Redefining preventive mental wellness; Building India’s answer to Barbie

Hello,

As AI reshapes the global economy, over 200 researchers and economists, including 15 Nobel laureates and experts from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, are urging governments to act now. 

In a joint statement, they warned that AI could trigger an economic transformation even bigger than the Industrial Revolution, but at a much faster pace, calling for new policies to tackle risks such as large-scale job displacement while ensuring the technology benefits society.

As AI adoption accelerates, governments are also stepping up regulation. The European Union is planning its biggest push yet to curb children’s access to social media. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled a proposal recommending a tiered system, where children under 13 would be allowed limited, supervised access, with restrictions easing gradually as they grow older. 

Back home, the Indian government has called for stronger domestic AI and cybersecurity capabilities, with IT Secretary S Krishnan saying India has “no other option” as cyber threats become more sophisticated. He said rapid digitisation has boosted economic efficiency but also increased cybersecurity risks for businesses and individuals. 

Meanwhile, companies are doubling down on digital infrastructure and AI-led growth. After investing more than Rs 3.3 lakh crore in digital infrastructure over the past decade, Bharti Airtel is shifting its focus to financial services, data centres, and cloud. Chairman Sunil Bharti Mittal said the company has committed Rs 20,000 crore to Airtel Money, while data centre arm Nxtra has raised $1 billion to expand its capacity to 1 gigawatt.

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Redefining preventive mental wellness
• Building India’s answer to Barbie

Here’s your trivia for today: Which video game franchise has collectively sold the most copies?

In-Focus

Redefining preventive mental wellness

After spending years in corporate leadership roles, Rahul Singhal and Anshul Khullar realised that career success had come at the cost of their mental wellbeing. Inspired by a meditation retreat in Rishikesh, the childhood friends launched Corumm, a Gurugram-based preventive wellbeing startup that aims to make mental fitness a daily habit through structured meditation, community spaces, and holistic therapies.

Mindful living:

• Rahul Singhal and Anshul Khullar founded Corumm after recognising the need for a structured, preventive approach to mental wellbeing rather than treating burnout after it occurs.
• Corumm’s 3,400 sq ft Gurugram studio offers 45 guided programmes combining meditation, Vedic practices, sound healing, art, and theatre. The startup operates on memberships to encourage consistent practice instead of one-off visits.
• Bootstrapped with Rs 1.3 crore, Corumm plans to raise Rs 2-2.5 crore for its second studio and aims to build 35-50 centres across India's top cities over the next five years, tapping into the country's fast-growing wellness market. 

Social Enterprise

Building India’s answer to Barbie

In 2017, Sunita Suhas and Suhas Ramegowda walked away from successful corporate careers in Bengaluru in search of a more meaningful life. That journey led them to the Nilgiris, where they built The Good Doll, a startup that handcrafts culturally rooted dolls while creating sustainable livelihoods for over 100 rural women.

Crafting change: 

• The founders left Bengaluru, settled in the Nilgiris, and transformed a community development initiative into The Good Doll, blending purpose with a sustainable business model. 
• Its flagship doll, Nilah, celebrates Indian identity through storytelling, inclusivity, and handcrafted design. The company now produces 4,000-5,000 dolls a month and sells through D2C, retail, and B2B channels.
• Employing more than 100 women artisans across the Nilgiris, The Good Doll has raised funding from Rainmatter and the Tamil Nadu government, and plans to expand Nilah into a larger universe of books, accessories, and experiential retail. 

News & updates

• Meta: Meta is expanding its Hyperion project in Louisiana into its largest data centre, with 5GW capacity and a price tag of over $50 billion.
• Markets: Trend-following hedge funds slipped slightly into the red in June as gains in gold and silver were offset by losses in crude oil, coffee, and the Australian dollar, Societe Generale said. 

Which video game franchise has collectively sold the most copies?

Answer: Mario

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