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OpenAI’s existential questions | TechCrunch


OpenAI has been all over the news recently, whether that news is about acquisitions, competition with Anthropic, or bigger debates about AI’s impact on society.

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I did our best to round up all the latest OpenAI news. While the company’s latest acquisitions seem to be classic acqui-hires, Sean suggested they also address “two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.”







First, with the team behind personal finance startup Hiro, the company may be hoping to  come up with a product that has “more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.” And with new media startup TBPN, OpenAI could be looking to “better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great.”

Read a preview of our conversation, edited for length and clarity below.

Anthony: [We have] two deals that are worth mentioning, one is that OpenAI acquired this personal finance startup called Hiro. And that comes after another deal that was literally announced when we were recording our last episode of Equity, so we didn’t get to talk about it: OpenAI had also acquired TBPN — a business talk show, like a new media company.

And I think both of these deals are pretty small compared to the scale of OpenAI. These are not things that people expect to really change the course of their business or anything like that, but they’re interesting because it suggests that there’s still this [attitude of,] “Let’s try out different things.”

Especially [with] the TBPN deal […] particularly at this time when it feels like OpenAI, from all the reporting we’re reading, is also trying to really refocus on making ChatGPT and its GPT models really competitive in an enterprise context with programmers.

	
		
		Techcrunch event
		
			
			
									San Francisco, CA
													|
													October 13-15, 2026
							
			
		
	


Is running a tech talk show, should that really be on the to-do list?

Kirsten: No, this should not be on the to-do list. That’s it. 

I do want to mention Hiro because to me, that’s an interesting one, because Julie Bort, our venture editor, super talented, she wrote about this and was I think the first to write about it. She dug in a little bit and basically this looks like an acqui-hire. The company is folding. They basically said, “By this date, you won’t be able to access this anymore.”







This is a personal finance startup. And they only launched two years ago. So this absolutely is about getting talent on board. So I’m very curious to see if OpenAI is going to be just absorbing them into the ether at OpenAI, or if they’re actually interested in some sort of personal finance product that they want to work on. To me, it’s not really clear.

Sean: I think you look at both of these as acqui-hires to a certain extent. I mean, the TBPN acquisition, allegedly they are going to retain their editorial independence on the show that they make every day. And all respect to those guys who’ve put that out there and gotten it off the ground so quickly and grown it into what it has become.

I think any person who follows the media should have a healthy dose of skepticism that when you acquire something like that and you put the people who make the show under the org of the public policy people and comms or marketing adjacent people higher up at the company making the acquisition, that you could have good questions about whether or not saying “editorial independence” is enough. It’s not an incantation that just works.

But you know, what’s interesting to me about these two, while they are similar in their acqui-hire-ness, I think they both represent two major problems that OpenAI is facing.

One is Hiro. OpenAI has a very successful product in ChatGPT. As far as whether or not that will actually ever make them enough money to become a sustainable business that’s not raising the largest private rounds in the world, ever, to keep things going, is a big question. And they also seem to be struggling to keep up on the enterprise side of things where the real money seems to be, so bringing in a team like this seems like taking a shot at, “What else can we do?” 

The guy who founded Hiro seems to have a serial entrepreneur streak of creating consumer apps, and so this seems to me like a bet on them being able to come up with something else that may have more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.

And then TBPN is an acquisition made to help better represent what the company does and better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great and certainly is under more questions now than just a few weeks ago, because Ronan Farrow just led a report at The New Yorker that dropped suspiciously right around the time that this and a couple other announcements from OpenAI came out last week. 

I think those are two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.







Kirsten: So the thing that you didn’t say is, there’s Anthropic kind of looming in — not in the shadows, I mean, they’re very much taking up a lot of space here — but they’re having a lot of success on the enterprise side of things.

It feels like these guys are competitors and they also feel like very different companies in a lot of ways. Anthony, I’m wondering if you see them as direct competition to OpenAI? Or [are they] just finding their stride in enterprise and in a way, these two companies are clearly going to coexist and they’re really not directly competing with each other — maybe on talent, but not necessarily as we initially thought of them?

Anthony: I think they’re directly competing with each other. There’s definitely a scenario where if AI as an industry, as a technology, is as successful as its proponents hope for, they could both be very successful companies, they could just be the one and two. And the success of one does not necessarily mean that the other will just fade into obscurity. 

And again, none of this is official, but there’s just been a lot of reporting around how it seems like OpenAI, more than anyone, is obsessed with and upset about Anthropic’s rise. 

Our reporter Lucas [Ropek], he did a great piece over the weekend about the HumanX conference, where he was talking to everyone there and they’re sort of like, “Yeah, ChatGPT is fine, too,” but like they were all about Claude Code. And I think that is exactly what OpenAI is worried about.

Because again, in theory, there could be many other opportunities for generative AI, but it feels like the big growth area, the area where the most money is and where they could at least see a path to having a sustainable business in the future, is in these enterprise and coding tools.


#OpenAIs #existential #questions #TechCrunchAnthropic,Equity podcast,OpenAI

OpenAI’s existential questions | TechCrunch

OpenAI has been all over the news recently, whether that news is about acquisitions, competition with Anthropic, or bigger debates about AI’s impact on society.

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I did our best to round up all the latest OpenAI news. While the company’s latest acquisitions seem to be classic acqui-hires, Sean suggested they also address “two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.”

First, with the team behind personal finance startup Hiro, the company may be hoping to  come up with a product that has “more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.” And with new media startup TBPN, OpenAI could be looking to “better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great.”

Read a preview of our conversation, edited for length and clarity below.

Anthony: [We have] two deals that are worth mentioning, one is that OpenAI acquired this personal finance startup called Hiro. And that comes after another deal that was literally announced when we were recording our last episode of Equity, so we didn’t get to talk about it: OpenAI had also acquired TBPN — a business talk show, like a new media company.

And I think both of these deals are pretty small compared to the scale of OpenAI. These are not things that people expect to really change the course of their business or anything like that, but they’re interesting because it suggests that there’s still this [attitude of,] “Let’s try out different things.”

Especially [with] the TBPN deal […] particularly at this time when it feels like OpenAI, from all the reporting we’re reading, is also trying to really refocus on making ChatGPT and its GPT models really competitive in an enterprise context with programmers.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA | October 13-15, 2026

Is running a tech talk show, should that really be on the to-do list?

Kirsten: No, this should not be on the to-do list. That’s it. 

I do want to mention Hiro because to me, that’s an interesting one, because Julie Bort, our venture editor, super talented, she wrote about this and was I think the first to write about it. She dug in a little bit and basically this looks like an acqui-hire. The company is folding. They basically said, “By this date, you won’t be able to access this anymore.”

This is a personal finance startup. And they only launched two years ago. So this absolutely is about getting talent on board. So I’m very curious to see if OpenAI is going to be just absorbing them into the ether at OpenAI, or if they’re actually interested in some sort of personal finance product that they want to work on. To me, it’s not really clear.

Sean: I think you look at both of these as acqui-hires to a certain extent. I mean, the TBPN acquisition, allegedly they are going to retain their editorial independence on the show that they make every day. And all respect to those guys who’ve put that out there and gotten it off the ground so quickly and grown it into what it has become.

I think any person who follows the media should have a healthy dose of skepticism that when you acquire something like that and you put the people who make the show under the org of the public policy people and comms or marketing adjacent people higher up at the company making the acquisition, that you could have good questions about whether or not saying “editorial independence” is enough. It’s not an incantation that just works.

But you know, what’s interesting to me about these two, while they are similar in their acqui-hire-ness, I think they both represent two major problems that OpenAI is facing.

One is Hiro. OpenAI has a very successful product in ChatGPT. As far as whether or not that will actually ever make them enough money to become a sustainable business that’s not raising the largest private rounds in the world, ever, to keep things going, is a big question. And they also seem to be struggling to keep up on the enterprise side of things where the real money seems to be, so bringing in a team like this seems like taking a shot at, “What else can we do?” 

The guy who founded Hiro seems to have a serial entrepreneur streak of creating consumer apps, and so this seems to me like a bet on them being able to come up with something else that may have more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.

And then TBPN is an acquisition made to help better represent what the company does and better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great and certainly is under more questions now than just a few weeks ago, because Ronan Farrow just led a report at The New Yorker that dropped suspiciously right around the time that this and a couple other announcements from OpenAI came out last week. 

I think those are two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.

Kirsten: So the thing that you didn’t say is, there’s Anthropic kind of looming in — not in the shadows, I mean, they’re very much taking up a lot of space here — but they’re having a lot of success on the enterprise side of things.

It feels like these guys are competitors and they also feel like very different companies in a lot of ways. Anthony, I’m wondering if you see them as direct competition to OpenAI? Or [are they] just finding their stride in enterprise and in a way, these two companies are clearly going to coexist and they’re really not directly competing with each other — maybe on talent, but not necessarily as we initially thought of them?

Anthony: I think they’re directly competing with each other. There’s definitely a scenario where if AI as an industry, as a technology, is as successful as its proponents hope for, they could both be very successful companies, they could just be the one and two. And the success of one does not necessarily mean that the other will just fade into obscurity. 

And again, none of this is official, but there’s just been a lot of reporting around how it seems like OpenAI, more than anyone, is obsessed with and upset about Anthropic’s rise. 

Our reporter Lucas [Ropek], he did a great piece over the weekend about the HumanX conference, where he was talking to everyone there and they’re sort of like, “Yeah, ChatGPT is fine, too,” but like they were all about Claude Code. And I think that is exactly what OpenAI is worried about.

Because again, in theory, there could be many other opportunities for generative AI, but it feels like the big growth area, the area where the most money is and where they could at least see a path to having a sustainable business in the future, is in these enterprise and coding tools.

#OpenAIs #existential #questions #TechCrunchAnthropic,Equity podcast,OpenAI

OpenAI has been all over the news recently, whether that news is about acquisitions, competition with Anthropic, or bigger debates about AI’s impact on society.

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O’Kane, and I did our best to round up all the latest OpenAI news. While the company’s latest acquisitions seem to be classic acqui-hires, Sean suggested they also address “two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.”

First, with the team behind personal finance startup Hiro, the company may be hoping to  come up with a product that has “more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.” And with new media startup TBPN, OpenAI could be looking to “better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great.”

Read a preview of our conversation, edited for length and clarity below.

Anthony: [We have] two deals that are worth mentioning, one is that OpenAI acquired this personal finance startup called Hiro. And that comes after another deal that was literally announced when we were recording our last episode of Equity, so we didn’t get to talk about it: OpenAI had also acquired TBPN — a business talk show, like a new media company.

And I think both of these deals are pretty small compared to the scale of OpenAI. These are not things that people expect to really change the course of their business or anything like that, but they’re interesting because it suggests that there’s still this [attitude of,] “Let’s try out different things.”

Especially [with] the TBPN deal […] particularly at this time when it feels like OpenAI, from all the reporting we’re reading, is also trying to really refocus on making ChatGPT and its GPT models really competitive in an enterprise context with programmers.

Techcrunch event

San Francisco, CA
|
October 13-15, 2026

Is running a tech talk show, should that really be on the to-do list?

Kirsten: No, this should not be on the to-do list. That’s it. 

I do want to mention Hiro because to me, that’s an interesting one, because Julie Bort, our venture editor, super talented, she wrote about this and was I think the first to write about it. She dug in a little bit and basically this looks like an acqui-hire. The company is folding. They basically said, “By this date, you won’t be able to access this anymore.”

This is a personal finance startup. And they only launched two years ago. So this absolutely is about getting talent on board. So I’m very curious to see if OpenAI is going to be just absorbing them into the ether at OpenAI, or if they’re actually interested in some sort of personal finance product that they want to work on. To me, it’s not really clear.

Sean: I think you look at both of these as acqui-hires to a certain extent. I mean, the TBPN acquisition, allegedly they are going to retain their editorial independence on the show that they make every day. And all respect to those guys who’ve put that out there and gotten it off the ground so quickly and grown it into what it has become.

I think any person who follows the media should have a healthy dose of skepticism that when you acquire something like that and you put the people who make the show under the org of the public policy people and comms or marketing adjacent people higher up at the company making the acquisition, that you could have good questions about whether or not saying “editorial independence” is enough. It’s not an incantation that just works.

But you know, what’s interesting to me about these two, while they are similar in their acqui-hire-ness, I think they both represent two major problems that OpenAI is facing.

One is Hiro. OpenAI has a very successful product in ChatGPT. As far as whether or not that will actually ever make them enough money to become a sustainable business that’s not raising the largest private rounds in the world, ever, to keep things going, is a big question. And they also seem to be struggling to keep up on the enterprise side of things where the real money seems to be, so bringing in a team like this seems like taking a shot at, “What else can we do?” 

The guy who founded Hiro seems to have a serial entrepreneur streak of creating consumer apps, and so this seems to me like a bet on them being able to come up with something else that may have more hooks than just a chatbot, and maybe something worth paying more for.

And then TBPN is an acquisition made to help better represent what the company does and better shape its image in the public eye, which lately has not been great and certainly is under more questions now than just a few weeks ago, because Ronan Farrow just led a report at The New Yorker that dropped suspiciously right around the time that this and a couple other announcements from OpenAI came out last week. 

I think those are two big existential problems that OpenAI is trying to solve right now.

Kirsten: So the thing that you didn’t say is, there’s Anthropic kind of looming in — not in the shadows, I mean, they’re very much taking up a lot of space here — but they’re having a lot of success on the enterprise side of things.

It feels like these guys are competitors and they also feel like very different companies in a lot of ways. Anthony, I’m wondering if you see them as direct competition to OpenAI? Or [are they] just finding their stride in enterprise and in a way, these two companies are clearly going to coexist and they’re really not directly competing with each other — maybe on talent, but not necessarily as we initially thought of them?

Anthony: I think they’re directly competing with each other. There’s definitely a scenario where if AI as an industry, as a technology, is as successful as its proponents hope for, they could both be very successful companies, they could just be the one and two. And the success of one does not necessarily mean that the other will just fade into obscurity. 

And again, none of this is official, but there’s just been a lot of reporting around how it seems like OpenAI, more than anyone, is obsessed with and upset about Anthropic’s rise. 

Our reporter Lucas [Ropek], he did a great piece over the weekend about the HumanX conference, where he was talking to everyone there and they’re sort of like, “Yeah, ChatGPT is fine, too,” but like they were all about Claude Code. And I think that is exactly what OpenAI is worried about.

Because again, in theory, there could be many other opportunities for generative AI, but it feels like the big growth area, the area where the most money is and where they could at least see a path to having a sustainable business in the future, is in these enterprise and coding tools.

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Deadspin | Sei Young Kim rides ups, downs to hold lead at LA Championship <div id=""><section id="0" class=" w-full"><div class="xl:container mx-0 !px-4 py-0 pb-4 !mx-0 !px-0"><img src="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/21290461.jpg" srcset="https://images.deadspin.com/tr:w-900/21290461.jpg" alt="LPGA: CP Women's Open - Final Round" class="w-full" fetchpriority="high" loading="eager"/><span class="text-0.8 leading-tight">Aug 27, 2023; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Sei Young Kim hits out of bunker on the fifteenth green during the final round of the CPKC Women’s Open golf tournament at Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images<!-- --> <!-- --> </span></div></section><section id="section-1"> <p>South Korea’s Sei Young Kim endured a rough back nine with four consecutive bogeys on Saturday but retained her lead after three rounds at the JM Eagle LA Championship in Tarzana, Calif.</p> </section><section id="section-2"> <p>Ranked No. 10 in the world, Kim had a one-shot lead entering the day and expanded that to two strokes with a 1-under-par 71 to move to 15-under 201 at El Caballero Country Club.</p> </section><section id="section-3"> <p>“Oh, wow, it’s feel like, yeah, roller coaster,” Kim said of her round. “I didn’t know still two-shot lead until the last hole. Yeah, after finish I look at the scoreboard and I still (hold a) two-shot lead. OK, one more day. Yeah, I’m going better tomorrow.”</p> </section><section id="section-4"> <p>Four players are tied for second at 13 under: Australia’s Hannah Green (5-under 67 on Saturday), Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), South Korea’s Ina Yoon (71) and Jessica Porvasnik (68).</p> </section><section id="section-5"> <p>Kim shot a blistering 31 on the front nine with five birdies (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) and four pars to get to 19 under for the tournament. The back nine, however, was a different story with four pars followed by bogeys at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 before a par on No. 18 for 40.</p> </section><section id="section-6"> <p>Kim had carded one bogey in a first-round 65 and followed with a bogey-free 65 on Friday.</p> </section><section id="section-7"> <p>She hit seven of 14 fairways on Saturday and 13 of 18 greens in regulation while totaling 28 putts.</p> </section><br/><section id="section-8"> <p>“I don’t know forget about (the third round) because I want to keep thinking and then I want to why, why, why, why. I don’t want to make (it) happen again,” Kim said. “But it’s golf. It can be happen again. It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn, yeah. Hopefully, success (at the) end of the day tomorrow.”</p> </section> <section id="section-9"> <p>Green’s adventurous 67 featured seven birdies and two bogeys. Vinijchaitham made eagle on the par-5 16th hole, and also have five birdies and two bogeys.</p> </section><section id="section-10"> <p>Yoon recorded four birdies and three bogeys, while Porvasnik carded seven birdies — including each of the last three holes — to counter a double bogey on the par-3 No. 9 and a bogey at the par-3 No. 15.</p> </section><section id="section-11"> <p>“I felt like I was playing pretty well,” Porvasnik said. “Had a hiccup on nine and just kind of kept grinding. Knew that just stay patient out there. It’s playing tough. To have the three birdies to close was just really nice.”</p> </section><section id="section-12"> <p>Kim, 33, owns 13 career LPGA victories, but just one in the past six years, at the BMW Ladies Championship last October.</p> </section><section id="section-13"> <p>Japan’s Chizzy Iwai had led after a course-record-tying 63 on Thursday, then carded a 68 on Friday to get to 13 under. She carded a 3-over 75 on Saturday to fall to 10 under and a tie for 10th.</p> </section><section id="section-14"> <p>Iwai made just one birdie, at the par-4 No. 13, and lost ground with bogeys at Nos. 2, 7, 17 and 18.</p> </section><section id="section-15"> <p>–Field Level Media</p> </section></div> #Deadspin #Sei #Young #Kim #rides #ups #downs #hold #lead #Championship

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Indore News: शादियों में फिर बढ़ी एलपीजी की मांग, लोग कार्ड दिखाकर मांग रहे सिलिंडर

India on Thursday approved a manufacturing joint venture between China’s Vivo and local manufacturer Dixon Technologies, a move that could mark the next phase of the country’s smartphone manufacturing boom after Apple helped turn India into a global smartphone production hub.

The approval allows Vivo to proceed with a long-delayed manufacturing partnership first announced in December 2024, after New Delhi cleared the investment under investment rules introduced in 2020 that require extra government scrutiny of investment from countries sharing a land border with India — a category that includes China. The joint venture will acquire certain manufacturing assets from Vivo, manufacture part of the company’s smartphone orders in India, and can also produce electronic products for other brands, according to a stock exchange filing by Noida-based Dixon.

The 51/49 venture — majority-owned by Dixon, with Vivo holding the remaining stake — reflects a broader shift in how Chinese smartphone brands are expanding manufacturing in India through local partnerships. For an industry watching how governments referee the relationship between Chinese capital and domestic manufacturing, the structure, analysts believe, could become a template for similar arrangements across the industry, helping broaden India’s smartphone manufacturing story beyond Apple.

Over the past few years, India has emerged as a major global smartphone manufacturing hub as Apple and its suppliers expanded iPhone production in the country while diversifying supply chains beyond China. Government incentives have also helped attract global electronics manufacturers, boosting the country’s role in global smartphone production.

Apple spent years building its manufacturing footprint in India and today accounts for 57% of the country’s smartphone exports by volume, according to Counterpoint Research’s data shared with TechCrunch. Chinese brands, on the other hand, dominate India’s smartphone market sales with 72% of the market, but contribute less than 10% of exports, a gap that shows how much upside is still on the table if they start exporting from India the way Apple does.

Apple’s India manufacturing expansion has largely been driven by suppliers such as Foxconn and Tata. Chinese smartphone brands, meanwhile, are increasingly exploring partnerships with Indian companies after New Delhi tightened investment rules for neighboring countries following the 2020 border clashes with China. Several of those companies, including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, have also faced tax and regulatory investigations in India in recent years, which helps explain why ceding majority control to an Indian partner is now looking like the more sustainable path forward.

Local partnerships such as the Dixon-Vivo venture offer Chinese brands a more stable operating model, while aligning with India’s push for greater local participation in electronics manufacturing, said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.

“The approval of this joint venture creates a win-win for both players,” Pathak told TechCrunch. He added that the majority-Indian-owned structure provides Vivo with greater policy alignment while giving Dixon the scale to deepen local value addition and pursue exports.

Vivo has manufactured and exported smartphones from India for years, but the approved venture marks a shift toward a majority Indian-owned manufacturing structure as the market leader deepens its footprint in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. The Chinese smartphone vendor retained the top spot in India’s smartphone market with a 23% shipment share in Q1, per Counterpoint.

For Dixon, India’s largest electronics manufacturing services company, the venture could add annualized manufacturing volumes of about 20 million to 22 million smartphones, based on Vivo’s current sales, according to comments by Managing Director Atul Lall during the company’s May earnings call. That’s a meaningful volume bump for a public company whose growth increasingly hinges on winning exactly these kinds of manufacturing contracts.

Dixon already manufactures smartphones for Xiaomi, suggesting the Vivo venture builds on an expanding role as a manufacturing partner for both global and Chinese smartphone brands in India, and reinforces its position as one of the more reliable bets in India’s electronics build-out.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Apple #Indias #smartphone #manufacturing #boom #enters #phase #Vivo #TechCrunchDixon,vivo">After Apple, India’s smartphone manufacturing boom enters new phase with Vivo JV | TechCrunch
India on Thursday approved a manufacturing joint venture between China’s Vivo and local manufacturer Dixon Technologies, a move that could mark the next phase of the country’s smartphone manufacturing boom after Apple helped turn India into a global smartphone production hub.

The approval allows Vivo to proceed with a long-delayed manufacturing partnership first announced in December 2024, after New Delhi cleared the investment under investment rules introduced in 2020 that require extra government scrutiny of investment from countries sharing a land border with India — a category that includes China. The joint venture will acquire certain manufacturing assets from Vivo, manufacture part of the company’s smartphone orders in India, and can also produce electronic products for other brands, according to a stock exchange filing by Noida-based Dixon.







The 51/49 venture — majority-owned by Dixon, with Vivo holding the remaining stake — reflects a broader shift in how Chinese smartphone brands are expanding manufacturing in India through local partnerships. For an industry watching how governments referee the relationship between Chinese capital and domestic manufacturing, the structure, analysts believe, could become a template for similar arrangements across the industry, helping broaden India’s smartphone manufacturing story beyond Apple.

Over the past few years, India has emerged as a major global smartphone manufacturing hub as Apple and its suppliers expanded iPhone production in the country while diversifying supply chains beyond China. Government incentives have also helped attract global electronics manufacturers, boosting the country’s role in global smartphone production.

Apple spent years building its manufacturing footprint in India and today accounts for 57% of the country’s smartphone exports by volume, according to Counterpoint Research’s data shared with TechCrunch. Chinese brands, on the other hand, dominate India’s smartphone market sales with 72% of the market, but contribute less than 10% of exports, a gap that shows how much upside is still on the table if they start exporting from India the way Apple does.

Apple’s India manufacturing expansion has largely been driven by suppliers such as Foxconn and Tata. Chinese smartphone brands, meanwhile, are increasingly exploring partnerships with Indian companies after New Delhi tightened investment rules for neighboring countries following the 2020 border clashes with China. Several of those companies, including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, have also faced tax and regulatory investigations in India in recent years, which helps explain why ceding majority control to an Indian partner is now looking like the more sustainable path forward.

Local partnerships such as the Dixon-Vivo venture offer Chinese brands a more stable operating model, while aligning with India’s push for greater local participation in electronics manufacturing, said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.


“The approval of this joint venture creates a win-win for both players,” Pathak told TechCrunch. He added that the majority-Indian-owned structure provides Vivo with greater policy alignment while giving Dixon the scale to deepen local value addition and pursue exports.

Vivo has manufactured and exported smartphones from India for years, but the approved venture marks a shift toward a majority Indian-owned manufacturing structure as the market leader deepens its footprint in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. The Chinese smartphone vendor retained the top spot in India’s smartphone market with a 23% shipment share in Q1, per Counterpoint.

For Dixon, India’s largest electronics manufacturing services company, the venture could add annualized manufacturing volumes of about 20 million to 22 million smartphones, based on Vivo’s current sales, according to comments by Managing Director Atul Lall during the company’s May earnings call. That’s a meaningful volume bump for a public company whose growth increasingly hinges on winning exactly these kinds of manufacturing contracts.







Dixon already manufactures smartphones for Xiaomi, suggesting the Vivo venture builds on an expanding role as a manufacturing partner for both global and Chinese smartphone brands in India, and reinforces its position as one of the more reliable bets in India’s electronics build-out.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Apple #Indias #smartphone #manufacturing #boom #enters #phase #Vivo #TechCrunchDixon,vivo

first announced in December 2024, after New Delhi cleared the investment under investment rules introduced in 2020 that require extra government scrutiny of investment from countries sharing a land border with India — a category that includes China. The joint venture will acquire certain manufacturing assets from Vivo, manufacture part of the company’s smartphone orders in India, and can also produce electronic products for other brands, according to a stock exchange filing by Noida-based Dixon.

The 51/49 venture — majority-owned by Dixon, with Vivo holding the remaining stake — reflects a broader shift in how Chinese smartphone brands are expanding manufacturing in India through local partnerships. For an industry watching how governments referee the relationship between Chinese capital and domestic manufacturing, the structure, analysts believe, could become a template for similar arrangements across the industry, helping broaden India’s smartphone manufacturing story beyond Apple.

Over the past few years, India has emerged as a major global smartphone manufacturing hub as Apple and its suppliers expanded iPhone production in the country while diversifying supply chains beyond China. Government incentives have also helped attract global electronics manufacturers, boosting the country’s role in global smartphone production.

Apple spent years building its manufacturing footprint in India and today accounts for 57% of the country’s smartphone exports by volume, according to Counterpoint Research’s data shared with TechCrunch. Chinese brands, on the other hand, dominate India’s smartphone market sales with 72% of the market, but contribute less than 10% of exports, a gap that shows how much upside is still on the table if they start exporting from India the way Apple does.

Apple’s India manufacturing expansion has largely been driven by suppliers such as Foxconn and Tata. Chinese smartphone brands, meanwhile, are increasingly exploring partnerships with Indian companies after New Delhi tightened investment rules for neighboring countries following the 2020 border clashes with China. Several of those companies, including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, have also faced tax and regulatory investigations in India in recent years, which helps explain why ceding majority control to an Indian partner is now looking like the more sustainable path forward.

Local partnerships such as the Dixon-Vivo venture offer Chinese brands a more stable operating model, while aligning with India’s push for greater local participation in electronics manufacturing, said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.

“The approval of this joint venture creates a win-win for both players,” Pathak told TechCrunch. He added that the majority-Indian-owned structure provides Vivo with greater policy alignment while giving Dixon the scale to deepen local value addition and pursue exports.

Vivo has manufactured and exported smartphones from India for years, but the approved venture marks a shift toward a majority Indian-owned manufacturing structure as the market leader deepens its footprint in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. The Chinese smartphone vendor retained the top spot in India’s smartphone market with a 23% shipment share in Q1, per Counterpoint.

For Dixon, India’s largest electronics manufacturing services company, the venture could add annualized manufacturing volumes of about 20 million to 22 million smartphones, based on Vivo’s current sales, according to comments by Managing Director Atul Lall during the company’s May earnings call. That’s a meaningful volume bump for a public company whose growth increasingly hinges on winning exactly these kinds of manufacturing contracts.

Dixon already manufactures smartphones for Xiaomi, suggesting the Vivo venture builds on an expanding role as a manufacturing partner for both global and Chinese smartphone brands in India, and reinforces its position as one of the more reliable bets in India’s electronics build-out.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Apple #Indias #smartphone #manufacturing #boom #enters #phase #Vivo #TechCrunchDixon,vivo">After Apple, India’s smartphone manufacturing boom enters new phase with Vivo JV | TechCrunch

India on Thursday approved a manufacturing joint venture between China’s Vivo and local manufacturer Dixon Technologies, a move that could mark the next phase of the country’s smartphone manufacturing boom after Apple helped turn India into a global smartphone production hub.

The approval allows Vivo to proceed with a long-delayed manufacturing partnership first announced in December 2024, after New Delhi cleared the investment under investment rules introduced in 2020 that require extra government scrutiny of investment from countries sharing a land border with India — a category that includes China. The joint venture will acquire certain manufacturing assets from Vivo, manufacture part of the company’s smartphone orders in India, and can also produce electronic products for other brands, according to a stock exchange filing by Noida-based Dixon.

The 51/49 venture — majority-owned by Dixon, with Vivo holding the remaining stake — reflects a broader shift in how Chinese smartphone brands are expanding manufacturing in India through local partnerships. For an industry watching how governments referee the relationship between Chinese capital and domestic manufacturing, the structure, analysts believe, could become a template for similar arrangements across the industry, helping broaden India’s smartphone manufacturing story beyond Apple.

Over the past few years, India has emerged as a major global smartphone manufacturing hub as Apple and its suppliers expanded iPhone production in the country while diversifying supply chains beyond China. Government incentives have also helped attract global electronics manufacturers, boosting the country’s role in global smartphone production.

Apple spent years building its manufacturing footprint in India and today accounts for 57% of the country’s smartphone exports by volume, according to Counterpoint Research’s data shared with TechCrunch. Chinese brands, on the other hand, dominate India’s smartphone market sales with 72% of the market, but contribute less than 10% of exports, a gap that shows how much upside is still on the table if they start exporting from India the way Apple does.

Apple’s India manufacturing expansion has largely been driven by suppliers such as Foxconn and Tata. Chinese smartphone brands, meanwhile, are increasingly exploring partnerships with Indian companies after New Delhi tightened investment rules for neighboring countries following the 2020 border clashes with China. Several of those companies, including Oppo, Vivo, and Xiaomi, have also faced tax and regulatory investigations in India in recent years, which helps explain why ceding majority control to an Indian partner is now looking like the more sustainable path forward.

Local partnerships such as the Dixon-Vivo venture offer Chinese brands a more stable operating model, while aligning with India’s push for greater local participation in electronics manufacturing, said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.

“The approval of this joint venture creates a win-win for both players,” Pathak told TechCrunch. He added that the majority-Indian-owned structure provides Vivo with greater policy alignment while giving Dixon the scale to deepen local value addition and pursue exports.

Vivo has manufactured and exported smartphones from India for years, but the approved venture marks a shift toward a majority Indian-owned manufacturing structure as the market leader deepens its footprint in the world’s second-largest smartphone market. The Chinese smartphone vendor retained the top spot in India’s smartphone market with a 23% shipment share in Q1, per Counterpoint.

For Dixon, India’s largest electronics manufacturing services company, the venture could add annualized manufacturing volumes of about 20 million to 22 million smartphones, based on Vivo’s current sales, according to comments by Managing Director Atul Lall during the company’s May earnings call. That’s a meaningful volume bump for a public company whose growth increasingly hinges on winning exactly these kinds of manufacturing contracts.

Dixon already manufactures smartphones for Xiaomi, suggesting the Vivo venture builds on an expanding role as a manufacturing partner for both global and Chinese smartphone brands in India, and reinforces its position as one of the more reliable bets in India’s electronics build-out.

When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.

#Apple #Indias #smartphone #manufacturing #boom #enters #phase #Vivo #TechCrunchDixon,vivo
official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.

Key Features the Game Offers

Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.

Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.

Pre-Registration Rewards

Level Infinite Launches Gangstar Mirage City in India with Pre-Registrations
	
Level Infinite has opened pre-registrations for Gangstar Mirage City, the newest game in Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series. Indian players can now enroll on the official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.



Key Features the Game Offers



Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.



Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.



Pre-Registration Rewards






Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.



The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.



Languages and Availability



Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite

Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.

The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.

Languages and Availability

Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite">Level Infinite Launches Gangstar Mirage City in India with Pre-Registrations
	
Level Infinite has opened pre-registrations for Gangstar Mirage City, the newest game in Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series. Indian players can now enroll on the official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.



Key Features the Game Offers



Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.



Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.



Pre-Registration Rewards






Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.



The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.



Languages and Availability



Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite

before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.

Key Features the Game Offers

Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.

Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.

Pre-Registration Rewards

Level Infinite Launches Gangstar Mirage City in India with Pre-Registrations
	
Level Infinite has opened pre-registrations for Gangstar Mirage City, the newest game in Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series. Indian players can now enroll on the official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.



Key Features the Game Offers



Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.



Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.



Pre-Registration Rewards






Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.



The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.



Languages and Availability



Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite

Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.

The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.

Languages and Availability

Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite">Level Infinite Launches Gangstar Mirage City in India with Pre-Registrations

Level Infinite has opened pre-registrations for Gangstar Mirage City, the newest game in Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series. Indian players can now enroll on the official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.

Key Features the Game Offers

Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.

Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.

Pre-Registration Rewards

Level Infinite Launches Gangstar Mirage City in India with Pre-Registrations
	
Level Infinite has opened pre-registrations for Gangstar Mirage City, the newest game in Gameloft’s long-running Gangstar series. Indian players can now enroll on the official website before the game’s soft launch in August 2026. Players who register for the game will receive rewards upon its release. There will be mission stories and open-world gameplay. According to the developer, player choices will influence certain missions and gameplay events.



Key Features the Game Offers



Gangstar Mirage City brings together open-world exploration, racing, and action in a single experience. In addition to story missions, players can explore different parts of the city, collect vehicles, and compete in street races. The game also includes cooperative heists, allowing friends to complete missions together.



Building a criminal empire is yet another important aspect of the game. Capturing territories can help players enhance their influence and generate revenue. They can also personalize their weapons and vehicles according to the requirements of specific missions and fights. If you are one of those people who like competitive gaming, you can join the team fights, vehicle fights, last-man-standing games, and PvP-based objective games. The developers have also confirmed that more arenas and multiplayer content will arrive in future updates.



Pre-Registration Rewards






Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.



The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.



Languages and Availability



Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite

Players who have already signed up for Gangstar Mirage City can participate in the Global Vault Heist campaign, scheduled prior to the game’s soft launch. This campaign offers rewards available only to early participants. More rewards will become available to those who are signed up for the event as more people sign up. Participants can also invite up to three friends to join the campaign. Each successful invitation unlocks extra bonuses, allowing groups to start the game with additional rewards when the soft launch begins.

The pre-registration campaign also lets players join one of four in-game factions before launch. Each group has its own background and role in the game’s world. The Family focuses on power and influence, while O-Rage represents a more rebellious approach. The Ghosts are known for underground street racing, whereas Jersey Boyz control the city’s supply chain. Choosing a faction also unlocks a unique avatar reward for launch.

Languages and Availability

Gangstar Mirage City will begin its soft launch on August 20, 2026, and will be available on Android and iOS. There will be nine language options in the game, allowing gamers from various regions to play in their preferred language. Those interested can already complete the pre-registration process through the official website.

#Level #Infinite #Launches #Gangstar #Mirage #City #India #PreRegistrationsLevel Infinite

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