US court holds Byju in contempt; Apple's new India-born COO

Time of India

4 days ago

US court holds Byju in contempt; Apple's new India-born COO
Also in the letter:
US court to Byju Raveendran: Pay $10K daily until you comply
Driving the news:
Backstory:
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Compounding trouble:
The big picture:
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Sabih Khan, an Indian-origin executive at Apple, elevated to COO role
Handing over:
How he got here:
Khan joined Apple in 1995 from GE Plastics, starting in procurement.
He climbed the ladder steadily, becoming senior vice president of operations in 2019.
Since then, he's led Apple's global supply chain, earning praise from Cook as one of its 'central architects.'
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In other Apple moves:
Apple will go up against Disney-owned ESPN, whose exclusive negotiating window has ended.
Netflix is also reportedly in the mix.
The rights could cost upwards of $121 million per year starting from the 2026 season.
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WhatsApp calling shakes up enterprise telecom
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What could this mean?
Case in point:
Why the rush?
Short-form video's leap to TV could reshape India's digital commerce playbook
Shift to big screen:
The small-town creator boom is contributing to this expansion. Google, Nallur said, works with brands to identify new trends and collaborate with local creators to generate genuine traction in regional markets.
Discovery to purchase:
A Google-commissioned survey revealed that 72% of Indian users discover new products through Shorts, with a similar proportion claiming that it influences their purchasing decisions.
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AI gone too far: xAI's Grok draws flak for antisemitic remarks as 'MechaHitler'
What's the matter?
In one, Grok replied to a post by a Jewish user celebrating the deaths of children in the Texas floods. The bot linked Jewish surnames to anti-white hate and praised Hitler as someone 'who would have spotted the pattern and handled it decisively.'
In another instance, asked to tell a joke, Grok replied: "Hey! Sure, I know a classic: Why do Jews have big noses? Because air is free!"
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A US bankruptcy court has held Byju Raveendran in civil contempt for ignoring multiple court orders tied to Byju's US unit. This and more in today's ETtech Top 5.■ WhatsApp eyes enterprise telecom■ Brands play around short-form video■ Grok's antisemitism problemByju Raveendran, cofounder, Byju'sThe legal firestorm around Byju Raveendran, the cofounder of edtech startup Byju's, just got hotter. A US bankruptcy court has found the edtech founder in civil contempt for repeatedly ignoring court orders related to Byju's US arm, Alpha.A Delaware judge slammed it as a 'strategic and patterned failure' to submit basic documents or show up in court. Raveendran will have to pay a daily fine of $10,000 until he complies.The case stems from a lawsuit by lenders who accuse Raveendran and his wife, Divya Gokulnath, and former senior executive Anita Kishore of hiding and misusing $533 million from a loan to Alpha.Back home, Raveendran is battling creditors keen to oust him from Aakash Institute's board and overhaul governance at Byju's parent, Think & Learn.From poster child of India's edtech boom to global cautionary tale, Byju's unravelling is a masterclass in how scale without structure can spiral. With lawsuits, fire sales, and a founder scrambling to stay afloat, Byju's fall is as dramatic as its rise.Sabih Khan, COO, AppleAnother day, another India-born executive climbing to the top of global tech.Moradabad-born Sabih Khan is poised to become Apple's next chief operating officer , succeeding the retiring Jeff Williams , the iPhone maker announced on Tuesday. Khan, who has spent nearly 30 years at Apple, will assume the role later this month.Williams, 62, is retiring after a 27-year tenure at Apple. He will continue to report to CEO Tim Cook and oversee the company's design team, along with the Apple Watch and Health app, for now, with his official retirement scheduled for later this year.The tech giant is revving up its Formula One ambitions. After the buzz around its Brad Pitt-led F1 film (and its strong box office performance ), Apple is now chasing US streaming rights for the sport, according to the Financial Times.ETtech Top 5 and Morning Dispatch are must-reads for India's tech and business leaders, including startup founders, investors, policy makers, industry insiders and employees.Interested? Reach out to us at [e-mail] to explore sponsorship opportunities.WhatsApp is entering the enterprise voice market , and telcos may want to prepare themselves.Launching in India on July, WhatsApp Calling for businesses is already attracting major names such as Thomas Cook, Redcliffe Labs, and HCG Hospitals.Smoother support calls, AI-powered agents, and interactive features (like sending reports or payment links mid-call).Thomas Cook, for example, shifted 14% of its forex queries to WhatsApp in just 10 days, reducing call centre costs by 25% and turning support into a new sales channel. Redcliffe Labs anticipates that up to 40% of voice traffic will transition to WhatsApp within a few years.India's dirt-cheap data rates (as low as Rs 5/GB) make OTT calling almost free. Telcos are sweating. GlobalData expects India's telecom voice revenues to fall from $11.5 billion now to $10.1 billion by 2029.Short-form video, once limited to smartphones, is now making a bold push into televisions across India , and brands are taking notice. With platforms like Google transforming into full-funnel commerce engines, this shift is altering how companies interact with a rapidly growing, digital-first audience.Harsha Nallur, head of vertical business for ecommerce at Google India, told us that YouTube Shorts is no longer just 'a mobile phenomenon', adding that it is bridging phones and TV screens, and helping brands and creators reach wider audiences, especially beyond the metros.Once regarded as a brand discovery tool, Shorts now operates across the entire funnel, from generating awareness to encouraging purchase intent.Grok, the chatbot built by Elon Musk's AI startup xAI, deleted several posts from X after being accused of pushing antisemitic content.Multiple X users, along with the Anti-Defamation League, flagged Grok for posts that echoed antisemitic tropes and even praised Adolf Hitler.There were several disturbing examples (many of which are now deleted).