensitive data directly to retailers. Unsurprisingly, these alternatives are a hit with the under-35s.
For retailers, that means making sure their digital checkouts play nicely with third-party payment platforms if they want to keep younger customers clicking “buy.”
Video conferencing market was worth $33.04b in 2024 and projected to grow from $37.29b in 2025 to more than $60b by 2032.
Supports 36 languages in transcription mode and 28 languages in real-time translation mode.
Meet Hour is on course for a fourfold revenue jump this year to $160,000 from $73,000 in 2024.
When most people think of video conferencing, the big three—Zoom, Google Meet, and Microsoft Teams—immediately spring to mind.
However, there’s a quietly ambitious contender from the US that’s stirring up the landscape – Meet Hour. The homegrown platform is challenging established norms and finding its own space in a crowded global market, offering a refreshing spin on what virtual meetings can be.
From the outside, Meet Hour stands out by leaning into simplicity, adaptability, and accessibility. It may not yet have the deep enterprise integrations or huge legacy footprint of multinational rivals, but for many users, ease-of-use and flexibility tip the scales.
Meet Hour’s solution is intentionally designed to cater to anyone needing a reliable, straightforward, and empowering video meeting experience.
The company isn’t content to just follow the status quo. As the market for video communications continues to grow rapidly—Fortune Business Insights estimates the sector was worth $33.04 billion in 2024 and projected to grow from $37.29 billion in 2025 to more than $60 billion by 2032—Meet Hour is actively adding new features to further differentiate itself.
A game-changer
Shukoor Ahmed, Meet Hour’s founder and CEO.
One of its strongest calling cards is language. “We’re the only platform that delivers a complete conferencing experience in Urdu, Bengali, and Farsi,” Shukoor Ahmed, Meet Hour’s founder and CEO, said in an interview to TechChannel News.
This is a game-changer for many communities that have been underserved by the global giants. Beyond language, Meet Hour gives enterprises an unusual degree of customisation—companies can tailor the platform or even build their own white-labeled presence.
Data security and privacy are also high on Meet Hour’s list of priorities.
MD Abdul Muqeet, product manager at Meet Hour.
“Organisations focused on data control can host the solution on their own servers, or even on private cloud infrastructure, giving them peace of mind about their sensitive data. The company follows rigorous security protocols across multiple layers, from data centre protection to end-user privacy, and boasts certifications such as GDPR and with HIPAA certification in process,” MD Abdul Muqeet, product manager at Meet Hour, said.
On the commercial side, he said that Meet Hour already has over 30,000 paid customers spread primarily across the United States and Europe.
“We’re focused on proven markets while actively nurturing our growing global user base—particularly in Bangladesh with Bengali, Iran with Farsi, and Pakistan with Urdu support,” Ahmed said.
Real-time support
In terms of pricing, flexibility is central: for software-as-a-service, basic plans start at just $6.49, while companies that require integration-as-a-service pay from $13.29. Large enterprises wanting total control are offered self-hosting for a one-time fee of $3,000.
Notably, Meet Hour emphasises hands-on, real-time support—live chat, phone, and video—contrasting with the ticketing systems of larger competitors.
Compiled by TechChannel News.
Senior developer and AI specialist Ahmed ata ul Kareem.
Muqeet highlights SaaS and IaaS models, but the innovation doesn’t stop there. According to senior developer and AI specialist Ahmed ata ul Kareem, new capabilities like live meeting transcription, real-time translation into 28 languages, and “Hide Participants”—where only the user and moderator are visible—set Meet Hour apart.
“In transcription mode, we support 36 languages and plan to add another 15 more languages,” Kareem said.
According to Prcahi Nema, principal analyst, digital workspace at Omdia, AI integration is transforming both hardware and software solutions, with features such as automated summaries, translations, and advanced room analytics becoming standard offerings.
“However, the market is becoming increasingly commoditised, with very little product differentiation between vendors’ offerings,” Nema said.
Forward-looking approach
By March 2026, even more advanced features are expected to be added to Meet Hour, like remote device control during meetings, AI-based chatbots, automatic text-to-audio, and dedicated environments for musicians and performers.
“Meet Hour’s team is also investing in mixed reality and AI, with plans to support advanced VR and AR headsets such as Apple Vision Pro, Google integrations, and Meta’s offerings,” Kareem said.
The forward-looking approach hints that the company doesn’t simply want to catch up with the global giants—it’s eager to leap boldly into the next phase of digital communication.
Financially, the startup is making smart and measured moves. Ahmed said that Meet Hour is on course for a fourfold revenue jump this year to $160,000.
As of now, the company has progressed 35 per cent from $73,000 in 2024 to $128,000 in seven months.
“The company’s spending is tightly managed, with its leaders striving to break even by mid-2026 and emphasising sustainability over breakneck growth. It’s a conscious decision: “Given the current global economic climate, we’re betting that investors and customers will favour resilience over risky sprints.”
With offices in the US and India, Muqeet said that the company is planning to open an office in the UAE this year.
Founded in 2020 by a team of technocrats passionate about fixing the flaws of other conferencing solutions, Meet Hour is steadily carving out a unique role for itself.
As the world of remote work and digital collaboration continues to evolve, this US-based innovator—powered by a lean, globally distributed team—is showing global heavyweights that there’s room—and real demand—for a fresh, independent perspective.
Downloads surge by 67% while consumer spending on IAPs doubles to $1.9b.
Asia leads the way now, particularly in fast-growing markets such as India and Mainland China, where downloads surge 80%, followed by Europe by 51% and North America by 39%.
DeepSeek, launched in January 2025, outperforms all other Generative AI apps—including ChatGPT—for new global downloads due to its strong uptake in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
ChatGPT remains the all-time download leader at 940m, followed by Google Gemini’s 200m and DeepSeek’s 127m.
The first half of 2025 has been nothing short of explosive for Generative AI apps around the globe, with users flocking to platforms that offer AI Assistance or AI Content Generation.
According to Sensor Tower’s State of AI Apps Report 2025, both the App Store and Google Play have seen Generative AI apps approach 1.7 billion downloads, while in-app purchases soared to nearly $1.9 billion.
What’s more impressive is that both downloads and IAP revenue are not just increasing—they’re accelerating, with half-over-half (HoH) growth rates hitting their highest levels since the genre’s early boom in 2023.
Let’s talk numbers: Downloads shot up by 67 per cent HoH in the first half of 2025, according to Sensor Tower, setting a new pace for growth. Meanwhile, consumer spending on IAPs doubled versus the previous six months.
People aren’t just downloading these apps—they’re getting hooked. Total time spent in Generative AI apps reached a mind-boggling 15.6 billion hours in the first half of 2025, which breaks down to more than 86 million hours every single day.
That kind of engagement led to 426 billion total sessions in just six months—translating to about 50 sessions for every person on the planet.
When ChatGPT first broke out, North America and other English-speaking regions raced ahead in adoption. Initially, North America made up about 20 per cent of global AI app downloads.
Fast forward to the first half of 2025, and North America’s share has dipped to 11 per cent, not because usage is shrinking there, but because world adoption—especially in Asia—has exploded.
AI Assistants steal the show
“Asia leads the way now, particularly in fast-growing markets such as India and Mainland China, where downloads surged 80 per cent from the previous half-year. Europe grew by 51 per cent, and North America still rose by a respectable 39 per cent,” the report showed.
Delving into the app types, the Generative AI market is largely split between AI Assistants and AI Content Generators. While content generators dominated until late 2022, the arrival of ChatGPT turned the spotlight to AI Assistants and chatbots.
Their momentum is overwhelming: by the second quarter of 2025, 85 per cent of all downloads in these categories came from AI Assistants like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and DeepSeek.
Still, the distinction between assistant and content creation is blurring, as leading assistants roll out capabilities like image generation.
It has also become a competitive battleground. DeepSeek, launched in January 2025, made an immediate splash, outperforming all other Generative AI apps—including ChatGPT—for new global downloads in its first six months, thanks to its strong uptake in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
AI in non-game apps explode
ChatGPT remains the all-time download leader at 940 million, followed by Google Gemini’s 200 million and DeepSeek’s 127 million by June 2025.
Apps like Grok and Meta have joined the ranks of top performers, capitalizing on consumers’ growing appetite for intelligent chatbots.
Despite their global reach, these apps still attract a fairly specific crowd. Generative AI users skew younger, with a clear male bias—nearly 70 per cent of ChatGPT’s US audience is male, and 64 per cent are under 35.
Apps like DeepSeek, Claude, and Grok lean even more heavily male, while ChatGPT, Copilot, and Gemini show a bit more demographic balance (at least 30 per cent of users are women).
On the flip side, entertainment-centric apps such as PolyBuzz and Character AI are a hit with young women. ChatGPT users are also highly engaged, checking in about 13 times per month—similar to social favourites like X and Reddit, and even ahead of newer contenders like Threads.
But Google still holds the daily-use crown, with users logging in 18+ times a month.
A few years ago, from 2015 to 2019, AI was mostly a games phenomenon on mobile platforms. Since ChatGPT’s debut in 2022, the application of AI in non-game apps has exploded.
The software sector is leading the way, but Health & Wellness, Education, Lifestyle, Services, and Financial Services are quickly catching up: each saw over 200 new apps using AI-related terminology in the first half of 2025.
Subgenres like Photo Editing, Test Prep, Translation, Nutrition, Language Education, and Video Editing are especially popular places for AI integration.
The implications for the broader digital ecosystem are profound. ChatGPT is rapidly closing the gap with search engines and browsers as a daily go-to info hub.
In the first half of 2025, ChatGPT users averaged 7.8 sessions per day—a 37 per cent jump year-on-year—actually nudging past leading browser cohorts.
Although daily minutes spent is still a bit shy of Google’s, ChatGPT’s numbers are climbing fast, up 58 per cent over last year, hitting an average of 16 minutes daily.
Meta’s core businesses—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger—collectively haul in $46.6b in ad revenue.
It seems like we’re living in the age of big ideas — and at Meta Platforms, Mark Zuckerberg is pushing the boldest one yet.
His promise? To deliver “personal superintelligence for everyone.” Meta’s latest financial moves reflect just how massive this ambition is.
During the most recent quarter, Meta spent a jaw-dropping $17 billion on capital expenditures, pouring most of that into boosting AI infrastructure and supercharging data centres. And this is hardly a one-off; the company expects these hefty investments to keep rolling in through at least 2026.
Despite these sky-high expenses, Meta’s shares surged 11.5 per cent after hours, celebrating some truly stellar second quarter results. Revenue soared 22 per cent to $47.5 billion, with Meta’s core businesses—Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and Messenger—collectively hauling in $46.6 billion in ad revenue.
User engagement is stronger than ever, too: daily active users now total a stunning 3.5 billion people. And let’s not forget profit—net income rocketed 36 per cent to $18.3 billion over last year, showing that those big bets (so far) are paying off.
I keep thinking about how Zuckerberg defines Meta’s new mission: “The intersection of technology and culture is where Meta focuses.” He doubled down on this message in an Instagram Reel, underscoring that the new AI-focused lab is gearing up to build the next generation of advanced models.
Acquiring talent
What really catches the attention, though, is Meta’s approach to talent. Zuckerberg says he’s spent this quarter assembling an “elite, talent-dense team,” and he’s reportedly brought on board Alexandr Wang—one of the world’s youngest billionaires—to lead the charge.
Building the future takes more than ideas; it takes top-tier brains, dreamers, and doers. And apparently, Meta is becoming a magnet for them—because, as Zuckerberg puts it, Meta has “all of the ingredients required to build leading models and deliver them to billions of people.”
Here’s another big move: the new superintelligence team will get to play with “unparalleled compute” resources thanks to Meta’s investment in new gigawatt-plus computing clusters. That’s a geeky way of saying: a lot of power, ready to handle a lot of data.
But why sink so many billions into AI? Zuckerberg is crystal clear: “We’re making all these investments because we have conviction that superintelligence is going to improve every aspect of what we do.” If he’s right, Meta’s spending spree could transform not only its platforms but the entire way we interact with technology in daily life.
