Who is Varun Mohan? Meet man who rejected Rs 25000 crore offer from OpenAI to join Google for Rs..., not from IIM, IIIT, NIT, VIT, or BIT
Varun Mohan is of Indian descent, having been born and raised in Sunnyvale, California, by children of Indian immigrants. He went to The Harker School in San Jose, and then to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he earned a Bachelor's and Master of Engineering in Computer Science.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Varun Mohan co-founded Windsurf in June 2021. The startup was based in Mountain View and received attention after launching AI tools that would reduce friction and speed up the process of software development. During this time, Windsurf quickly became a prominent player in the AI infrastructure space under his leadership.
Before starting Windsurf, Varun Mohan spent over three years at autonomous vehicle company Nuro. He joined in early 2018 as a software engineer, was promoted to tech lead for autonomy infrastructure by August 2019, and became tech lead manager in 2020.
Varun Mohan's resume also highlights engineering-related internships at several prominent Silicon Valley tech companies. In 2017, he started at Databricks, where he worked on machine learning systems; earlier that same year, he interned at Cloudian Inc., where he contributed to S3 storage infrastructure; and in 2016, he interned as a software engineer at Quora, with a focus on data infrastructure.
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Google turns Android phones into earthquake detectors, records 11,000 tremors on crowdsourcing
The Android Earthquake Alerts system prioritises scale over precision, leveraging the widespread use of Android smartphones, which collect motion data by default unless opted out read more Follow us on Google News Google utilised motion sensors in over two billion mobile phones from 2021 to 2024 to detect earthquakes and issued automated warnings to millions across 98 countries, revealed a Science journal analysis released last week. The analysis shows that Google's system recorded over 11,000 quakes, matching the performance of traditional seismometers. Independent earthquake researchers commend the system but call for greater transparency into Google's proprietary technology before public officials rely on it. Traditional seismometer-based alert systems exist in places like Mexico, Japan, and the US west coast. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In 2020, Google launched a crowd-sourced system using Android phones to detect early tremors. Data from its first three years, released recently, confirm its effectiveness and improvement. Google notes that annual earthquake deaths average thousands, but its mobile-based alerts have expanded access tenfold since 2019. 'It's very impressive: most countries don't have an earthquake early-warning system, and this can help provide that service,' Allen Husker, a seismologist at the California Institute of Technology, was quoted as saying by Nature. However, he seeks more access to Google's data and algorithms. Google's scientists claim they're as transparent as possible, citing privacy constraints on sharing raw phone data. They told Nature that the Science paper aims to clarify the system's operations. 'That really is the origin of this paper,' says Richard Allen, a University of California, Berkeley seismologist and Google visiting faculty. 'I hope the community will recognise that and appreciate that.' How does Google's Earthquake Alerts system work? The Android Earthquake Alerts system prioritises scale over precision, leveraging the widespread use of Android smartphones, which collect motion data by default unless opted out. Google's algorithms analyse signals, accounting for regional geological and construction variations, as well as differences in phone motion sensors. Challenges persist in detecting major earthquakes. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The system underestimated two powerful 2023 Turkey quakes, sending 4.5 million warnings. After algorithm upgrades, re-analysis showed the system could have issued urgent 'TakeAction' alerts to ten million phones. 'This shows they have been working to improve the system since 2023, with tangible positive results,' says Harold Tobin, a University of Washington seismologist.
The Hindu
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Rupee falls 14 paise to close at 86.30 against U.S. dollar
The rupee depreciated 14 paise to close at 86.30 (provisional) against the U.S. dollar on Monday (July 21, 2025) due to consistent dollar demand from oil importers. Forex traders said after breaching the crucial 86 level, the rupee continued its decline, which intensified the downward trend, tracking a strengthening dollar index. At the interbank foreign exchange, the domestic unit opened at 86.27 against the greenback and touched an intra-day high of 86.19 and a low of 86.36 against the greenback. At the end of Monday's (July 21, 2025) trading session, the local unit settled at 86.30, down 14 paise over its previous closing price. On Friday (July 18, 2025), the rupee settled 4 paise lower at 86.16 against the U.S. dollar. Forex traders said all eyes are now on the outcome of India-U.S. trade talks, especially as the August 1 deadline for potential tariffs on Indian exports draws closer. If the discussions fail or get delayed, it will add to the rupee's challenges, and if a deal is reached, it could offer a much-needed breather. The uncertainty around the India-U.S. trade deal is likely to keep market participants cautious, they added. Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, fell 0.22% to 98.26. Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, fell 0.48% to $68.95 per barrel in futures trade. 'The Indian rupee has experienced considerable weakness in recent days and remains the weakest among Asian currencies,' the traders said. 'The primary catalysts for this decline are consistent dollar demand from the importers and a continued exodus of foreign capital. On the technical front, the spot USD/INR has immediate resistance at 86.65 and a significant support at 85.80,' said Dilip Parmar, Research Analyst, HDFC Securities. In the domestic equity market, the 30-share BSE Sensex advanced 442.61 points, or 0.54%, to 82,200.34, while the Nifty rose 122.30 points, or 0.49%, to 25,090.70. Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) purchased equities worth ₹374.74 crore on a net basis on Friday (July 18, 2025), according to exchange data.
Mint
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Beyond TRPs: Govt's ratings reform may transform OTT audience measurement
The government's recent proposal to amend the norms for television ratings system in India, currently monopolized by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc), encouraging big tech and other private entities to set up their own rating agencies could spark competition and help create more credible cross-platform audience measurement systems, experts said. The current system of measuring television rating points, which indicate the popularity of TV programmes and the time slot when most viewers tune in, is used by brands to place their advertisements for maximum impact. However, TRPs are restricted only to linear TVs, meaning they gauge viewerships only for cable TVs and direct-to-home, with no insight into streaming platforms or connected TVs, making it difficult for brands to make confident ad spend decisions. The ministry of information and broadcasting's (MIB) draft amendments to the Policy Guidelines for Television Rating Agencies in India, released on 2 July, could democratise the rating system, leading to more credible measurement systems for OTT video streaming content, too. The draft amendments are open to public feedback until 1 August. Read more: Movie theatres are back to being prime drivers of Bollywood revenue as OTT cools 'This move could encourage third-party agencies or tech firms to develop or licence audience measurement tools for OTT. Currently, most OTT platforms rely on internal (and opaque) analytics. A policy push could incentivize competition, innovation, and transparency, leading to more credible and cross-platform metrics," Anupam Shukla, partner, Pioneer Legal said. Benefits for advertisers Until now, viewership of web shows and films have only been tracked informally by select media consulting firms and agencies, leading to an opaqueness around what works. Although streaming platforms themselves have such data, very few, with the exception of foreign players such as Netflix, release the same. In the rare cases that they do, there is no standard metric for viewership of OTT programmes, creating an obstacle for advertisers to bet on such content, if it is streamed for free. That could change, industry experts say, with the availability of granular and verifiable viewership data, offering targeted advertising solutions based on user demographics, behavioural insights, content preferences, and viewing habits. Currently, Barc is the sole ratings provider on TV and didn't track connected TVs or OTT platforms, Bharati Wukkadada, associate professor in data science and technology at Mumbai's KJ Somaiya Institute of Management pointed out. Further, OTT platforms in India use their own measurement metrics and reporting formats. The absence of uniform standards made it difficult to compare or consolidate viewership data across platforms. Major Indian OTT services preferred to keep viewership data confidential, treating it as a competitive advantage rather than sharing it with industry bodies or advertisers, Wukkadada said. While data for OTT platforms can be tracked even now, the accuracy of the metrics remains questionable, agreed Natasha Treasurywala, partner at law firm Desai & Diwanji. With the entry of more rating agencies including those owned by the OTT platforms themselves, competition will increase, and the data will become far more reliable and authentic, she said. Calling the MIB move a shift aimed at making audience viewership measurement more accurate, transparent, and representative, Gaurav Sahay, founder partner, Arthashastra Legal, said that the OTT sector currently operates outside the framework of any government-mandated audience measurement system. It relies instead on proprietary and opaque data analytics managed internally by streaming platforms. 'These data sets are rarely shared with advertisers or regulators in a standardized or verifiable format. This absence of uniform measurement hinders comparability, credibility, and cross-platform audience analysis. Though the proposal primarily focuses on linear television broadcasting, it can result in consequential bearing on OTT content," Sahay said. Read more: Old Indian films find revival on OTT platforms, thanks to social media, nostalgia cravings Precision viewership data enables advertisers to move beyond traditional impression-based models to outcome-based metrics such as click-through rates, conversions, and engagement duration, thereby justifying higher ad spends and improving return on investment. Access to credible, third-party audited data could bridge the trust deficit that often exists between OTT platforms and advertisers, leading to increased programmatic ad purchases and cross-platform campaigns that combine television, digital, and mobile viewership, the experts said. Further, from a regulatory standpoint, granular audience insights also assist in internal compliance with age-appropriate rating norms, language-specific targeting, and accurate content classification. However, there is a flipside to the government's move. A senior executive at a streaming platform pointed out that like TV, this could lead to multiple parties, including OTTs themselves, claiming to provide credible data that suits their interests. "Whom would the viewer trust in this case?" the executive asked. Moreover, for significant advertising, streaming content would actually have to prove to clock in significant eyeballs in mass-market areas, which remains a challenge. Yet, many see the possibility as a positive one for the industry. 'This data also supports fair market practices under competition, which can help platforms meet disclosure requirements under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019, ASCI (Advertising Standards Council of India) guidelines, while ensuring alignment with IT Rules, 2021, and emerging privacy requirements under DPDPA (The Digital Personal Data Protection Act) frameworks," said Gaurav Gupta, founding partner at law firm Bridge Counsels. "Just as Barc ratings help shape buying decisions for television, independently verifiable OTT metrics would enable fair ad placement and unbiased audience segmentation. Ensuring transparent pricing through such metrics is also crucial to prevent potential claims of advertiser deception." Read more: Will ZEE5's new slate of content, regional push, and micro-drama help it win the OTT war?
