Dear Reader,
The future points to agentic AI, and its implementation is gathering pace.
Cognizant and Google Cloud are expanding their partnership to accelerate adoption of agentic AI. This includes a ‘Gemini Frontier Capability Group’, which brings together Google’s full-stack, enterprise-ready AI platform and Cognizant’s industry and engineering expertise as an AI-builder.
The group will be supported by more than 18,000 dedicated Cognizant associates and a substantial joint investment.
Meanwhile, ahead of its IPO, Jio Platforms’ anchor book has drawn Rs 2.5 lakh crore in bids. The company allotted 7.24 crore shares at a price of Rs 1,119 apiece to anchor investors, with LIC receiving the largest allocation.
Moving on, Hunar.AI has raised Rs 40 crore in a Series A funding round led by Blume Ventures. The round also saw participation from Hyderabad Angels Fund, Together Fund, Seedstars, AVNM Ventures, PhysicsWallah co-founders Prateek Maheshwari and Alakh Pandey, and MediaMint co-founder Aditya Vuchi.
The startup, which develops specialised AI tech for frontline-intensive industries, will use the funds for building AI infrastructure, product development, and go-to-market expansion.
Lastly, a report by Redseer notes that the online retail market in the country is expected to cross $90 billion this year with grocery overtaking mobiles. The gross merchandise value of the ecommerce market expanded roughly 25% year on year to about $38 billion in the first half of 2026, marking its strongest H1 performance in four years.
In today’s newsletter, we will talk about
- Amazon’s bet on agentic AI to power enterprise ops
- Marketing AI tool: Is it driving profit or just noise?
Here’s your trivia for today: What was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon ever produced? (Scroll down for the answer)
TechSparks
Amazon bets on agentic AI to power enterprise ops
Speaking at TechSparks 2026, Rajeev Rastogi, Vice President of Machine Learning at Amazon, highlighted the rise of agentic AI in the entire enterprise operating layer, marking a transition from static software to autonomous systems capable of understanding natural language instructions.
“Agents prepare plans dynamically to solve a problem... and invoke the appropriate tools,” Rastogi explained during a fireside chat at the 17th edition of YourStory’s flagship tech-startup event.
Driving transformation:
- Instead of relying on human intervention at every step, these autonomous agents evaluate queries, formulate a sequence of actions, and call specialised digital tools to complete complex tasks end-to-end.
- Within Amazon, this operating layer is active in systems like Rufus, a conversational shopping assistant that parses customer requests, applies price filters, invokes search engines, and guides users through product comparisons and checkout journeys. Similarly, autonomous seller assistants pre-fill product listings, monitor inventory levels, and guide small businesses through international export compliance.
- According to Rastogi, eventually the industry will advance towards genuine world models that possess an internal understanding of physical spaces and environmental behaviour, establishing a practical, cost-effective framework for enterprise automation.
TechSparks
Is your marketing AI tool driving profit or just noise?
At TechSparks 2026, Anand Jain, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer of CleverTap, a customer engagement and marketing automation platform, explained why marketing teams must move beyond basic generative AI productivity tools and adopt autonomous, real-time decisioning systems that drive genuine business profit.
Key takeaways:
- In a masterclass on marketing strategy, Jain urged leaders to look beyond simple shortcuts, and move from using AI for fun and games to generating actual business results.
- While creating content using AI makes the job faster and saves time, Jain questioned whether it truly drives growth. “Is it actually going to impact business results or is it just more of the same?”
- Instead of broadcasting generic promotions to large groups, modern marketing engines should interpret live customer actions to match individual needs. This approach marks a shift towards the highest level of AI maturity, known as ‘real-time decisioning’.
News & updates
- Trade deal: The India-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement has come into effect. The agreement provides duty-free access to a range of Indian goods, including products from labour-intensive sectors such as textiles and leather.
- OYO IPO: OYO parent PRISM plans to nearly halve the size of the fresh issue in its proposed IPO to up to Rs 3,350 crore from almost Rs 6,650 crore. This follows strong cash generation and an improving balance-sheet position, people familiar with the matter told PTI.
- Diplomatic visit: US Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrived in India on Tuesday, days after President Donald Trump delayed tariffs on US imports from India, as the two countries seek to finalise a trade deal. During his two-day visit to Mumbai and Jamnagar, Rubio is set to meet government and business leaders.
What was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon ever produced?
Answer: The silent short Plane Crazy
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