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India Today
4 days ago
- General
- India Today
Goodbye pencils, hello pens: The class VI moment we all waited for
For many of us who grew up in the '80s, '90s, or early 2000s, growing up didn't come with a grand declaration. It came quietly, in the middle of a school day, wrapped in an unexpected announcement from a teacher: "From tomorrow, you all can start using pens."It wasn't just a rule change; it was a transformation. One moment, we were chewing the ends of HB pencils and begging for sharper erasers; the next, we were clutching leaky Hero fountain pens or shiny Reynolds 045s, feeling older, more responsible, and just a little bit powerful. advertisementThere was something beautifully irreversible about ink. Unlike pencil marks, you couldn't just rub your mistake away you had to live with it, scribble it out, or (if you were brave) use a correction pen and hope no one noticed. It felt like the world was trusting us with something serious. "I remember coming home with an ink-stained pocket and my mom just gave me that look," laughs Ankur Gupta, 36, now a lawyer. "She didn't say anything at first - just handed me a lemon to scrub it out. That was my first lesson in pen responsibility."THE PRESTIGE OF PENS advertisement In those days, your pen wasn't just a writing instrument; it was a social marker. Fountain pens were considered intellectual, even noble. Ballpoints were dependable. Gel pens were cool. And if you had a Parker pen gifted by an uncle abroad or handed down from your father, you were fights were a real thing during free periods, and so was pen envy. Kids would show off glitter pens with coloured ink and scent, or the magical four-in-one pen with buttons for red, blue, green, and black."I used to trade my lunch for someone's Add Gel pen for a day," says Swati Mishra, 34, a school teacher. "That smooth glide? Worth every bite of aloo paratha." We kept our pens in pencil pouches as if they were fine jewellery. Some of us even had 'lucky pens' for exams, and there was heartbreak when they ran out of ink mid-paper. The classic blue-ink eraser - that two-toned terror - promised miracles but usually left torn paper and YOUR WORDS (AND MISTAKES) More than anything, pens made us feel mature. They taught us to be careful, to write neatly, to mean what we said because there was no going back. The shift from pencil to pen was an early brush with the permanence of adulthood. "That first pen gave me a weird confidence," recalls Rashmi Nair, 37, a communications manager. "I wasn't just writing notes. I was telling the world I was ready - for responsibility, for mistakes, for all of it." We live in a digital world now, where children swipe before they scribble. But for a certain generation, pens marked the start of something bigger. A messy, meaningful, ink-stained journey into growing up. Picture credit: Generative AI by Vani Gupta
India Gazette
5 days ago
- Business
- India Gazette
Vedanta Software: Empowering Digital Journalism Through Scalable SAAS Solutions
Vedanta Software New Delhi [India], June 16: Vedanta Software, an emerging IT firm from Chhattisgarh, India, is making significant strides in the digital publishing sector by offering powerful and accessible SAAS-based solutions tailored for news portals and ePaper platforms. The firm has developed two cloud-based Content Management Systems -- Epaper CMS and Newsportal CMS -- designed specifically for media houses. These tools enable journalists and editors to publish digital replica of their newspapers, publish news articles, create web stories, and share content on social media, directly from their desktop or mobile devices. Initially created to serve small and mid-sized news publishers, Vedanta Software's platforms have now been adopted by some of India's leading regional publications, including Dainik Jagran, Navbharat, and Haribhoomi, among others. 'Running a modern news platform shouldn't require technical expertise. Our goal is to make digital journalism cost-effective, accessible and efficient for publishers of all sizes, anywhere in the world,' -- Ankur Gupta, Founder, Vedanta Software The platform includes modern publishing features such as Area Mapping, SEO-friendly URLs, advertisement management tools, web story modules, multi-user access with role-based permissions, and automated news distribution via RSS. While headquartered in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India, Vedanta Software is actively expanding its footprint, aiming to bring its user-friendly publishing tools to regional newsrooms across Asia, and other global markets. For partnerships, media inquiries, or to schedule a product demo, visit or contact via email at contact@ or WhatsApp/Call: +91-9977139265. (ADVERTORIAL DISCLAIMER: The above press release has been provided by Vedanta Software. ANI will not be responsible in any way for the content of the same)
Business Standard
5 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Vedanta Software: Empowering Digital Journalism Through Scalable SAAS Solutions
Vedanta Software New Delhi [India], June 16: Vedanta Software, an emerging IT firm from Chhattisgarh, India, is making significant strides in the digital publishing sector by offering powerful and accessible SAAS-based solutions tailored for news portals and ePaper platforms. The firm has developed two cloud-based Content Management Systems -- Epaper CMS and Newsportal CMS -- designed specifically for media houses. These tools enable journalists and editors to publish digital replica of their newspapers, publish news articles, create web stories, and share content on social media, directly from their desktop or mobile devices. Initially created to serve small and mid-sized news publishers, Vedanta Software's platforms have now been adopted by some of India's leading regional publications, including Dainik Jagran, Navbharat, and Haribhoomi, among others. "Running a modern news platform shouldn't require technical expertise. Our goal is to make digital journalism cost-effective, accessible and efficient for publishers of all sizes, anywhere in the world," -- Ankur Gupta, Founder, Vedanta Software The platform includes modern publishing features such as Area Mapping, SEO-friendly URLs, advertisement management tools, web story modules, multi-user access with role-based permissions, and automated news distribution via RSS. While headquartered in Bilaspur, Chhattisgarh, India, Vedanta Software is actively expanding its footprint, aiming to bring its user-friendly publishing tools to regional newsrooms across Asia, and other global markets. For partnerships, media inquiries, or to schedule a product demo, visit or contact via email at contact@ or WhatsApp/Call: +91-9977139265.
Entrepreneur
09-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Kosmc AI Secures $200,000 Pre-Seed Round to Bridge Gap Creators and Commerce
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Kosmc AI, a social commerce infrastructure startup, has raised $200,000 in pre-seed funding from a group of undisclosed angel investors based in India and the Middle East. According to a press release issued by the company, the capital will be used to enhance its no-code product suite, expand affiliate integrations, and scale operations across India and Southeast Asia. Kosmc AI is tackling what it calls a fundamental mismatch between how users interact on social platforms and how commerce actually happens. While platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram drive high engagement, the company argues that monetisation mechanisms remain outdated and inefficient. "Social platforms are now where discovery and engagement begin, but monetisation still relies on traditional e-commerce systems," said Ankur Gupta, CEO, Kosmc AI. "Kosmc is building infrastructure that allows individuals and brands to convert conversations and content into commerce, without needing code, commissions, or technical complexity." With over 160,000 monthly active users across 25 countries, the platform primarily serves content creators, digital-first entrepreneurs, and early-stage consumer brands. Its toolset includes link-in-bio storefronts for direct sales via social media, chat automation to handle customer interactions, mobile-optimised checkout Smartlinks, and affiliate tools to connect brands with creators and micro-influencers. The rise of short-form video, chat-based transactions, and influencer marketing is reshaping how consumers discover and purchase products. Kosmc AI is aiming to serve as a backbone for this emerging model of commerce—one that bypasses traditional e-commerce gatekeepers. Manavta Narula, co-founder and COO, underscored the company's broader ambition. "Commerce today needs to be creator-first, mobile-native, and frictionless," she said. "We are building tools that allow anyone to own their narrative, engage meaningfully, and earn from their presence online without heavy dependencies."
Entrepreneur
06-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Kosmc AI Raises Pre-Seed Round to Power AI-Driven Social Commerce
The fresh funding will be used to enhance Kosmc AI's no-code product suite, deepen affiliate integrations, and scale operations across India and Southeast Asia. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Delhi-based startup Kosmc AI has secured USD 200,000 in pre-seed funding from undisclosed angel investors across India and the Middle East to expand its AI-led social commerce infrastructure. The funding will be used to enhance Kosmc AI's no-code product suite, deepen affiliate integrations, and scale operations across India and Southeast Asia. The startup is on a mission to simplify how creators and direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands monetise content and engagement across platforms like Instagram, WhatsApp, and Telegram. Founded in 2024 by Ankur Gupta and Manavta Narula, Kosmc AI is building infrastructure that bridges the gap between social media engagement and actual commerce. The startup claims to have already supported over 160,000 monthly active users in more than 25 countries. "Social platforms are now where discovery and engagement begin, but monetisation still relies on traditional e-commerce systems," said Ankur Gupta, Founder and CEO of Kosmc AI. "Kosmc is building infrastructure that allows individuals and brands to convert conversations and content into commerce—without needing code, commissions, or technical complexity." Kosmc AI offers a powerful suite of four tools: Link-in-bio storefronts for selling directly via social media for selling directly via social media Chat automation tools for handling customer conversations for handling customer conversations Smartlinks to simplify mobile checkout journeys to simplify mobile checkout journeys Affiliate infrastructure that connects creators with D2C brands The company's no-code approach empowers digital-first entrepreneurs, content creators, and early-stage brands to own their commerce journey in a mobile-first, creator-led economy. Co-founder and COO Manavta Narula added, "The company's mission is to make the digital economy more accessible. Commerce today needs to be creator-first, mobile-native, and frictionless. We are building tools that allow anyone to own their narrative, engage meaningfully, and earn from their presence online without heavy dependencies." As the creator economy continues to surge, Kosmc AI positions itself at the forefront—enabling seamless monetisation where content, community, and commerce converge.
