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Saritha Rai
For Saritha Rai's latest contributions to The Japan Times, see below:
A pedestrian walks past a theatre promoting the "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" show in the West End district of London in 2020.
WORLD / Society
Dec 27, 2023
Researchers draw on Harry Potter to magic future AI into our world
The books’ enduring influence, wide range of language and complex wordplay make them particularly valuable for work on generative artificial intelligence.
AI software is being used to detect cognitive decline in older Japanese drivers in order to help prevent accidents.
BUSINESS / Tech
Oct 22, 2023
AI startup helps insurers spot cognitive decline in elderly drivers
Once reliant on a driver's age and model of car, some insurers now rely on AI to expedite settlements and craft more precise risk assessments.
Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, arriving at the bipartisan A.I. Insight Forum organized by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with labor union leaders and civil society groups, at the Capitol in Washington on Sept. 13.
BUSINESS / Companies
Sep 21, 2023
Nvidia CEO tours India eyeing AI market to hedge China risks
For Nvidia, whose processors are key to development of artificial intelligence systems, the South Asian nation of 1.4 billion presents a rare opportunity.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Jun 15, 2023
A chatbot that won't take bribes for giving advice is a hit in India
While the change that was ushered in by ChatGPT caused alarm about AI’s role in the spread of disinformation and job losses, it’s also a tool that can aid social equality.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Nov 30, 2021
SoftBank-backed Snapdeal targets $250 Million IPO in 2022
The e-commerce startup co-founded by Wharton alumnus Kunal Bahl in 2010 focuses on the less-affluent and less tech-savvy bulk of the population living outside India's biggest cities.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Oct 24, 2021
In just 21 days, Facebook led an Indian test account to gore and fake news
Originally designed to show the company's ability to recommend content, a new report shows just how little control Facebook has in one of its most important markets.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Aug 19, 2021
China's regulatory upheaval helps propel India's $8.8 billion wave of startup IPOs
At the current pace, 2021 will exceed the country's all-time record of $11.8 billion, with all involved racing to cash in on fervent demand for fresh public offerings.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Tech
Jul 20, 2021
Flush with unicorns, India’s tech moment arrives
Last week marked a watershed for technology startups in India, as a record bout of fundraising shifted attention to the world's second-most populous market.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Jun 30, 2021
Big Tech is gearing up for a massive fight with Modi’s India
India is growing more assertive in its efforts to control online communications, challenging Twitter and Facebook's practices and threatening to set a precedent that could extend worldwide.
Japan Times
ASIA PACIFIC
Apr 22, 2021
'Please help!': COVID-19 tragedy spills onto social media in India
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Telegram are all inundated with messages from distraught family members and friends.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 16, 2021
SoftBank is said to invest $450 million in Indian startup Swiggy
The food delivery firm also closed an $800 million funding round from investors including Falcon Edge Capital LP and Goldman Sachs Group Inc. about a week ago.
Japan Times
BUSINESS
Feb 17, 2021
Twitter’s clash with India government gives boost to local rival
The Koo app shot to prominence after the San Francisco company got into a weekslong standoff with the Indian government over blocking certain content.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 13, 2020
Masayoshi Son’s $2 billion guarantee at risk as virus sickens SoftBank star Oyo
Just nine months ago, Masayoshi Son publicly declared Ritesh Agarwal one of the star entrepreneurs backed by his SoftBank Group Corp. The billionaire boasted that Agarwal’s Oyo Hotels & Homes was poised to overtake the biggest hotel chains in the world just a few years after its founding.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Oct 25, 2019
Uber CEO Khosrowshahi vows to deliver a profit, with help from India
Uber Technologies Inc. Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi is vowing to make his company profitable while pursuing growth from emerging arenas such as India, addressing investors' concerns about the ride-sharing company's mounting losses and global regulatory challenges.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Jul 23, 2018
Together with Indian startup Paytm, SoftBank plans to create mobile payment service in Japan by year-end
SoftBank Group Corp. plans to announce within days that it will start a mobile digital payments service in Japan by the end of 2018, as billionaire founder Masayoshi Son seeks to expand in the sector, people familiar with the matter said.
Japan Times
BUSINESS / Companies
Apr 11, 2017
Son and Bezos set to clash in India e-commerce expansion
SoftBank Group Corp.'s Masayoshi Son and Amazon.com Inc. founder Jeff Bezos are heading for a clash in India.

Longform

Historically, kabuki was considered the entertainment of the merchant and peasant classes, a far cry from how it is regarded today.
For Japan's oldest kabuki theater, the show must go on