Gig workers’ strike; Former IRS officer-turned-artist
The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union is one of the earliest state‑level unions working for the interests and rights of gig and platform workers.
Hello,
Autonomous vehicles are expected to take the centrestage at CES trade show in Las Vegas this week even as global automakers hit the brakes on their electric vehicle plans and look for the new money maker, reports Reuters.
Also unveiled at CES this year, which begins today, are ultra thin wireless TV and a Blackberry-style smartphone.
Speaking of EVs, Electric vehicle maker Simple Energy on Monday launched its Gen 2 model of its electric scooters Simple One and Simple OneS along with long range variant Simple Ultra.
ICYMI: The MeitY-Grok issue and the evolution of digital regulation in India
Lastly, a record fish sale! A sushi entrepreneur has paid a whopping 510.3m yen ($3.2 million) for a giant bluefin tuna at a prestigious auction in Tokyo’s main fish market, Guardian reports
Kiyoshi Kimura, who styles himself the “Tuna King”, paid the top price for the 243kg (536lbs) specimen, which was caught off Japan’s northern coast.
That’s a catch!
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Gig workers to continue strike
- Former IRS officer-turned-artist
- Redefining enterprise AI with last-mile execution
Here’s your trivia for today: Who won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Gone with the Wind?
Quick commerce
Gig workers’ union warns of more strikes
The nationwide strike that slowed quick commerce and food deliveries across major Indian cities on New Year's Eve is only the beginning, and there’s more to come, says Hyderabad-based union leader Shaik Salauddin.
Salauddin, Founder President of the Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union, helped organise the action that saw over 2 lakh gig workers log off their apps in protest.
Key takeaways:
- The Telangana Gig and Platform Workers Union is one of the earliest state‑level unions working for the interests and rights of gig and platform workers.
- Gig workers associated with major platforms such as Zomato, Swiggy, Blinkit, and Zepto staged coordinated strikes across India, including Tier I and II cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Kolkata, on Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
- The workers demanded transparent pay structures, removal of the ‘10-minute’ delivery pressure, protection against arbitrary account deactivation, improved insurance and safety gear, rest breaks, social security benefits, and the right to collectively bargain.
Inspiration
Former IRS officer-turned-artist
For over three decades, Neena Singh has balanced two remarkable worlds—as a dedicated Indian Revenue Service officerand a self-taught artist—reflecting a life with a remarkable capacity to endure, adapt, and rise above all odds.
Singh’s journey as an artist began with Serendipity, an exhibition at Mumbai’s Jehangir Art Gallery in 2006. She has since become a gallery-represented, full-time artist engaging audiences in India and abroad.
Journey:
- Circumstances, rather than aspiration, pushed her forward. In 1988, she joined the Indian Revenue Service.
- Just six months into her posting in Mumbai, she was transferred to handle tax assessments in the film industry—a minefield of power, celebrity, and connections. Major stars of the era were under scrutiny.
- While Singh would not like to label her work as abstract, she believes it could be “an abstraction of nature or feelings.” In her paintings, there are suggestions of clouds, water, mountains, and lakes.
Startup
Redefining enterprise AI with last-mile execution
Back in 2012, when founder and CEO Shub Bhowmick was working in technology and consulting services, he noticed that smart ideas looked great in PowerPoints and dashboards, but rarely translated into real business outcomes. This disconnect between insight and impact is what professionals call the ‘last mile problem’, and Bhowmick joined forces with Sumit Mehra and Shashank Dubey to find a solution.
A year later, they founded Tredence, a data science solutions provider focused on solving the last-mile problem in AI.
News & updates
- AI boost: Taiwan's Foxconn, the world's largest contract electronics maker, reported record fourth-quarter revenue on Monday, driven by strong demand for artificial intelligence products. Its revenue jumped 22.07% from the same quarter last year to T$2.6028 trillion ($82.73 billion), Foxconn said in a statement.
- Stock surge: Shares of US oil companies soared in premarket trade on Monday, as investors scrutinise the fallout from the Trump administration’s surprise military operation in Venezuela.
- Obesity pill: Novo Nordisk will start rolling out the first-ever GLP-1 pill for weight loss in the US on Monday, the company announced, marking a new chapter of obesity treatment in the U.S.
Who won an Oscar for Best Actress for her role in Gone with the Wind?
Answer: Vivien Leigh
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