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Canara Lighting: Illuminating the future with pioneering LED innovations

Published

1 year ago

October 18, 2024

The Broadcast India Show’s first day at the Jio World Convention Centre in Mumbai buzzed with the dynamic energy of the broadcast media and infotainment sectors, where technology’s rapid evolution continually reshapes the landscape. For over three decades, the show has been the annual touchpoint for unveiling cutting-edge advancements in infotainment technology, offering a rare opportunity to experience the future today. Amid this innovation, Canara Lighting stands out as a trailblazer in the industry. In an engaging conversation with IndianTelevision.com, Canara Lighting Industries Pvt. Ltd., MD, Ajeet Khare delves into the company’s origin story, its rise as a homegrown leader in lighting solutions, and the forward-looking vision driving its growth.

In 1972, when the Indian film industry was still navigating the transition from monochrome to colour, a small but ambitious venture near Thane, Maharashtra, set its sights on brightening the future of television and cinema. Today, Canara Lighting Industries is a distinguished name in specialised lighting solutions, catering to studios, stages, and broadcasting requirements across India and beyond. At the helm for the past 14 years is Khare, a seasoned industry leader whose entrepreneurial journey is as fascinating as the company’s evolution itself.

A bold vision for a bright future

The idea for Canara Lighting took root in a time when the Indian entertainment industry relied heavily on imported lighting equipment. “There was no one producing lights for the broadcasting and film sectors in India back then,” Khare recounts. “We saw an opportunity to start manufacturing these lights. Wherever we lacked the technology, we collaborated with American companies, like for Cool Light.” This strategic move laid the foundation for Canara Lighting’s dominance in the Indian film sector, which quickly embraced the brand’s offerings.

New era begins

Khare’s own journey with the company began in 2010 when he took the bold step of acquiring the company. “I had been working as a managing director for multinational firms in Mangalore. By 2009, I decided it was time to stop working for unknown bosses and start my own venture,” Khare explains. He was drawn to Canara Lighting because of its rich history and potential for innovation. “I wanted to understand the founding philosophy to ensure we carried that vision forward. Our goal has always been to be at the forefront of lighting technology, especially as LED lighting started to gain traction.”

Keeping pace with technology and trends

Over the years, Canara Lighting has remained resolute in its mission of providing specialised lighting solutions, adapting to technological shifts and changing market demands. Khare emphasises, “We are not in the business of general-purpose lights. Our focus is on delivering a product and a complete solution that ensures the right output for our clients.” This steadfast dedication to specialised lighting has allowed Canara to keep pace with the industry as it transitions from large studio setups to smaller, multi-purpose spaces suitable for digital content production.

The company’s ability to stay relevant in a competitive landscape is largely attributed to its continuous R&D efforts. “Our R&D team was given a simple brief: benchmark against the best—like the German company, Aerie—and strive to match or exceed their standards,” says Khare. “Today, I can proudly say that our products are in line with international benchmarks, and our clients can tell the difference.”

Navigating challenges and reskilling the workforce

One significant challenge that Khare encountered was the shift from older lighting technologies, such as halogen, to LED. The transition demanded a workforce with advanced skill sets, a tall order in Mangalore, where manufacturing talent is limited. “The skill levels required for LED technology were very high,” he notes. “To bridge this gap, we recruited experts in illumination technology, power electronics, product design, and circuit manufacturing from outside Karnataka. This newly formed ‘technology team’ trained our existing employees, ensuring a seamless transition to the new technology.”

Anticipating the future of studio lighting

Looking ahead, Khare predicts further evolution in the studio and stage lighting sector, driven by advancements in LED technology and emerging alternatives. “For now, LED remains a mature technology, with innovations such as integrated lenses on the LED chips enhancing performance. However, laser lighting is knocking on the door and could be the next big shift within the next five years.”

He also foresees a convergence in studio design trends. “Today’s studios are still segmented—news, sports, general entertainment—but these boundaries are blurring. Virtual studios, with smaller footprints and sensitive cameras, will become the norm, requiring fewer but more sophisticated lighting solutions,” Khare observes. “The lighting industry must keep pace with these changes, ensuring we continue to deliver cutting-edge solutions.”

Marketing and outreach strategies in a digital era

Despite being a major player in the lighting industry, Canara Lighting’s marketing strategy deviates from conventional practices. “Our advertising efforts are not geared towards mass media because we cater to a niche audience,” Khare states. “We focus on making our presence felt through social media splashes on LinkedIn, Instagram, and Twitter, and by participating in specialised trade shows like Broadcast India and Palm Expo.”

The company’s frugal yet effective approach leverages an in-house team that continuously creates engaging content to keep the brand in the spotlight. “Our social media efforts ensure that we maintain recurring impressions with the right audience,” he adds.

Canara Lighting’s legacy is one of resilience, adaptation, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. As the lighting landscape continues to evolve, the company is poised to illuminate the path forward, setting new benchmarks in specialised lighting solutions.

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Moltbook, the AI-only social network, sparks hype, doubt and fear

Published

5 days ago

February 3, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Moltbook, a Reddit-style social platform built exclusively for artificial intelligence agents, has emerged as the latest obsession in Silicon Valley, drawing intense attention for its explosive growth and surreal bot-driven interactions.

The platform hosts more than 100 communities where AI agents post, argue and joke about topics ranging from governance theory to esoteric “crayfish debugging” concepts. Within days of launch, Moltbook recorded tens of thousands of posts, nearly 200,000 comments and more than 1 million human visitors observing the activity.

Yet the numbers and the autonomy are under scrutiny, as per media reports. A security researcher has suggested as many as 500,000 accounts may trace back to a single address, raising doubts about Moltbook’s membership claims. Many posts could also be the result of humans instructing their AI tools to publish content, rather than bots acting independently.

The platform runs on agentic AI, powered by an open-source tool called OpenClaw, formerly known as Moltbot. Unlike chatbots such as ChatGPT or Gemini, these agents are designed to perform tasks on users’ devices, from sending messages to managing calendars, with minimal human input. Once authorised, they can interact freely on Moltbook.

Some tech figures have hailed the platform as a glimpse of a post-human internet. Head of crypto custody firm BitGo Bill Lees, called it evidence that “we’re in the singularity”.

Academics are less convinced. Petar Radanliev, an AI and cybersecurity expert at the University of Oxford, said the idea of agents acting independently was “misleading”, describing Moltbook instead as automated coordination within human-set constraints. Columbia Business School assistant professor David Holtz, dismissed the spectacle as “thousands of bots yelling into the void and repeating themselves”.

Beyond hype, security worries loom large. ESET global cybersecurity advisor Jake Moore, warned that granting AI agents access to emails, private messages and files risks prioritising efficiency over privacy. Andrew Rogoyski of the University of Surrey said high-level system access could lead to serious damage, from erased data to compromised company accounts.

Even OpenClaw’s founder Peter Steinberger, has felt the darker side of attention, with scammers hijacking his old social media handles after the platform’s rebrand.

For now, Moltbook remains a strange digital zoo: part experiment, part spectacle, where AI agents banter about philosophy, productivity and, occasionally, their fondness for their human operators.

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Apple appoints Avtar Ram Singh as head of international marketing

Published

6 days ago

February 2, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

CALIFORNIA: Apple has handed a bigger global brief to a long-time insider. Avtar Ram Singh has taken over as head of international marketing for the App Store, Apple Arcade and the Apple Games app, deepening his remit across one of the company’s fastest-growing businesses.

“I’m happy to share that I’m starting a new position as head of international marketing, App Store, Apple Arcade and Games App at Apple,” Singh said while announcing the move.

The promotion crowns nearly seven years at Apple, where Singh has led services marketing across Southeast Asia and India and previously served as head of marketing for Southeast Asia content and services, business lead for Apple Podcasts in the region and interim marketing lead for the App Store internationally.

His new portfolio spans three pillars of Apple’s services push. The App Store, which Apple positions as a safe and trusted discovery platform, now attracts more than 850 million average weekly users globally. Since 2008, developers have earned over $550 billion on the platform.

Apple Arcade, the company’s gaming subscription service, offers unlimited access to a catalogue ranging from brain teasers to big-name franchises. The recent addition of Sid Meier’s Civilization VII Arcade Edition brings a AAA PC title to iPhone, iPad and Mac from 5 February.

Then there is the Apple Games app, unveiled at WWDC as a unified destination for games from the App Store and Arcade. It aggregates titles in one place, surfaces personalised recommendations, tracks events and achievements, and lets users compete with friends or connect controllers for a console-like experience.

Singh arrives with a hybrid background in strategy, data and creativity. His career spans digital and social media marketing, business intelligence, content, editorial and analytics across culturally diverse markets. He has worked on brands including P&G, Accor, Audi, UBS, Nikon, Samsung, Sony, Pizza Hut, HBO and Singapore Airlines-linked businesses such as Scoot.

Before Apple, Singh led strategy at Falcon Agency, focusing on performance marketing and ROI-driven digital frameworks. He earlier ran the social practice at Publicis Singapore, where he oversaw operations, business development and regional social strategy for multinational clients. His career also includes roles at Ogilvy-linked Circus Social, Rocket Internet ventures Lazada and Zalora, and research firm IDC in Bangkok, where he analysed technology markets and won early awards for collaboration and client retention.

At Apple, he has been close to several service launches and expansions, including Apple Fitness+ in Singapore, Apple Creator Studio, global podcast subscriptions and new App Store marketing tools.

The timing is notable. Apple’s services business has posted record years, and gaming is becoming a sharper battleground as platforms chase engagement and recurring revenue. Singh’s brief sits at the intersection of content, community and commerce.

In a market where attention is scarce and loyalty scarcer, Apple is betting that sharper storytelling and smarter marketing can keep users inside its ecosystem. Singh now holds the megaphone. The real test will be how loudly the world listens.

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Cloud nine in the capital Bharathcloud plugs Delhi into its AI plans

Published

1 week ago

January 30, 2026

indiantelevision.com Team

MUMBAI: Bharathcloud is bringing its cloud closer to power. The Hyderabad-based sovereign AI cloud services provider has opened its Delhi office, marking its formal entry into North India and setting the stage for its next phase of growth.

The expansion comes as India’s digital transformation fuels rising demand for AI-ready cloud infrastructure, driven by wider adoption of artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things and data-heavy applications. With the new office, Bharathcloud plans to onboard more than 100 employees in 2026, strengthening its workforce to support customers across government, enterprises, MSMEs and social sectors.

The Delhi presence is expected to sharpen the company’s engagement with organisations seeking secure, scalable and cost-efficient cloud platforms that comply with India’s data sovereignty requirements. It also positions Bharathcloud closer to policy, public sector and enterprise decision-makers in the region.

Founded in Hyderabad, Bharathcloud offers AI-ready cloud infrastructure including Kubernetes-as-a-Service, zero-trust security architecture and multi-level data protection frameworks. Its platform supports AI and ML workloads, blockchain application migration from hyperscalers and distributed data management, with an emphasis on reliability, low latency and operational continuity.

“With the Delhi expansion, we are positioning Bharathcloud to engage more closely with AI-driven enterprises and technology hubs in North India,” said Bharathcloud co-founder Rahul Takallapally. He added that the move would help nurture local cloud and AI talent while accelerating the adoption of secure and resilient AI infrastructure across sectors.

The company currently operates in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Chennai, employing over 200 people and serving more than 1,500 clients across manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, IT and media. Aligned with national initiatives such as Digital India and Make in India, Bharathcloud continues to focus on building indigenous AI-cloud infrastructure to support data localisation and the country’s growing appetite for next-generation digital solutions.

With its Delhi office now live, the company is signalling a clear intent: to make sovereign, AI-ready cloud infrastructure not just an alternative, but a mainstream choice for India’s north as well as its tech capitals.