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  • When Science Met Gadgets: Techburner’s Collab with Mark Rober

    In a year filled with remarkable collaborations, one unlikely duo caught the internet’s imagination and captured hearts across continents: Techburner, India’s charismatic gadget reviewer and DIY tech content creator, and Mark Rober, the American science YouTube sensation best known for his intricate builds and contagious enthusiasm for engineering. Their collaboration was more than just a viral moment, it was a celebration of curiosity, creativity, and the blending of two very different yet deeply connected worlds: science and gadgets.

    This unexpected partnership began when Mark Rober visited India as part of his educational outreach and exploration of the global STEM community. While touring local institutions and events like the Waves Summit, where he headlined as a keynote speaker, Rober made time to connect with some of India’s top digital creators. It was inevitable that his journey would cross paths with Techburner, whose channel has grown into a vibrant space for accessible tech insights, product hacks, and digital experimentation.

    What followed was an exciting and refreshingly organic meeting of minds. In a studio buzzing with equipment, enthusiasm, and the smell of innovation, Shlok Srivastava (aka Techburner) welcomed Mark Rober into his creative playground. Though their styles are different—Techburner is known for his fast-paced, humorous delivery and deep familiarity with Indian consumer tech, while Rober is renowned for his slow-burn scientific setups and polished educational storytelling. Their shared passion for tinkering, building, and explaining made their chemistry undeniable.

    The goal for their collaboration wasn’t simply to shoot a video—it was to build something together. After tossing around several ideas that ranged from absurd (a robot that could serve tea with a Bollywood twist) to ambitious (an AI-powered cricket ball launcher), the two settled on a fun yet surprisingly complex challenge: building a tech gadget that merges Indian jugaad (creative problem-solving) with western-style engineering precision.

    Their project? A smart recycling bin that could sort different types of waste using simple sensors and mechanical logic—a nod to Rober’s environmental interests and Techburner’s focus on practical tech. But this wasn’t going to be an over-engineered, high-cost product. In keeping with their commitment to accessibility, they wanted to use affordable, easy-to-find components and make the project replicable for students and young creators across the globe.

    Their build process became a lesson in cultural exchange as well as engineering. Rober was fascinated by India’s rich history of improvised innovation, from self-assembled water purifiers to ingenious home appliances built out of scraps. Meanwhile, Techburner was thrilled to gain firsthand insight into the scientific methodology Rober used to refine designs and test variables. Together, they spent hours prototyping, debating code logic, and laughing at the occasional malfunction. One particularly memorable moment involved a test run that sent a plastic bottle flying straight into Rober’s lap.

    As they worked, cameras rolled—but the collaboration never felt staged. Their video wasn’t just about showing off a finished product. It captured the trial-and-error, the back-and-forth dialogue, and the delight of two creators figuring things out together. Viewers got to see a glimpse behind the curtain of content creation and understand how real innovation comes from patience, resilience, and open-mindedness.

    The final gadget wasn’t flawless, but it worked well enough to get the point across, and more importantly, it inspired. Thousands of comments flooded in from fans across both communities, praising the duo for making technology approachable, fun, and inspiring. Students shared how they had tried to recreate the bin in their classrooms, while teachers appreciated the educational value baked into every segment.

    What made this collaboration even more impactful was its perfect timing with a bigger initiative: the Jugaad Contest 2025, spearheaded by none other than Mark Rober himself.

    Jugaad Contest 2025: Where Creativity Meets Opportunity

    In his continued effort to make STEM fun and accessible, Mark Rober is bringing his global movement to India in a massive way. From April 30 to September 15, 2025, Rober is inviting inventors, students, and tinkerers aged 8 and above to participate in the Jugaad Contest 2025. The goal? Build something ingenious using everyday household items and post a video of your creation on Facebook, X, YouTube, or Instagram.

    Ten winners will receive INR 5 lakh each. But remember, just posting a video isn’t enough, you must go to markroberjugaad.com and submit the link to your public post including the hashtag #MarkRoberJugaad to officially enter.

    This contest perfectly embodies the spirit of the Techburner-Rober collaboration: creativity without constraints, science without borders, and innovation from the ground up.

    Mark Rober
    Mark Rober

    Mark Rober: The Mind Behind the Mission

    With over 68 million subscribers and a string of viral science experiments, from glitter bombs to squirrel mazes, Mark Rober has built a brand that makes STEM irresistible. Through his company, CrunchLabs, he delivers monthly buildable engineering kits and fun, science-packed videos designed to spark curiosity in kids and teens alike.

    His passion for outreach doesn’t stop at entertainment. He’s helped raise millions for charity, co-founded movements like #TeamTrees and #TeamSeas, and now, through the Jugaad Contest, he’s giving back to the Indian innovation ecosystem by spotlighting homegrown brilliance.

    In interviews that followed, both Rober and Srivastava expressed mutual admiration. Rober was particularly impressed by how India’s tech creators navigate constraints and still produce innovative content at scale. Techburner, in turn, praised Rober for his clarity of thought and dedication to breaking down scientific concepts into digestible, entertaining formats.

    Their collaboration stands as a reminder of what can happen when different disciplines and cultures come together with a shared purpose. It also shows how creators can use their platforms not just to entertain, but to teach, challenge, and inspire.

    In the ever-evolving digital landscape, where trends fade quickly and content can be fleeting, this partnership felt substantial. It wasn’t just a tech gimmick or a PR stunt. It was a meaningful exploration of how science and technology can intersect, how creators can learn from one another, and how the future of learning lies in collaborations that cross boundaries, both geographical and intellectual.

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  • Nissan to Slash 11,000 Jobs and Shut 7 Plants in Major Restructuring

    After a turbulent year that left the Japanese automaker struggling to turn itself around, Nissan Motor announced massive fresh cost cutbacks on 13 May, announcing the closure of seven sites and the elimination of 11,000 further positions.

    Nissan nearly lost its profit in the most recent fiscal year after delaying the release of projections for the one that was just beginning. In the 12 months ending in March, operating profit was 69.8 billion yen ($472 million), which was 88% less than the previous year.

    After declining sales in China and the United States, the automaker’s merger negotiations with Honda broke down, and it was recently compelled to replace its CEO.

     Similar to competitors, it is under pressure from U.S. tariffs and faces competition from rapidly expanding Chinese EV manufacturers in Southeast Asian and international markets.

    Difficult Time Ahead for New CEO

    Ivan Espinosa, the company’s new CEO, wants to save about 500 billion yen in overall expenses. However, he has the challenging task of reviving a carmaker whose once-dominant brand value has been diminished.

    The company’s full-year financial figures are a wake-up call, Espinosa said during a news event. The facts are crystal clear. Variable costs for the company are increasing. The brand’s existing revenue is insufficient to cover its fixed costs.

    With the further layoffs, Nissan would have reduced its staff to about 20,000 employees overall. The company had previously stated that it would eliminate 9,000 jobs.

    It will reduce part complexity by 70% and reduce the number of its production plants from 17 to 10. It did not specify which plants it anticipated closing.

    Analyst Predicted the Current Move

    According to analysts, Nissan is currently experiencing the consequences of its excessive emphasis on sales volume and the implementation of substantial discounts to maintain inventory turnover.

     It is currently rushing to upgrade its aged lineup as a result. However, a quick recovery is doubtful, as the carmaker reported an operational loss of 200 billion yen in the first quarter, according to CFO Jeremie Papin.

    Layoff has Become a Common Scenario in 2025

    With big companies like Google, Microsoft, and others continuing to reduce their workforces, layoffs in the tech sector are not expected to halt in 2025.

    Companies are still laying off employees in an effort to simplify operations, save money, and emphasise automation and artificial intelligence, even though these figures are much lower than the major layoffs that occurred between 2022 and 2023.

    Layoffs.fyi, a website that tracks layoffs in the industry, reports that 93 organisations have laid off nearly 23,500 tech workers so far this year, and the number is still growing. Google and Microsoft are apparently contemplating a new round of layoffs, according to the most recent job reduction reports.

    According to reports, AI-led restructuring and performance-based terminations are part of the corporations’ goals to increase the effectiveness of their personnel.

  • Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses Debut in India at INR 29,900

    With over a billion users across its suite of apps, Facebook parent company Meta announced on May 13 that it would be launching its first hardware push in India on May 19 with the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses.

    The line will be available on Ray-Ban.com and at top optical and sunglasses retailers nationwide starting on May 19. The glasses, which have an integrated Meta AI assistant, are currently available for pre-order on Ray-Ban.com. Right now, the smart glasses come in a variety of styles and range in price from INR 29,900 to INR 35,700.

    As part of the social media giant’s efforts to make its smart glasses accessible to everyone, Meta initially declared in April that it will introduce the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses to India, Mexico, and the United Arab Emirates.

    Standalone Mobile App for Meta AI

    The launch also follows the company’s release of a stand-alone mobile app for Meta AI, which took the role of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses’ View companion app.

     The software has a special area where users can import and share images and videos, as well as manage their glasses. Additionally, users can request that Meta AI in the app add, remove, or modify specific image elements.

    According to Meta, the most innovative new hardware category of the AI era is glasses, and Ray-Ban Meta glasses have set the standard for what is feasible. The brand is combining the new Meta AI app with the Meta View companion app for Ray-Ban Meta glasses in order to incorporate all of Meta’s most potent AI experiences.

    Other Features of the Ray-Ban Meta smart Glasses

    After the release of Ray-Ban Stories in 2021, the Ray-Ban Meta Glasses were first released in September 2023. To create these smart glasses, Meta is collaborating with EssilorLuxottica, the company that makes Ray-Bans.

    A long-term agreement to “develop multi-generational smart eyewear products over the next decade” was made by the two businesses last year. The smart glasses have a 12 MP camera that can capture crisp images and 60-second 1080p films. Additionally, one can broadcast for up to 30 minutes on Facebook or Instagram.

    Users can send and receive direct messages, photographs, audio calls, and video calls using Instagram in the near future. Additionally, users can utilise WhatsApp and Messenger to send and receive messages and make calls thanks to an integrated five-mic system.

    According to Meta, customers can now ask Meta AI to play music and listen to their favourite songs wherever they are thanks to the company’s expansion of access to music apps including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and Shazam.

    A live translation feature that allows users to converse with someone who speaks English, French, Italian, or Spanish and receive real-time translations in their preferred language through the smart glasses was also unveiled by the business last month.

  • ReelSaga Bags $2.1 Million to Lead India’s Entry into the Global Microdrama Boom

    Backed by Picus Capital, ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, 8i Ventures, Nazara Technologies, and others, ReelSaga is building India’s first microdrama platform for the mobile-first generation.

    ReelSaga, a next-gen mobile entertainment startup founded in 2024 by serial entrepreneurs Shubh Bansal, Shanu Vivek, and Ritesh Pandey, has raised $2.1 million in a Seed round led by Picus Capital. The round also saw participation from ITI Growth Opportunities Fund, Nazara Technologies, 8i Ventures, Waveform Ventures, Warmup Ventures, Bombay54, Bharat Founders Fund, and several prominent angel investors. The ReelSaga app is now live.

    The capital will fuel app development and high-quality, localised content production, as ReelSaga sets out to define a new category of mobile-native entertainment across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, markets collectively expected to exceed $10 billion in digital entertainment by 2025.

    “Vertical short dramas are a cultural revolution. More and more users are turning to short-form video for entertainment. It’s quick, emotionally resonant, and binge-worthy; drama doesn’t need to be 40 minutes long to move you,” said Shubh Bansal, Co-founder and CEO of ReelSaga.

    “We’re using data science and product innovations to push the boundaries of short-form video, delivering hyper-personalized, mobile-first storytelling that resonates deeply with our audience.” Shanu Vivek, Co-founder & Head of Product and Data, ReelSaga.

    All three founders were previously co-founders at Truebil, a used car marketplace, acquired by Spinny. With deep experience in consumer tech, creative storytelling, and scaling digital platforms, the team is now taking aim at the next billion-dollar category: mobile-first fiction.

    “We’re excited to back ReelSaga as they pioneer an entirely new category of storytelling in India,” said Abhijay Thacker, Senior Vice President at Picus Capital. “The team brings a rare combination of hustle, clarity, and creative ambition. Microdramas are not just a passing trend, they’re poised to become the default format for an entire generation of mobile viewers. We believe ReelSaga can lead that shift.”

    “ReelSaga is building where the market is going, mobile-first, story-rich, and culturally rooted. The format is fresh, the vision is bold, and the team knows how to execute. We see them defining a whole new category for Indian entertainment,” added Mohit Gulati, Managing Partner at ITI Growth.

    Microdramas are not just a passing trend. In China alone, over 5,000 series are produced annually, generating revenues that have now surpassed the country’s traditional box office industry. ReelSaga is bringing this global phenomenon to India with high-quality, hyper-localised storytelling told across 50–100 episode arcs. 

    About ReelSaga

    ReelSaga is India’s first dedicated microdrama platform, creating short-form, emotionally rich fiction series designed for mobile-first audiences. With vertically shot episodes spanning 1–2 minutes, ReelSaga blends the craft of storytelling with the speed and accessibility of short video, reshaping how stories are created, distributed, and experienced. The company’s vision is to redefine digital entertainment across India, SEA, and the Middle East, starting with microdramas.

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  • Smart Hiring Platform Third Bracket Bags Close to INR 5 Crores in Seed Funding

    Third Bracket seeks to redefine the future of hiring with AI-led innovation.

    Third Bracket, a next-gen smart hiring platform, today announced that they have raised close to INR 5 crores in seed funding from a group of HNIs at a substantial valuation. The investment will fuel the venture’s mission to transform hiring through advanced AI capabilities, radically improve speed-to-hire and bring significant efficiencies to recruitment. Besides accelerating product innovation, expanding the AI engine that powers smarter, bias-free hiring, the funds will be used to scale operations to meet the growing demand from enterprises.

    In his comments, Chhandan Chakraborty, Co-Founder, Third Bracket, said, “We didn’t start Third Bracket to just tweak the hiring process—we started it to rebuild it from the ground up. Talent is a company’s biggest differentiator, yet the way we hire is still riddled with inefficiencies, bias and guesswork. This funding allows us to double down on our vision of intelligent, inclusive and fast hiring—designed for modern teams. We’re not here to match résumés to job descriptions—we’re here to ensure every hire is the right hire while saving time and cost involved in talent acquisition.”

    In under a year, the venture has gained traction in high-growth sectors such as FinTech and IT, partnering with a mix of unicorn start-ups and mid-sized enterprises to solve critical talent acquisition challenges.

    About Third Bracket

    Founded in 2023 by Chhandan Chakraborty and Nihar Bose, Third Bracket was built on the belief that traditional hiring frameworks are fundamentally broken and unable to cope with needs of the industry where AI is beginning to dominate all aspects by businesses. It’s an advanced SaaS platform with an embedded AI engine that performs the heavy lifting in the front-end of the recruitment process, from resume authentication to functional skills assessment to cultural fitment of the candidate to the organisation, from hiring the right talent and ensuring cultural fitment to upskilling employees and profiling their skills for future growth. Third Bracket focuses on skill mapping, predictive insights and gap analysis to ensure optimal talent fit and development. It seamlessly integrates technology, data & strategy to help organisations build future-ready workforces.

    10 Best AI Courses for HR Professionals in 2025
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  • AWS and Saudi Arabia’s Humain Forge $5B AI Alliance to Propel Kingdom’s Vision 2030

    Amazon Web Services (AWS) and HUMAIN, the recently established Saudi business in charge of advancing AI innovation in the Kingdom and around the world, on 13 May revealed their intentions to invest more than $5 billion in a strategic cooperation to establish a ground-breaking “AI Zone” in the Kingdom.

     To further Saudi Arabia’s goal of becoming a global leader in AI, this first-of-its-kind AI Zone will combine a number of cutting-edge capabilities, such as specialised AWS AI infrastructure and servers with top-tier semiconductors, UltraCluster networks for quicker AI training and inference, AWS services like Bedrock and SageMaker, and AI application services like Amazon Q.

    In Saudi Arabia, AWS has already declared and is constructing an AWS infrastructure region that will be operational by 2026. To establish this new area for AWS, Amazon is spending US$5.3 billion (about 19.88 billion Saudi riyals) in Saudi Arabia.

    As part of AWS’s long-term commitment to provide its top-notch infrastructure and services to Saudi Arabia, the new AI Zone announced today represents an additional investment to increase the Kingdom’s demand for advanced AI capabilities both locally and globally.

    Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030

    This partnership is in line with Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030 and expands on the Kingdom’s 2024 commitment to invest in creating an AI-powered economy. It is a major step in achieving Saudi Arabia’s goal of becoming a global leader in AI.

    AWS will introduce its cutting-edge server and network infrastructure capabilities to Saudi Arabia along with its machine learning and artificial intelligence services, such as Amazon SageMaker AI, Amazon Bedrock, and Amazon Q, which are fully managed solutions for developing and expanding generative AI (genAI) applications.

    Businesses and governmental entities in Saudi Arabia can create GenAI apps with security, privacy, and responsible AI by using Amazon Bedrock to access high-performing models from top AI startups.

    In addition to being the most proficient coding assistant in the world, Amazon Q helps businesses create GenAI-powered assistants that can answer queries, produce content, summarise information, and finish tasks using enterprise data.

     HUMAIN intends to use AWS technologies to create AI solutions for its end users as a result of this partnership. Additionally, HUMAIN and AWS will collaborate to create a common marketplace for AI agents, which would make it easier for the Saudi Arabian government to find, implement, and oversee AI software.

     Together with leading the widespread adoption of AI in businesses and sectors throughout the Gulf Region and beyond, the partnership aims to promote the development of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as Arabic Large Language Models (ALLaM).

    Accelerating the Digital Transformation of the Region

    Important industries like government, energy, healthcare, and education will be able to accelerate their transformation.

    AI-powered tools that can help patients receive early disease diagnoses, personalise learning experiences for students, and boost productivity across essential upstream and downstream government administration processes are all on the horizon.

     In collaboration with HUMAIN, the AWS Generative AI Innovation Centre will accelerate use cases like these, allowing clients—from the biggest corporations and fastest-growing startups to government organisations—to scale GenAI roadmaps and workloads, resulting in the fair and effective provision of essential services for a greater impact on society.

  • AI Meets Tenders: ContraVault Secures INR 5.1 Crores from Titan Capital to Transform Tender Management with AI

    ContraVault AI, an innovative AI-powered platform, has successfully raised INR 5.1 Crores in a seed funding round led by Titan Capital, alongside notable investors including Rajiv Ahuja, Haresh Chawla, Jaswinder Ahuja, Dilipkumar Khandelwal, Abhishek Goyal and others. The newly raised funds will be directed towards deepening ContraVault AI’s verticalisation across key tender and RFP sectors to enhance accuracy and relevance in analysis. With an immediate focus on scaling sales efforts within India’s under-digitised tender ecosystem, ContraVault AI is set to unlock significant growth opportunities, ultimately aiming for global expansion.

    Founded by Sayan Sen, Tanmay Juneja, and Isha Juneja, ContraVault AI is designed to address the critical challenges associated with tender management, which have long been plagued by manual processes and significant risk of error. By harnessing advanced artificial intelligence, ContraVault AI is transforming the traditional workflows in tender and RFP management, enabling companies to streamline their operations, reduce risks, and make faster, smarter decisions.

    “There is a large, untapped opportunity at the intersection of tender management and AI, which we are solving for, and we are super excited to partner with Titan Capital to be able to do that for India and the world,” said Sayan Sen, CEO & Co-founder of ContraVault AI. 

    Tanmay Juneja, CTO & Co-founder, added, “I am glad and excited – this fundraise opens the door to bold new growth for us.” Isha Juneja, COO & Co-founder, emphasized the significance of this funding, stating, “This fundraise is a critical milestone for us as we step into a greenfield opportunity.”

    A spokesperson for Titan Capital, the lead investor, expressed their conviction in ContraVault AI by stating, “ContraVault AI is redefining one of the most painful enterprise workflows—tendering. In a space buried in PDFs, clauses, and compliance risk, they’ve built an AI engine that doesn’t just read documents, it understands them. We’re backing ContraVault AI not just for what it’s building, but for the kind of company it’s becoming: fast, intelligent, and trusted by the most demanding enterprise buyers.”

    As ContraVault AI continues to achieve high accuracy in tender analysis, refining its AI capabilities through a dataset of over 100,000+ tender documents, it is poised to make significant strides in the market. With partnerships established with large organisations and leading law firms, ContraVault AI offers unparalleled value in streamlining workflows and enhancing decision-making processes across various industries, including EPC, Energy, Power, and IT.

    About ContraVault AI

    ContraVault AI is an AI-powered platform transforming tender and RFP management by automating risk analysis, clause negotiation, and document summarisation. Built for enterprises, legal teams, and government contractors, it delivers high-accuracy insights tailored to industry-specific needs, helping organisations make smarter decisions in complex bidding and tender management environments.

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  • RBI Probes E-Wallets After BluSmart Collapse Leaves Users Stranded

    According to various media reports, India’s central bank is investigating some digital wallets linked to electric vehicle companies after the abrupt demise of the nation’s biggest all-EV taxi service prevented customers from accessing funds linked to their accounts.

    The issues encountered by customers of the digital wallet of the app-based ride-hailing service BluSmart led to a review of the payment methods utilised in India’s nascent EV ecosystem.

    The incidents brought about by the company’s alleged fraud exposed the absence of protections for customers who deposit funds into so-called closed-loop wallets in order to conduct transactions on apps, particularly those that deal with EVs like charging stations or ride-booking.

    RBI Putting its Strict Scanner

    According to various published reports, the Reserve Bank of India has started informal conversations with operators of EV charging stations and other app-based EV platforms in order to evaluate potential consumer hazards.

     In India’s rapidly expanding digital services ecosystem, so-called closed-loop wallets—app-based payment systems that are limited to use on a single platform—have become widely available. Since the central bank does not actively supervise these wallets like it does open-system wallets under its regulation, they are more susceptible to platform failure.

     In April, BluSmart informed customers that it could take up to 90 days to reimburse money after thousands of users who had preloaded money into the wallet to book trips within the city and at the airport were unable to secure a refund or move the money to another location.

    Probable Steps RBI Could Take to Enhance E-Wallet Securities

    In the upcoming weeks, the central bank is reportedly considering meeting with the parties. To guarantee that money is safeguarded in the event that a business closes, the bank can suggest requiring escrow arrangements for customer balances, much like those that are necessary for payment aggregators.

     According to a media report, another proposal is to apply some aspects of the RBI’s Prepaid Payment Instruments (PPI) guidelines to large-scale closed wallets.

    Although the regulator has not yet made a formal decision, any action to tighten regulation of app-specific wallets may have far-reaching effects on India’s digital economy, as platforms mostly depend on prepaid balances to increase stickiness and encourage recurring use.

    Gensol Founders Anmol & Puneet Singh Jaggi Step Down

    Almost a month after market regulator SEBI prohibited them from holding important roles within the firm, Gensol Engineering Ltd said on May 12 that Anmol Singh Jaggi, the managing director, and Puneet Singh Jaggi, the full-time director, had resigned.

     In his letter of resignation, Anmol Jaggi stated that he would be leaving his position as Managing Director of Gensol Engineering Limited effective May 12, 2025, at the end of business hours. Additionally, he announced his resignation in response to the directive issued under the SEBI Interim Order on April 15, 2025.

    He would want to use this occasion to express his gratitude to the whole Board, the Management Team, and the Company’s workers for their cooperation and support throughout his tenure.

  • FedEx and Amazon Reunite in High-Stakes Deal to Deliver Oversized Packages

    The deal represents a resurgence of the two companies’ relationship over six years after FedEx declared it would not extend its domestic delivery contracts with Amazon for Ground and Express. FedEx stated at the time that it wished to concentrate on the larger e-commerce industry.

    Although e-commerce is still a top client category, the carrier is implementing extensive network modifications to better manage those deliveries.

    Serving a client like Amazon, which may provide high volumes but frequently at a less profitable clip, is especially crucial. UPS has complained about its Amazon delivery contract.

     In a LinkedIn post, Jay Kent, managing director of SLB Performance, asked whether FedEx had a competitive advantage in network optimisation and could deliver these package types at a lower cost than UPS while still turning a profit.

    UPS Ending its Contract with Amazon

    The revelation of the arrangement follows UPS’s January declaration that, because to financial concerns, it would reduce its Amazon business by more than 50% by the second half of 2026. But according to Amazon, the FedEx deal isn’t intended to take UPS’s delivery capacity over.

    According to a LinkedIn post by LPF Spend Management founder Nate Skiver, the agreement satisfies a requirement for both businesses. Amazon gains support for products that are more difficult to handle, while FedEx sees an increase in volume and revenue.

    Skiver went on to say that the US parcel market offers few large-package delivery choices for Amazon, especially for shipments that are greater distances. If UPS won’t accept it, he continued, there’s nowhere else to go.

    Amazon’s Strong In-house Logistical Network

    According to Amazon, its internal logistics network delivers almost two-thirds of its packages in the United States. However, even with highly automated networks like FedEx and Amazon, handling huge goods effectively can be challenging. Bulkier shipments are usually subject to costs from parcel carriers, and these rates have increased recently.

     A media report stated that FedEx had more affordable prices than UPS. Additionally, according to media reports, FedEx will support AMXL, Amazon’s Extra Large delivery network, which handles order fulfilment, delivery, and installation for big, heavy, and bulky products including appliances and furniture.

     “The reference to AMXL is premature at this point,” according to Amazon. FedEx terminated its domestic ground delivery agreement with Amazon in 2019 due to what it considered to be challenging service criteria and low yields. According to estimates at the time, FedEx handled 4% of ground traffic for Amazon.

    Before the separation, Amazon had shifted a large portion of its business away from FedEx’s now-defunct SmartPost program, where FedEx Ground sent packages to the USPS for final home delivery.

    However, FedEx still has a lot of extra capacity in its parcel network that has to be filled, according to John Costanzo, president and CEO of consulting firm LDK Global Logistics.

    Because non-standard cargo typically cannot pass via their sorting machinery and must pass through a manual bypass centre, network carriers despise them.

  • Microsoft to Slash 6,000 Jobs in Largest Workforce Cut Since 2023

    Over 6,000 workers from all levels, teams, and regions will be affected by Microsoft’s announcement that it will lay off 3% of its global workforce. The goal of the layoffs at the Redmond giant, which had 228,000 employees as of late June, is to simplify processes and lower management levels.

    A Microsoft representative informed a media source in a statement that the company is still making the organisational adjustments required to put the business in the best possible position for success in a changing market.

    This is Microsoft’s biggest layoff since the company cut 10,000 positions in 2023. The corporation stated that these layoffs are structural in nature, in contrast to the smaller performance-based cuts that were made in January.

    Middle Management will be Severely Impacted

    Given that the organisation wants to increase each manager’s “span of control” in order to build a more efficient hierarchy, middle management positions may be especially affected by these cuts. According to a media report, Microsoft wants to give engineering talent top priority as it continues to make significant investments in artificial intelligence projects.

     Is engineering skill more important to Microsoft than other positions? The company responded to that query by stating that every role is equally significant. Indeed, it is essential to the advancement of AI.

    A media house was informed by Microsoft’s spokesperson that laid-off workers will continue to be paid for the sixty days following their dismissal. Additionally, it is said that the impacted employees will also qualify for bonuses and incentives.

    New Employment Strategy Adopted by Microsoft

    The reduction in staff coincides with major modifications to Microsoft’s performance management system. Internal records seen by multiple media outlets reveal that the corporation has banned staff fired for poor performance from being hired again for a period of two years.

     Additionally, Microsoft has implemented a “good attrition” statistic to monitor the departure of desired employees. Similar to Amazon’s contentious “unregretted attrition” policy, this strategy indicates Microsoft’s intention to handle underperforming employees more forcefully.

    A “Global Voluntary Separation Agreement” with 16 weeks of severance pay or a performance improvement plan (PIP) with “clear expectations and a timeline for improvement” are the two options available to employees who exhibit poor performance under the new system.

     If they choose the improvement plan instead of the PIP road, they will no longer be eligible for the severance compensation, and they will only have five days to make up their minds.

    The reorganisation of Microsoft is indicative of a larger movement in the computer sector towards more efficient engineering and flatter organisational structures.

    According to reports, the organisation is concentrating on lowering the “PM ratio”—the percentage of managers to engineers—across all teams. Similar tactics, which involved firing the top tier of the organisation, have been used at other major huge companies, including Google and Amazon.

    In addition, Meta is anticipated to let off thousands of workers this year as CEO Mark Zuckerberg advocates for a “year of efficiency”.

    The layoffs come despite Microsoft’s better-than-expected quarterly results in April, when CEO Satya Nadella said the business will restructure how it executes sales after non-AI Azure cloud revenue grew less than anticipated.