IPL’s TV slump and changing viewer habits; An AI scientist to speed up drug discovery
Linear television ratings for IPL 2026 have fallen sharply in the first half of the season, even as digital numbers continue to climb. Bengaluru and Delaware-based LiteFold is a biotech AI-native platform designed to accelerate computational biology workflows.
Hello,
AI jobs are growing in India. By 15-20%.
But do we have the skills to match the needs? From the fear of AI taking away jobs, the focus has now shifted to nurturing talent that can ride the AI wave.
Union Electronics and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has appealed to the IT industry to transform itself and capitalise on the growth prospects and demand necessitated by AI.
Meanwhile, the overall economy could face testing times ahead. Moody’s Ratings has slashed India’s 2026 GDP growth forecast by 0.8 percentage points to 6% on subdued private consumption, capital formation, and industrial activity amid higher energy costs.
On Tuesday, the Sensex and Nifty tumbled nearly 2% as high crude oil prices and uncertainty surrounding the West Asia conflict dented market confidence.
Amid the ongoing tensions in West Asia, Indian tech companies are adopting prudent measures, including remote and hybrid work, Nasscom said.
Elsewhere, supply chain crunch due to the war has forced Japanese snack maker Calbee to turn monochrome. The brand is dropping its bright colours and opting for black-and-white packaging across stores nationwide.
Lastly, the European Union is planning new rules to protect children from the addictive nature of social media. EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has pointed out the multiplying risks of social media, including sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety, self-harm, addictive behaviour, and cyberbullying.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- IPL’s TV slump and changing viewer habits
- An AI scientist to speed up drug discovery
Here’s your trivia for today: What did the BBC broadcast on the ‘day without news’ in 1930?
Insight
IPL’s TV slump and changing viewer habits
Linear television ratings for IPL 2026 have fallen sharply in the first half of the season, even as digital numbers continue to climb.
According to data from BARC India and TAM Sports, television ratings for IPL 2026 have fallen 18.8% in the first half of the season compared to the same period last year: from 4.57 in 2025 to 3.71 this year. Average viewership has dropped 26%, from 10.6 million viewers to 7.84 million. Total reach of IPL on linear television is also down: falling 8.3% from 123.96 million to 113.61 million.
Emerging trends:
- Behind these numbers lie the broader trends of consumption in India: 1:1 viewership on mobile devices, entertainment on the go, short bursts of viewing, and the rise of engagement on digital formats.
- Younger viewers are increasingly abandoning the four-hour linear broadcast in favour of highlights, short clips, and mobile-first streaming. Connected TV has also seen sharp growth this season.
- However, the TV decline has not dented IPL’s overall scale—JioStar, which holds the broadcast and streaming rights for IPL, claims cumulative reach across screens has crossed a billion this season.
Funding Alert
Startup: HrdWyr
Amount: $13M
Round: Series A
Startup: Dil Foods
Amount: Rs 72 Cr
Round: Series B
Startup: Mekr Technologies
Amount: Rs 67 Cr
Round: Series A
In-focus
An AI scientist to speed up drug discovery
Bengaluru and Delaware-based LiteFold is a biotech AI-native platform designed to accelerate computational biology workflows.
LiteFold is developing what it calls an “AI co-scientist” that can significantly speed up the work of computational biologists and biotechnologists.
Key takeaways:
- Biological research work, especially in therapeutics and drug development, usually requires large multidisciplinary teams: AI specialists, infrastructure experts, software engineers, legal professionals, and more. After that comes wet lab testing, often the most resource-intensive stage. Litefold aims to streamline this process.
- Through Rosalind, its AI co-scientist, the company says it can bring together several stages, from AI workflows to legal processes, on one platform, excluding the wet lab.
- LiteFold has also introduced a feature called De Novo that generates new molecules designed to fit into small cavities, called pockets, on proteins.
News & updates
- Bullion imports: Indian banks have resumed gold and silver imports after a hiatus of over more than a month by agreeing to pay a 3% customs levy that earlier prompted lenders to halt shipments, trade and government sources told Reuters.
- AI access: AI giant OpenAI is granting access to its latest models including GPT-5.5-Cyber to Deutsche Telekom, BBVA and dozens more European companies to boost their resilience to vulnerabilities in their systems.
- Takeover bid: EBay has rejected a $56 billion takeover bid from the much smaller GameStop on doubts over the financing of the deal, while underscoring its turnaround efforts that have boosted growth.
What did the BBC broadcast on the ‘day without news’ in 1930?
Answer: Piano music
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