Layoffs at OYO

Hello,

There’s a new chatbot in town.

Created by the non-profit OpenAI, this AI chatbot is taking the internet by storm by churning out content of all kinds—historical arguments, poems, essays, and more. 

Check it out here.

Meanwhile, office rentals in Bengaluru are going to get more expensive, says a report, adding that rates are expected to grow by 5-7%—the highest in the Asia-Pacific region—during next year.

ICYMI: The most popular stuff on YouTube this year.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Hotel aggregator Oyo lays off 600 employees
• The man making mobility safer for the disabled
• India beyond cliches and slums or palaces

Here’s your trivia for today: Which is the fastest flying bird in the world?

Hospitality

OYO lays off 600 employees

IPO-bound hotel aggregator OYO is letting go of 600 of its 3,700 employees, mostly involved in tech roles in product and engineering teams, according to a statement by the company. The company said the move is part of the wide-ranging changes in its organisational structure.

Ups and downs:

• OYO said that it would also be merging its product and engineering teams for smooth functioning.
• The startup will hire 250 employees, primarily for its relationship management team, in the coming months.
• It reported a loss of Rs 333 crore in the quarter ending September 2022, down from Rs 414 crore in the previous quarter.

Inspiration

The man making mobility safer for the disabled

Apoorv Kulkarni has made a career of figuring out ways to make everyday technology work for persons with disabilities, as well as coaxing policymakers to think inclusively. Nearly 30 years since he realised he was losing vision, that obsession has brought him peak recognition. 

Now 35, he received this year’s Sarvshresth Divyangjan, the highest individual category under the National Awards for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities.

His journey:

• Apoorv currently leads research and is also the head of the Centre of Inclusive Mobility at OMI Foundation, previously Ola Mobility Institute, a policy think-tank specialising in mobility and social innovation.
• He has also contributed to making Ola’s ride-booking app more accessible and safer for persons with disabilities while working with the HR department on inclusive hiring.
• He has also authored a report titled ‘On The Move’ on the travel experiences of persons with disabilities, peer-reviewed by experts from the World Bank.

Interview

India beyond cliches and slums or palaces

Indian food is famous across the world but for most people, it is limited to Butter Chicken, Malai Kofta, Tandoori Chicken, and of course, Chicken Tikka Masala. Presenter, broadcaster, and producer, Shrimoyee Chakraborty wants to bring more authenticity to the table. 

Her five-part docuseries–India Bites–aims to educate her audience about the different cultures of India through food and conversations. 

What’s cooking:

• Shrimoyee started her own Bengali restaurant, Calcutta Street, in London in 2016. 
• Her first docuseries aims to break stereotypes about Indian culture through food and diverse conversations with some of the most authentic and well-known faces of modern India. 
• The show hosts guests including Jim Sarbh, Ryatasha Singh Rathore, Imaad Shah, Mandana Karimi, Elodie L’Derf, Harry Hakuei Kasota, Pierre Labail, Harry Hakuei Kosato, Samyak Chakraborty, and Bruno Rauis. 

News & updates

• Automated: Elon Musk's Twitter is leaning heavily on automation to moderate content, doing away with certain manual reviews and favouring restrictions on distribution rather than removing certain speech outright, its new head of trust and safety told Reuters.
• Bearish: WeWork was downgraded one notch by Fitch Ratings as it continues to lose money and struggles to capitalise on a return-to-office push happening at companies globally. The downgrade comes after the company’s earnings fell short of Wall Street’s expectations in the third quarter.
• Moving out: Apple is accelerating plans to shift some of its production outside China. It is telling suppliers to plan more actively for assembling Apple products elsewhere in Asia, particularly India and Vietnam, and looking to reduce dependence on Taiwanese assemblers led by Foxconn.

Which is the fastest flying bird in the world?

Answer: The Peregrine Falcon. It can cross 389 km/h in its dives. 

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