Hello there! We have a short, concise edition today. We will be back with our regular edition on Tuesday (November 28)

One strange thing: It appears like we are seeing more drama in real life these days than in movies. Just as we were recovering from the recent Sam Altman chaos, the last few days have seen intense drama brewing in the world of IPL over Hardik Pandya's transfer.

Now, onto today's big news...

• Paytm ‘loves’ Open Network for Digital Commerce. In a move that could indicate the rekindling of its e-commerce ambitions, the fintech major has been testing a feature that places shopping via the ONDC option just beside scanning QR codes for making payments on its home page. Read more.

• Bengaluru's visually stunning T2 airport is set to accomplish another impressive feat. Passengers will soon no longer need to remove personal electronic devices, like mobile phones and laptops, from handbags at security checkpoints. The new system will only be for domestic passengers, and is likely to be operational in December 2023. Read more

• Byju’s parent firm has a new chief technology officer. The edtech giant has elevated Jiny Thattil, who was previously serving as former senior vice president of engineering, as the CTO following the exit of incumbent Anil Goel after a three year stint. This comes at a time when the company is battling troubles on various fronts, the latest with ED knocking its doors again. Read more

• In the last couple of weeks, there has been a lot of attention on deepfakes, ever since actor Rashmika Mandanna’s morphed picture went viral on social media platforms. But what are deepfakes, what spurred the recent controversy, how can you spot them, what the government is doing about it, and the way forward. Read our explainer

• After starting to manufacture semiconductor chips, homegrown electronics company Sahasra is now looking to make laptops — a lot of them. With a plan to invest up to Rs 250 crore over the next 6 years through the production-linked incentive scheme for tech hardware, the company wants to build up a capacity of assembling 100,000 laptops a month. Read more.

• Less than a month after discontinuing services to Indian users, Coinbase continues to hire and expand its tech team in India. The crypto exchange is currently hiring for product and tech roles for remote work and for Bengaluru and Hyderabad locations. This comes after it carried a series of layoffs in India and globally between 2022-2023 Read more 

• MapmyIndia board has approved raising of up to Rs 500 crore via qualified institutional placement. It will now need shareholder approval. Read more

• Emotorad, a Pune-based electric cycle and bike manufacturer, has raised $20 million (Rs 164 crore) in its Series B funding round in a mix of debt and equity led by Panthera Growth Partners and participation from existing investors Alteria Capital, xto10x Technologies, and Green Frontier Capital. Read more

• Employees of Mamaearth parent Honasa Consumer Care may reportedly sell shares worth Rs 150 crore in a block deal this week. Read more.

• Hybrid work setups will require a new set of tools for employees, says Slack co-founder Cal Henderson in an exclusive interview to us. He also spoke about how the pandemic changed Slack and workplace habits, generative AI, and the significance of the India market. Read more

• It’s the era of the operator founder: A look at why investors are rushing to back departing startup executives. Read more

• Bengaluru is turning to AI to address one of its biggest problems: Traffic congestion. Read more

• The departure of Tiger Global’s private equity head Scott Shleifer could deal a blow to the technology investor’s plans in India in the short term. However, the firm’s bet on the country’s startups is expected to remain alive and kicking over the longer term, according to its portfolio founders and venture capital peers. Read more

• Advertising is Mamaearth’s biggest cost item and that’s where the maximum leverage will come from, says CEO Varun Alagh in an interview to us.