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Indian markets extended their gains for the third day in a row, with BSE Sensex jumping by 712.46 points to close at 57,570.25, and Nifty by 228.65 points, closing at over 17,000.

Meanwhile, a concept video of a “floating hotel” has gone viral. The designers of this Sky Cruise, which could carry 5,000 passengers, believe this future vessel would have no carbon footprint as it will be powered by nuclear energy. 

Oh, and guess what? It will not only have restaurants and bars but also cinema halls and game rooms, and wedding venues! Gives a whole new meaning to destination weddings.

Also, days of widespread Bengaluru traffic jokes may now be numbered as the city’s traffic police has announced it is tying up with Google to ease traffic management—using artificial intelligence. Peak Bengaluru, much?

AI-powered chess

Imagine you are playing a chess game online, and you’ve just made your move. Then, you are told how Magnus Carlsen would probably respond. You now have to think and make your counter move. Sounds exciting?

This is what Tech Mahindra, the digital partner of the 44th FIDE Chess Olympiad in Chennai, is working on—to create an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered “immersive” digital platform for fans, chess lovers, and aficionados. 

Play your turn: 

• Fans could be part of games played by the world’s top chess players and try to match their moves. 
• Tech Mahindra expects to launch the AI-enabled platform soon and is looking to study the games of the top 100 players in the world.
• Indian chess legend Viswanathan Anand will work with the company to advise on next-generation chess tech and engagement.

Banking on the bottom

Seema Prem’s journey toward the world of fintech started with a line from an article. As a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US, she was surprised to find out that half the world’s population did not have access to banking.

Helping rural India:

• In 2012, Seema became the runner-up of the MIT $100K Entrepreneurship Competition and started FIA Global, which stands for Fearlessness, Inclusivity, and Agility. 
• The fintech startup offers assisted banking services through partnerships with financial institutions. It has banking outlets across India manned by micro-entrepreneurs.
• Today, FIA has touched the lives of more than 52 million Indians through its services. It is present in 712 of the 773 districts of the country and has given livelihoods to over 30,000 people.

Zilingo COO quits

Singapore-based B2B ecommerce startup Zilingo continues to see the exodus of senior executives months after co-founder and former CEO Ankiti Bose was subjected to an investigation for alleged financial irregularities. 

Taking to the microblogging platform Twitter, Aadi Vaidya, COO, Zilingo, announced he would be ending his seven-year-old stint in the company.

Here’s what’s happening: 

• In a conversation with YourStory, Aadi confirmed his exit, saying the investigation, allegations, and ongoing rife had nothing to do with his decision.
• He didn’t reveal what plans he has for the future and his next steps. 
• Last month, Ankiti took to Instagram to announce her exit from the company’s board—a month after the troubled fashion ecommerce startup fired her.

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