Technology
How large language models work, in plain English
A plain-English guide to what happens inside ChatGPT-style AI tools: tokens, next-word prediction, transformers, training, context windows, and why running them costs real money.
Pointales — Stories with a point.
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Business
What a company’s annual report tells you, and where to look
An Indian listed company's annual report is a legally defined bundle of documents, not a brochure. Here is what the law requires it to contain, where to download it free, which sections to read first and the red flags that experienced readers check before anything else.
Technology
Fab vs OSAT vs chip design: the chip value chain, explained
A chip passes through three very different businesses before it reaches a phone or a car: design, wafer fabrication and packaging. Here is who does what, where the money sits, and which of India's 12 approved plants belongs to which stage.
Technology
On-device AI vs cloud AI: what changes for your phone
Some AI features now run entirely on the chip inside your phone; others still send your request to a data centre. Here is how to tell the two apart, why memory decides which phones qualify, and what each approach does to privacy, battery and data use in India.
Business
Credit on UPI: how RuPay credit cards and credit lines on UPI work
"Credit on UPI" is two different products: a RuPay credit card linked to your UPI app, and a pre-approved credit line from a bank that you spend through UPI. Here is how each is set up, where it works, who pays the fees, how repayment and interest work, and what it means for small shops.
Technology
What GPUs are and why AI needs so many of them
A GPU is a chip built to do thousands of simple calculations at once, which happens to be exactly what AI models need. Here is how it differs from a CPU, why memory and networking matter as much as raw speed, why Nvidia leads, and what India's subsidised GPU pool offers.
Technology
SIM-swap fraud: how it happens and how to stop it
In a SIM swap, a fraudster gets your mobile number moved onto a SIM they control, and with it your bank OTPs. Here is how it is done in India, the safeguards that already exist, and what to do the moment your phone loses signal.
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What undersea internet cables do, and why India depends on a few of them
Almost everything India sends abroad online travels through glass fibres inside a few dozen cables on the seabed, most of them landing on one beach in Mumbai. Here is how those cables are built, lit, cut and repaired, and why a ship's anchor in the Red Sea can slow your video call to London.
Business
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Unit economics: the one framework every founder needs
Before a business can be profitable, each order, customer or subscription has to earn more than it costs to serve and acquire. Here is how contribution margin, CAC, LTV and payback fit together, with a hypothetical example and the real per-order numbers Zomato, Eternal and Swiggy have published.
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Business
How to read India’s GDP numbers
India's GDP release is a dense statistical document, and the headline number is only the start. Here is what GDP measures, how the new 2022-23 series works, and how to read a MoSPI press note without falling for the common misreadings.
Business
How startup funding works in India: from first cheque to IPO
Indian startups raise money in stages, from founders' savings to angel cheques, venture rounds and, for a few, a stock market listing. Here is who invests at each stage, what they get in return, and the rules that shape every deal.
Technology
India’s semiconductor push, explained
India has approved 12 chip projects, three are already shipping, and a second, larger mission has just begun. Here is what is being built, where, by whom, and what could still go wrong.
Technology
Passkeys explained: how passwordless login works
A passkey lets you sign in with your fingerprint, face or screen lock instead of a password. This guide explains the cryptography in plain English, how sign-in works step by step, how passkeys sync and recover, and where they still fall short.