Indian gaming firms say ‘Olá Brasil’; Forest therapy to soothe the soul

Hello,

One match, three new records.

Former Indian captain Virat Kohli made history on Wednesday, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s record of the highest number of centuries in ODI cricket after scoring his 50th ODI ton against New Zealand during the semifinal match of the Cricket World Cup. Kohli also broke Tendulkar's record for the most runs scored in a single edition of an ODI World Cup. 

Another win was scored by Disney+ Hotstar, which crossed 51 million concurrent viewers during the same match, surpassing its own previous record of 44 million set at the India versus South Africa match on November 5.

Speaking of Disney+ Hotstar, The CapTable takes a closer look at the possible merger between Disney Star and Viacom18 and the impending hurdles for a deal that could take more than two years to be worked out.

Elsewhere, the RBI has asked Bajaj Finance to stop the sanction and disbursal of loans under its two lending products—eCOM and Insta EMI Card—with immediate effect due to its non-adherence to the extant provisions of digital lending guidelines.

Meanwhile, WhatsApp Channels has crossed 500 million monthly active users in its first seven weeks. Channels serve as a one-way tool for broadcasting updates to its subscribers.

ICYMI: An interactive guide to the James Webb Space Telescope’s view of the universe. 

Correction: In the November 14 edition of the YS Buzz, it was incorrectly mentioned that the Indian units of Apple, Google, and Amazon are being investigated for potential non-payment of taxes of up to Rs 5,000. The correct amount is Rs 5,000 crore. We apologise for the error.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Indian gaming firms say ‘Olá Brasil’
• Forest therapy to soothe the soul
• A new lease of life for Kanyaputri dolls

Here’s your trivia for today: Which bird is unable to move their eyes?

Gaming

Indian gaming firms say ‘Olá Brasil’

Indian gaming companies are looking to launch games in Brazil due to the country’s striking similarities with the Indian market. 

The heightened regulations as well as increased customer acquisition costs are accelerating this foray.

New opportunities:

• India and Brazil have a young user demographic. Those between the ages of 15 and 24 years account for 16.5% of Brazil’s population, as per Brazil’s Central Intelligence Agency. 
• The user profile and proclivities are similar in these two markets; intense games such as Battle Ground, Free Fire, and Call of Duty, and casual ones like HopScotch are popular in both countries. 
• India is the largest consumer of mobile games with 15 billion downloads annually, followed by the United States and China, according to the All India Gaming Federation. Brazil ranks fourth with 5 billion game downloads. 

Mental health

Forest therapy to soothe the soul

Nature-based therapy or ecotherapy has become an antidote to the ever-widening spectrum of mental health challenges arising in noisy, overcrowded urban populations. 

One among them is Shinrin Yoku, or forest bathing, a Japanese tradition of mindfully immersing your senses in a forest, breathing, and observing the environment around you. 

Healing power:

• Tanya Ginwala, a clinical psychologist and nature-based therapist in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, leads weeklong slow retreats and adventure therapy sessions to help people forge a relationship with themselves in a safe outdoor space.
• In her adventure therapy programmes, activities like hiking and trekking are slow and immersive, which helps participants somatically process the pain stored in their bodies as a result of violence, loss, generational trauma or injuries.
• Earlier this year, Chennai’s Environmentalist Foundation of India (EFI), took up four acres of an Open Space Reservation land (that the Supreme Court mandates be earmarked for recreational and outdoor use) in the heart of the city’s commercial hub and created a forest.

Entrepreneurship

A new lease of life for Kanyaputri dolls

Made from fabric scraps, Kanyaputri dolls are an important part of Champaran’s history and culture. However, the influx of plastic dolls has replaced this eco-friendly art form. 

Teacher-entrepreneur Namita Azad is on a journey to revive this tradition.

Traditions:

• Azad left her job in 2013 to make Kanyaputri dolls full-time. 
• The Kanyaputri dolls are available for sale at the Bihar Museum, various state emporiums, and the Dilli Haat, and are also sold through different fairs and exhibitions all over the country.
• Azad also makes customised dolls if a customer asks for it. She also gets bulk orders from the Bihar Museum, and other government agencies and makes dolls for weddings and other occasions.

News & updates

• Playing the field: TikTok owner ByteDance is discussing the sale of its gaming unit Moonton Technology with potential buyers, two years after it acquired the Shanghai-based studio in a deal that valued it at $4 billion. 
• The real robocop: Amazon has a new job for its Astro robot: A roving security guard in stores to detect break-ins and other threats. On Thursday, it announced Astro for Business for in spaces up to 5,000 square feet, launching only in the USA to start at $2,349.99.
• Stashing it up: Tencent dismissed concerns that US export controls will constrain its AI development capabilities, at least for the foreseeable future. It has stockpiled Nvidia’s H800 AI accelerators, enough to develop its proprietary Hunyuan AI model for at least another couple of generations.

Which bird is unable to move their eyes?

Answer: Owls. However, these birds can rotate their heads 270 degrees in both directions.

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