MUMBAI: The Indian Influencer Governing Council (IIGC) has officially entered the chat, with the launch of “IIGC Talks,” its brand-new podcast studio designed to host open, unfiltered conversations about India’s fast-evolving creator economy.
The series kicked off with a bang, featuring India’s gadget guru, Rajiv Makhni, in a candid conversation with Sahil Chopra, chairman of IIGC. In the debut episode, Makhni dives into what it really means to be authentic in a world where likes, views and brand deals often collide. Within a day of its release, the episode racked up over 1.5 lakh views on Youtube.
“In a time when everyone has a voice, the real challenge is knowing which ones to trust,” said Makhni. “If a collaboration forces you to compromise your honesty, the collaboration has already failed. Audiences are sharper than we think, authenticity travels further than any campaign spend.”
The episode doesn’t shy away from the tough questions either, tackling topics like whether brand partnerships can coexist with unbiased reviews and if the rise of ‘defluence’ signals a new era of selective influence.
According to Sahil Chopra, “IIGC Talks isn’t about promotion or praise, but about clarity. The creator ecosystem is maturing, and it deserves real dialogue, not just spotlight moments. Rajiv has set the perfect tone: sharp, honest and rooted in experience.”
The discussion marks a shift in India’s digital landscape, where impact now trumps follower count, and authenticity replaces clickbait. With initiatives like IIGC Protect and The Code of Standards for Brands, the council continues to champion governance, transparency, and creator well-being.
With “IIGC Talks,” the council turns conversation into action, and brings the mic to those redefining influence in real time.
Mumbai: In an age where privacy and online security have become paramount, WhatsApp is at the forefront of innovating features that continually help enhance the safety and privacy for users globally. From chat lock to disappearing messages, silence unknown callers to privacy checkup, every new feature adds to WhatsApp’s multiple layers of protection.
Understanding that launching innovative features alone is not enough, WhatsApp has invested time and effort to educate users and drive awareness around some of its key safety and privacy features. This strategic effort involves multiple safety and privacy campaigns designed to empower users to take control of their online safety and privacy.
Stay safe with WhatsApp campaign:
• On 12 April, WhatsApp rolled out their three-month ‘Stay safe with WhatsApp’ that focused on creating user awareness around safer digital practices, highlighting product features that empower users to take control of their online safety and ensure a safer messaging experience.
• WhatsApp collaborated with influential figures such as Rajiv Makhni, Manoj Chugh, Jaspreet Bindra, Akancha Shrivastava, Pankaj Gupta, and Deepak Maheshwari to amplify awareness of WhatsApp’s safety and privacy features.
• As part of this campaign, WhatsApp released educational user guides highlighting safety tools and product features to secure users’ WhatsApp accounts. Additionally, it offered insights on how to stay protected from scams using WhatsApp’s safety features.
Privacy campaign highlighting WhatsApp’s “Multiple layers of protection”
• WhatsApp launched a global campaign focused on the importance of secure communication and WhatsApp’s multiple layers of privacy. The campaign shows how a private conversation with a friend or loved one on WhatsApp creates a safe space for people to communicate with one another.
• Mirrors Activation and partnership with Anushka Sharma to highlight the power of private messaging. WhatsApp partnered with actor Anushka Sharma to launch a series of mirrored messages appearing in private spaces – women’s restrooms – in malls across Delhi. Mirrored messages with QR codes appeared in women’s restrooms in Delhi malls, offering suggestions for checking in via a private WhatsApp message. These messages disappeared afterward, similar to the Disappearing Messages feature on WhatsApp.
• 3D Anamorphic installations at the Gateway of India: WhatsApp hosted an immersive storytelling experience at Mumbai’s iconic Gateway of India, where anamorphic privacy installations and projection mapping on the monument facade vividly showcased the layers of privacy WhatsApp offers:
For the final leg of the privacy campaign, on 4 September, WhatsApp will announce a partnership with Ranveer Singh to promote message privacy where he talks about how WhatsApp’s multiple layers of protection give him control over his most private conversations.
In a candid conversation the actor opens up about what’s in his phone and how he protects his most private conversations on WhatsApp. The entertaining video almost has Ranveer spilling the beans but instead educates people on the importance of private and secure messaging with simple privacy features like end-to-end encryption, chat lock, screenshot blocking for view once messages on WhatsApp.
Talking about the collaboration with WhatsApp, Ranveer Singh, said, “With more and more private conversations happening online, our privacy needs are also evolving. From sharing my most private thoughts with my friends and family to discussing work, my WhatsApp has private information like film scripts, my financial details. The cool thing about WhatsApp is that with its layers of privacy I know my conversations are always secure and with features like chat lock, I can password protect my most private and important chats so that even though my phone changes hands, my chats don’t.”
Meta director, consumer marketing Vyom Prashant said, “We’re thrilled to partner with Ranveer to bring alive the multiple ways in which WhatsApp protects our users’ privacy, in an entertaining, informative, and relatable manner. We believe this partnership along with our campaign on privacy, demonstrates to our users that they always have a safe and private space on WhatsApp for their conversations.”
MUMBAI: Building upon the ‘OnePlus Star’ community initiative, OnePlus, a global mobile technology start-up, welcomed a host of achievers into its fans in India. Joining Amitabh Bachchan (the firstever OnePlus Star) in the ‘OnePlus Star community’ were actor Sushant Singh Rajput, tennis ace Sania Mirza, Michelin star chef Vikas Khanna, fashion designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, comedian and actor Vir Das, TV host & gadget guru Rajiv Makhni, squash player Dipika Pallikal Karthik and international cricketer Dinesh Karthik.
Each of these personalities are ardent users of OnePlus and have achieved remarkable success by focusing on delivering excellence at every step of their careers and stay ahead of their contemporaries. They pushed the envelope to go one-step ahead in order to achieve success, and perfectly embody the mantra of ‘Never Settle’.
Vikas Agarwal, General Manager, OnePlus India, said “Following the resounding response to OnePlus Star community initiative aims to celebrate and introduce individuals who refuse to compromise and perfectly embody the true spirit of Never Settle in everything they do.”
To make is even more personalized, engaging and memorable, OnePlus has captured stories of their life which will be released through a series of short films on OnePlus Youtube channel, celebrating the remarkable achievements of these personalities and also sharing their unique experiences with the OnePlus smartphone. Starting 16 May, each OnePlus star will share their individual OnePlus video on social media and choose one participant to give away a OnePlus 3T smartphone with their autograph, based on the response of the participant.
MUMBAI: NDTV Gadget Guru Awards 2015, one of the biggest awards in the field of consumer electronics, gadgets and technology will be held on 19 September.
This year the Awards are being held in Hyderabad in collaboration with India Gadget Expo. It will bring out the latest trends and showcase the very best that the tech world has to offer.
The Award function will be hosted by the duo behind the flagship tech show Gadget Guru, NDTV’s tech Gurus Vikram Chandra and Rajiv Makhni. Adding glamour to awards this year with the duo Neha Dhupia is a new entrant to gadget guru awards family.
Sharing his views on NDTV’s long term relationship with technology and gadget guru awards 2015, NDTV Group CEO Vikram Chandra said, “It’s great to be back with the gadget guru awards. The awards have become a benchmark in the field of technology and gadgets. They will celebrate the best innovations in the tech world over the past one year and will honour the brands that have made a place in the hearts of the consumers.”
The nomination have 17 specified categories Portable Audio Product (includes all kinds Bluetooth speakers and headphones), Consumer Electronics, Best TV of the Year (includes all kinds), Best Camera of the Year (includes all kinds), Portable Computing Product (includes tablets and laptops), Computer Peripheral, Mobile of the Year (any above the value of Rs 10,000), Phone of the Year Under Rs 10,000, Tech Innovation of the Year, App of the Year*, Gaming App/Game of the Year, Gadget Eye Candy*, NDTV Gadget of the Year (Jury’s Choice)*, Gadget of the Year (Viewers’ Choice)*, Best Smartwatch of the Year, Wearable Gadget of the Year (includes fitness bands, etc), Best Tech Car of the Year, Tech Brand Ambassador of the Year.
The distinguished jury for the Awards feature Vikram Chandra-Group CEO & Executive Director NDTV Group, Rajiv Makhni-Managing Editor, Technology, NDTV Group, Gopal Sathe- Features Editor of NDTV Gadgets, Prasanto K Roy-Media and Digital Consultant, Anmol Taneja-Founder and CEO of Gadgets.in, Nishant Padhiar- Technology Consultant, Ashish Bhatia – Independent Technology Writer and Columnist and Kishore Bhargava-Technology Consultant.
Talking about the unprecedented success of the previous awards and its bigger and better version this year, Rajiv Makhni, Editor, Technology, NDTV Limited, says, “The Gadget Guru Awards are the most esteemed and anticipated Awards in the Indian tech space. We were truly inspired by the overwhelming response received and have decided to go bigger this year. The Award Jury has some of the most respectable names in the industry and an extremely rigorous and exhaustive process has been put into place for the nominations and selection of winners.”
Gadgets launched between 8th July 2014 and 31st July 2015 were eligible for this year’s nominations. The final winners will be shortlisted based on the test results and an extensive jury meet process and rating system.
MUMBAI: NDTV Gadget Guru Awards 2015 is back in a bigger and grander avatar to celebrate and honour the very best in the World of Technology! Like always the channel is raising a toast to the single most important ingredient that is at the genesis of every tech brand – ‘Innovation’.
This year, NDTV Gadget Guru Awards joins hands with India Gadget Expo 2015.It will be the biggest technology show in the country bringing together the best tech-innovators, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs and retailers to showcase their products, expertise and insights to tech-savvy consumers who will get a lifetime opportunity to witness gadgets take over the ‘city of pearls and Nizams’ Hyderabad between 18th and 21st of September 2015.
Sharing his views on NDTV Gadget Guru Awards 2015, Vikram Chandra, CEO, NDTV Group, says, “The Gadget Guru Awards” are India’s best known and most credible awards for success and innovation in technology. We are looking forward to evaluating and recognizing the best products in the country today.”
NDTV Gadget Guru Awards which comes from the team that is behind India’s longest running tech show – will bring together an expert group of specialists and trade pundits under the aegis of NDTV Gadget Guru Awards who will congregate to select the best amongst the best, to be honoured and felicitated on the Awards’ night.
Speaking about the jury and the credibility of the awards, Rajiv Makhni, Editor, Technology, NDTV Limited, says, “The NDTV Gadget Guru Awards are by far the most coveted technology awards in the country. With thousands of products being nominated, an incredible jury, a stringent testing process – the final winners are truly the best in their category. The Gadget Guru Awards are the Oscars of Technology – as important and as credible.”
The nomination process is open to gadget companies, who can nominate their products in the 14 specified categories.
1. Portable Audio Product (includes all kinds Bluetooth speakers and headphones)
2. Consumer Electronics
3. Best TV of the Year (includes all kinds)
4. Best Camera of the Year (includes all kinds)
5. Portable Computing Product (includes tablets and laptops)
6. Computer Peripheral
7. Mobile of the Year (any above the value of Rs 10,000)
8. Phone of the Year Under Rs 10,000
9. Tech Innovation of the Year
10. App of the Year*
11. Gaming App/Game of the Year
12. Gadget Eye Candy*
13. NDTV Gadget of the Year (Jury’s Choice)*
14. Gadget of the Year (Viewers’ Choice)*
15. Best Smartwatch of tYear
16. Wearable Gadget of the Year (includes fitness bands, etc)
